Animals, We Need Them!

We often think of animals as our companions, we rely on certain animals for food and transportation, and some animals even get a special place in our home and hearts. However, we often forget that animals, including insects, are actually essential to our survival and that they need our protection.

There has been a lot of talk about bees, especially since farmers became aware of colony collapse disorder in 2004. In June 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture called it “the biggest general threat to our food supply.”  We need bees not only for honey, but also because they pollinate, which enables us to grow fruit, vegetables, even flowers. Without them our food supply would collapse (can you imagine trying to hand pollinate every flower?).

In addition to bees, butterflies and worms are also essential. Scientists study butterflies to gain clues about future climate changes, which make it possible for them to make recommendations that can help shape our future. Worms are fabulous eaters, and benefit to our soil with their castings. Vermicomposting has been gaining popularity, and is an amazing source of compost for the garden, as well as a viable alternative to throwing out food and paper. Worms can help us solve our landfill issues.

And lastly, bats are in danger, which puts us in another predicament. Bats not only produce amazing guano that is used for fertilizing the soil, but they also keep the insect population in check. A single bat can consume up to 1200 insects an hour! In addition to keeping the insect population in balance, bats pollinate or disburse the seeds of more than 300 important species, including wild bananas, wild avocados and durian, and cactus and agave.

Everything that we do effects animals in some way, and in turn affects our future. It’s time to start thinking about our choices a little more, and do what we can to help these species survive and thrive.

Aimee Gertsch

23 comments

Amber Bloom
Amber Bloom9 years ago

We are very concerned about this and in our own way to educate people about CCD we created a line of clothing. Profits benefit education about Bees and CCD. Please check it out at www.BeeBopATee.com

Thank you.

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Amber Bloom
Amber Bloom9 years ago

We are very concerned about this, too, and want to educate people about it which is why we created a line of clothing to educate people about CCD. You can check it out at www.BeeBopATee.com

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Marlene V.
marlene v9 years ago

We must stop poisoning this planet and killing off its animals and insects .....
All are essential, none less important than the other.
The human species needs to realize that it does not own this earth, and so far we have not been good care takers .
We do not have the authority to disrespect it and inflict awful cruelty on the creatures that live on this planet with us ...
Right now 280, 000 baby seals are being
skinned alive for their fur. People do not need it !
We must stop !!

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Jarrod Huffman
Jarrod Huffman9 years ago

One day man will look down upon the smoke and rubble that he once called home, now realizing that he is truly alone. There is no more grass, no birds, no crickets, even his best friend the loyal dog is gone becoming the last food soarce left aside from other humans after he has depleted his remaining livestock to the slaughter. Only the sound of his breath in the stench of a putred wind of smog and dust can be heard greeting him with a sigh of dispair. The very things he took for granted were those he and millions of others destroyed for selfish reasons. We pillage like locusts and fail to exist in a world that requires balance to thrive. How could this ever be a world for man if the animals we depend on aren't there. We are still bound by the laws of nature, and like ANY other animal, man eats, sleeps, reproduces, and must use the same soarces. Without our land and animals, this cannot be our world for we shall seise to exist! "This is the way man's world will end, not with a cry, but a wimper." A little meloncoly but it gets the point across in a rather realistic manner don't you think?

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Monique R.
Monique R9 years ago

This planet will only ever move forward if the human species realises that it does not own this earth, we do not have the authority to disrespect it and mutilate it and inflict terrible cruelty on the creatures that live in it next to us. Until we get over the notion that we are some sort of owner then the damage will continue. For every politician that signs a document to allow cruelty to any animal, for every person who thinks that they can be cruel to an animal then we are never ever going to go anywhere but backwards. I wonder what we would see if we could see the world through an animals eyes, an animal that had been treated cruelty and for no other reason than we can.

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Jennifer R.
Jennifer R9 years ago

The earth will outlast humans, that much I believe. How soon she will cleanse herself of us depends on how much longer we continue to try to destroy her.

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Jane Wood
Jane Wood9 years ago

In my heart I agree with all these comments but presently our household has an infestation of bird mite which is effecting our lives very negatively. Does anyone know a way that I that will feel more positive and they will relocate and find a host who will not suffer from having them as guests. home.

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Jane Wood
Jane Wood9 years ago

In my heart I agree with all these comments but presently our household has an infestation of bird mite which is effecting our lives very negatively. Does anyone know a way that I that will feel more positive and they will relocate and find a host who will not suffer from having them as guests. home.

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Amanda R.
Amanda R9 years ago

My only problem is things like this sentence: "We need bees not only for honey, but also because they pollinate, which enables us to grow fruit, vegetables, even flowers."

We don't NEED honey by any means. That makes no sense. But really, if the plants were not pollinated, we WOULD die. But the fact of the matter is that bees would not be having these problems if we didn't do what we do to them for honey, so I thought that was a very misguided thing to say.

But then again, I'm sure someone will have invented some kind of unnatural pollination machine by the time bees are extinct.

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PJ W.
PJ W9 years ago

I wanted to mention that there is a book titled "Dust" that is a fictional story of the domino effect of an "inconsequential" species of bug being wiped out.
It was so thought provoking for me I kept having to go back and reread.

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