Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous, bee killing edition

Apparently, we should all feel incredibly guilty for simply using our cellphones, as not only are we encouraging the growth of ear tumors within our bodies, but now we're hearing that radiation flying out from our mobiles are demolishing the world's supply of crops. All jesting aside, a controversial report is now claiming that "radiation from mobile phones are interfering with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving (and pollinating) species from finding their way back to their hives." The comically-named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is reportedly being seen on a much larger scale in the US and Europe, and elusive "evidence" is purportedly backing these dodgy claims up. Backers of the shocking data are even going so far as to suggest that in the future, our refusal to set aside the cellphone could cause "massive food shortages as the world's harvests fail." Man, this sounds worse than Y2K, for sure.

[Via Slashdot]

[McGinley @ Apr 15th 2007 4:15PM]

It would probably be more damaging to the world economy if we stopped using cellphones.

[JoshLowry @ Apr 15th 2007 4:27PM]

I hear pollination is bad for the ozone layer. Or was that some other p word?

Looks like someone registered most of the SaveTheBees.com/net/org domains already. :(


- Josh

http://www.StateOfBrain.com

[Lockwood @ Apr 15th 2007 10:27PM]

Please don't be such a smug jack ass these problems need to be considered with depth and intelligence - maybe you should be texting your girl rather than responding to important and weighing concerns.

[Rubberdemon @ Apr 15th 2007 4:28PM]

This seems unlikely. Since the number of mobile phones in Europe is much greater than in the US, and the population density (and therefore the amount of phones and towers per square mile/km) is also higher, how could something like this spread from the US to Europe? Wouldn't the other way around make more sense? Also, if something is caused by a widespread environmental condition (cellphone radiation), how could it 'spread'? The fact that it seems to be spreading suggests some sort of biological factor. And finally, the 'research' cited in the article showing that having cellphones near hives causes bees to stay away is very misleading - radio power follows the inverse square law, so unless people are deciding to plant cell towers over beehives, or storing their phones in beehives, the amount of radiation actually affecting any given beehive must be barely measurable.

[sharpm @ Apr 15th 2007 4:29PM]

I was not impressed with the original article. I agree that the loss of the domestic honey bee population is a problem but to blame it on a single factor is ridiculous. I would take the article with a grain of salt. To me in order for something like this to be more creditable there should be more evidence then quotes and the random inserts of "Studies in India and the US" or "Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up." What evidence, I don’t see any citations, give me some links to make the article creditable and then well talk.

[Luke @ Apr 15th 2007 4:45PM]

Wow... I've been reading a lot of Colony Collapse Disorder, I'm a former beekeeper myself. It's the real deal, some people have lost 90% of their hives already, so unlike Y2K, the worst is happening as we speak. However, I hadn't seen a report linking it to cell phones. Absolutely crazy, I wonder if it's true?

Amazing.

And for those of you who underestimate the importance of the Honey Bee on world crops, something like 3/4th of all food you buy at a grocery store is pollinated by honey bees. Those global warming types ain't got nothing on this...

[liqwid @ Apr 15th 2007 4:53PM]

Does this mean that cellphones could potentially aid in the prevention of killer bees?

[azz0r @ Apr 16th 2007 3:28AM]

lol i just bought my kids two to carry around based on that fact.

[James @ Apr 15th 2007 5:02PM]

This is a seriouse problem, but there have been colony collapses before just not in this large of scale. Those were not caused by cell phone interferance, so its hard to say that this is as well. I've been following it, and previously there has been some way to tell what has caused it but not this time. I guess it could be possible, but wouldn't people have noticed it on a large scale last year as well? Why all of them all of the sudden. Maybe I missed something and it happend last year as well, but all the info I have looked at says no. So has cell phone usage increased in all of those areas so much to cause the problem this year but not previously? I think it seems unlikely.

It does seem to be something that should be looked at as a possible cause. If it is cellphone usage it should be reduced imediatly and investigated until we can figure out a solution.

[Paul - London @ Apr 15th 2007 5:37PM]

I don't know how much water these claims hold, possibly none. Read this article and see what you think:

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/wildlife/article2314202.ece

However, I do feel strongly that the tone of the Engadget piece seems a bit closed-minded. Sure, it may be nonsense, but to be so dismissive of such a theory makes Engadget come across a bit redneck to my eyes! For such a website with a very international and open feel, it seems a bit Charlton Heston in its outlook in this case.

If bees stop pollinating our crops they will fail - this is serious. Sorry, guys, if you feel your toys are threatened but if this evidence gains more credence we will all have to make some uncomfortable decisions relating to our survival.

[mandrill @ Apr 15th 2007 5:23PM]

I was listening to a BBC radio show earlier this week and CCD was mentioned. The british beekeeper they were interviewing said that the incidence of CCD was higher on mainland europe and in the US than it was in Britain.
Britain has a much higher population density than mainland europe and people here seem to own three or four phones each (thats the impression I get anyway). This kind of debunks the "Cellphones Kill Bees" theory. Sorry.

[devon @ Apr 15th 2007 5:29PM]

They've got a point. Whenever I see a bee colony, it's usually someplace without mobile coverage. Good thing bees haven't learned to use phones yet.

[Anthony @ Apr 15th 2007 7:22PM]

Perhaps there is now a market for Faraday cage wrapped beehives. Or a breed of bee's that's not affected by the radio waves.

It's more likely we'll develop technology to mitigate the effects of radio waves, rather than abandon cell phones... Of course, all of this won't matter once we Upload.

[guilt+1 @ Apr 15th 2007 7:49PM]

Would it not be better to just find the frequency that pisses them off and then allocate that area of the spectrum to them. They do enough work to justify the expense.

[JK @ Apr 15th 2007 8:10PM]

has anyone read the famous book "the worst decisions of all time" ?? Y2K is in there... and this one will be in the next revision as well! Ya'bet ya!

[steve @ Apr 15th 2007 8:14PM]

"radiation from mobile phones are interfering with bees' navigation systems"
the bees should get a navigation that uses satellites to find their way back to their hive

[Locus @ Apr 15th 2007 8:38PM]

Meh, i get them buzzing down the fone at me sometimes, i just thought it was a bad connection...

[Ayle @ Apr 15th 2007 8:44PM]

arent the bees supposed to use the sun to navigate? How come radio waves interfere with that?

[h.solo @ Apr 15th 2007 8:47PM]

One more Greenpeace addled hippie trying to bring weird Luddite logic to the world.

Maybe we can blame global warming on drum circles next.

"...its the corporations,uh global warming,.... uh"

[Lockwood @ Apr 15th 2007 10:26PM]

Please don't be such a smug jack ass - you clearly don't understand much about the integrative factors involved in our environmental corruption nor does your comment possess any reverence for such weighing concerns. Maybe you'd spend your time in a wiser fasion by surfing porn or texting your girlfriend.

[global warming is a fraud @ Apr 15th 2007 10:33PM]

Sorry you latte swilling, volvo driving, ecco-terrorist. I understand the issue, I even went to some that fancy university schoolin you latte liberals cherish so much, even passed a few o' them there science classes. I just want to know when the mini ice-age ended and the world started to melt.
By the way wasn't all the world's oil supposed to be gone by 1980?
I hate environmental doomsday scenarios.

[syadasti @ Apr 15th 2007 9:44PM]

This story is byproduct of a trend of hypochondriac idiots in the UK claiming they are sensitive to/sick/allergic from EMF from modern electronics. Modern electronics are far more efficient than they use to be and they have to certified not to output high levels/cause interference. As mentioned EMFs follow inverse square law so the amount of radiation actually affecting any given person/beehive/etc is barely measurable unless you are right on top of the transmitter. Good old fashion TV/radio station transmitters, CB radios, shortwave, microwaves, common household electric motors, etc would be putting out more EM energy than modern cellphones or wifi.

This should be the emphasis of the story:

"No one knows why it is happening. Theories involving mites, pesticides, global warming and GM crops have been proposed, but all have drawbacks."

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Apr 15th 2007 10:02PM]

I hesitate to say that there is a known cause, but there is something affecting bees. They aren't returning to their hives. Beekeepers are losing thousands of them - they're just vanishing.

Before you think this just affects honey production, think again: Farmers will hire beekeepers to bring their hives to the fields to help pollinate the plants.

So, yes, blaming cellphones might be a bit shortsighted, but don't go laughing at the idea that a massive die-off of bees would not affect us all... it'll end up hitting all of us in the pocketbook if farmers can't harvest mature gains and veggies because they couldn't get the plants pollinated.

[Gil @ Apr 16th 2007 3:05AM]

Gee thanks! I was so foolish trusting thousands of experts instead of your half assed insulting opinion

[h.solo @ Apr 16th 2007 11:05AM]

1000's of experts like Al Gore? I missed his PHD in any Science.

[h.solo @ Apr 15th 2007 10:34PM]

By the way wormwood, mix in some spell check and the global warming is a fraud post is for you.

[Cory @ Apr 15th 2007 10:35PM]

Well, there's been electronic radiation (TV, radio) of some kind flying around the planet for all of this century and most of the last one, and so I find it slightly unbelievable that this is a problem brought on by the increasing use of cell phones. That said, however, lack of pollination is a serious problem that needs to be investigated.

[t-bone @ Apr 15th 2007 10:45PM]

My comment from earlier is gone.

[NovaLand @ Apr 16th 2007 12:01AM]

We need something like the plague to reduce the population of humans since no animals really take care of that in a natural way. If we chop away like 99/100 of the human population over a few years in starvation and other global warming issues, the world will soon be a better place for sure!

[TIMMAH! @ Apr 16th 2007 1:47AM]

I call BS on this one. Cell phone have been in use for how long now? I would expect a declining relationship to cell phone proliferation to be evident, not some sudden mass-extinction scenario.

[Aaron @ Apr 16th 2007 4:12AM]

Guys, guys, killing off bees is just viral marketing to hype the Halo 3 launch! Remember ilovebees.com??? No one was paying attention to it anymore so now they're going after real live bees!

Must...play...Halo...

[RrR @ Apr 16th 2007 6:15AM]

I think i'll make a lot of money selling anti radiation stickers to beekeepers!
Seems like we should all follow the Amish!

[Frank7258 @ Apr 16th 2007 7:52AM]

蓝牙也是电磁波啊，虽然功率不如手机大，但是频率和手机不同，电磁辐射的影响和频率也有关系的。比如1kw微波炉可以把鸡给煮熟了，但是巨大的无线电发射站却不会把飞鸟给煮熟。一般来说，越接近人的共振频率的应该影响越大吧。

[mike worthington @ Apr 16th 2007 9:16AM]

this article just came out in a new jersey newspaper: http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1176611470205100.xml&coll=1

the loses appear to be gigantic. however, the people in the article seem to blame a pesticide used on corn for what is going on rather than cell phones.

[macona @ Apr 16th 2007 1:12PM]

Time to invest in BPS (Bee Positioning System)!

I used to keep bees as well. This is NOT good. No way it is being caused by RF from cell phones of all things. If this was true this would be affecting everything from migratory birds, migratory insects, and other hive type insects.

Fields where bees are being used are often far from urban areas where you lucky to get a signal on a good day. Heck, there are people that keep bees in the city on their apartment balconys for years now. Never a problem before.

I am betting it will be some sort of virus or other pathogen and with the transportation from state to state there is no quarantine so it will spread through the colonies like wildfire.

[water_spark @ Apr 20th 2007 12:00AM]

My own pet theory is the increasing shift of the earth's magnetic field, causing bees to be unable to effectively navigate.



Bees navigation link:
http://www.setiai.com/archives/000064.html

Magnetic field flipping link: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/reversals.html

[rakbar @ May 1st 2007 3:56AM]

why wasn't this happening last year. Its not like hundreds of millions of people got cell phones this year and caused the bees to go insane.

[NipunFernando @ Jun 24th 2007 6:25AM]

I realized this is the time to save our nature we must hurry .the article was very use full to me
I think cell phones are dangerous not now it will be future