one green planet
one green planet

While humans are locked down to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the world is improving for bees. Bee populations have been declining in recent years due to pollution, habitat loss and pesticides.

With reduced air pollution thanks to reduced manufacturing and travel, bees have felt the positive effects. In areas with lower air pollution, bees make shorter trips and are better able to rear their young, according to Mark Brown, professor of evolutionary ecology at Royal Holloway, University of London. Fewer cars also mean fewer deaths for bees. In North America every year, 24 billion bees and wasps are killed by vehicles on roads.

“These creatures are vital to what we eat and what our countryside looks like,” Gill Perkins, chief executive of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, told BBC. “They provide a whole ecosystem service.” Bees have an economic value of about $150 billion, according to a study by the University of Reading, and provide pollination for a third of the food we eat.

Many communities are considering the environment and financial benefits of wild areas during the lockdown. Perkins said that in the UK it seems that people “are beginning to realise how their mental health and wellbeing is supported by nature – particularly by bumblebees, which are so iconic and beautiful and buzzy. I hope that remains after lockdown.”

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Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

Scientists believe that the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus, started at an exotic animal market in Wuhan, China. You can help stop the incidence of viruses like these by signing this petition to ban the wildlife trade.

This is a good time to reconsider our intake of animal products to stay healthy. Eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

Interested in joining the dairy-free and meatless train? We highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Catch up on our latest coronavirus coverage in One Green Planet, check out these articles:

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