the bees have ten years to live?

the telegraph reports that we are truly near disaster:

"The decline in honeybees is risking the sustainability of home-grown food. They pollinate more than 90 of the flowering crops we rely on for food. They are estimated to contribute more than £1 billion a year to the national economy yet the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), spends an average of only £200,000 a year on research to protect them."

when speaking recently with a friend, she laughed this off, saying we shall be able to genetically engineer the food that we need and the demise of the bees is not a major problem. i love her dearly, and thus did not tell her to buzz off. however one may estimate the effect of the decimation of the bee community, the fact that does not seem to be disputed is that the bees are dying. i don't have a vote in the uk, but some of you do. i do pay a few taxes though :-) nu, government, do something! SAVE THE BEES!!

*sigh* if only it were that easy. read the rest of the report here.