Bye Bye Bees

In recent studies of male honeybees it is shown that two insecticides can drastically reduce the male's ability to reproduce due to a reduction in the living sperm. These two chemicals, thiamethoxam and clothianidin, that are banned in some nations are responsible for a 40 percent reduction of sperm. The insecticide exposure is immediate. This male reproductive issue is responsible for a decline in the honeybee population. For example, bee keepers in the United States have lost 44 percent of their honeybee colonies. The decline in bees is a bigger problem than it seems as many plants that require bee pollination are the basis of the world's food supply which poses an ecological danger. Studies are being done to investigate the other stressors that can affect a honeybee's health other than pesticides in order to help increase population growth.

Earth Population 7 Billion

As of october 31, 2011 the U.N. Population Fund said their will be seven billion people sharing earth's resources. Unfortunately, the growth will be in Africa, India, and China where their are many people living in horrible conditions and in poverty. The growth is not nessecerily a bad thing, but more resources will need to be funded. The International Water Insitute say that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will live in places where major water shortages will occur. Water is a main key component of life and without it people would die. This is not a cause for an alarm, but in the future prices for food and daily esscentials will be rising. With having over 215 million women worldwide that dont have family planning, population will continue to grow.

7 Billion in 2011

Science Daily.com reports that soon this year we will reach 7 billion people in the entire world population. In 1999 there was 6 billion, this means that in 12 years we gained an extra 1 billion people.

The United Nations, expects around 10.1 billion people by 2100. At least these projected people will be occupying most of today's areas that are not as populated and Africa.

Still this insane amount of people that have not even been born yet are already causing problems for those of us who are already here. We now have to think about food supply, water supply, housing, and energy. This also means that with less space, everyone will be in closer distances of each other. This means that disease can go through populations a lot quicker. Health will be another top priority to worry about. David Bloom from the Harvard School of Public Health said "Those challenges are not insurmountable, but we cannot deal with them by sticking our heads in the sand. We have to tackle some tough issues ranging from the unmet need for contraception among hundreds of millions of women and the huge knowledge-action gaps we see in the area of child survival, to the reform of retirement policy and the development of global immigration policy. It's just plain irresponsible to sit by idly while humankind experiences full force the perils of demographic change."

Original Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728144933.htm

Picture from: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Population&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=Scqn_74BBFFVZM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tradenewswire.net/2011/the-worlds-population-may-hit-10-billion-by-the-end-of-this-century/&docid=fFC1KZCS7-G3CM&w=420&h=272&ei=xEI0TuBAiOHRAZWs9N8L&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=714&vpy=337&dur=4592&hovh=181&hovw=279&tx=222&ty=109&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=189&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&biw=1034&bih=630

I read an article in ScienceDaily.com about how Giant Pandas one of the most endangered species in the world are effected directly by their environment. Genetic analysis of Giant Pandas has shown that there are shifts in their genes, depending on what their environment is like. According to BMC Genetics there are many environmental barriers that can affect their genes. These physical barriers include areas lacking bamboo plants and other forest foliage. These barriers can separate their genes into specific, isolated groups. Pandas were being studied in the in the Xiaoxiangling and Daxiangling mountains by Fuwen Wei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a team of researchers. They studied 192 different fecal samples. 53 of those samples showed that they came from unique genotypes.

Theses "genetic signatures," showed and proved fragmentation within the Panda population. All of the researchers agreed that it would be most helpful to the Panda population if they could increase the bamboo resources in the habitats that are lacking it. They would like to reduce the amount of physical barriers so that there will not be as many isolated genetic groups within the Panda population.

Main article found at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100722205624.htm