Is it really possible that if the bees disappeared in earth, then the man would only four years of life left?

Question

That's Albert Einstein Quotation. and I saw the movie the happening, it really alarms me.

Answer 1

Don't know about the 'four year' bit.

But if ALL the bee's truly disappeared?

All I know is that 90% of the crops we

humans depend on for sustenance

REQUIRE bee pollenation in order to

produce the fruited product.

Not just humans, but all species that

depend on the produce of plants would

indeed be in trouble.

Answer 2

There is a certain amount of scaremongering going on with this bee business. The wild bee population has declined over the last 50 years or so, partially in response to other bee populations replacing them (African and European bees), and this is what a lot of the hyperbole is actually about. If all the feral bees were to disappear, there would still be little cause for concern because there are always managed bee colonies. The cause for their declining population has not been conclusively determined, but factors such as intensive farming methods, use of pesticides and destruction of natural habitats have been examined as contributory factors.

The cause for concern is that bees pollinate about a third of food crop species. Without pollination, the crops will not bear fruit and seeds for harvest and growing subsequent generations. However, that is not to say that we will lose a third of our food supply; without bees these crops would be pollinated by other species of bee or different insects (and indeed, other species are already used for pollination on a small scale).

Steps are being taken to help preserve the bee population, including restoring wildlife areas and active breeding programmes. The agriculture industry is too reliant on insect pollination to simply sit back and watch in despair as bees die out - solutions are being found.