One area that you might not consider when you think about internet providers is honeybees According to Satelliteforinternet.com. Unfortunately, the number of colonies of bees has been dwindling across the world in recent years with some areas losing over 90% of their population. In the United States, bee colonies have seemed to stabilize even though there are some colonies that don’t have the high numbers that they once had. Areas of New England have seen that at least 14 species of honeybees have been declining in numbers since 2019 with some colonies seeing an almost 90% drop.
Behind the Numbers
One concern about honeybee populations is colony collapse disorder. The disorder occurs when a majority of the worker bees in the colony die or leave. When these bees leave, then the queen and younger bees don’t have the protection that they need to survive and fight off intruders. There is also a concern about introducing Asian hornets or Murder hornets to areas of the country. If they are introduced in large numbers, then it’s possible that they could overtake colonies of honeybees due to their size and aggressive nature.
Impacts
Although it seems like bees wouldn’t be a major issue, there have been some economic impacts in the country due to the decline of honeybee colonies. About 4,000 different types of bees are native to the United States. They help to maintain the food supply through pollination and help to maintain the ecosystem. These small animals might not seem important, but they can help with plant growth whether it’s on farms or in the wild. There are a few solutions that scientists are looking at in order to try to save the honeybees so that colonies begin to grow again and so that colonies don’t lose many more bees. Several companies and individuals are coming together to see what they can do to help as well as many people understand that bees are a vital part of the environment and need to be saved. The internet is also helping to save the bees by keeping more people informed about the situation and by connecting people who want to help. Internet sources also make it a bit easier for people to join organizations that can help save the bees.
Utilizing the Internet
According to EarthLink, those who enjoy beekeeping as a hobby can research how to maintain their colonies and how to grow their colonies by looking on the internet. They can also find supplies that are needed online and other people who enjoy the hobby as well. Some tech companies are working with beekeepers to offer assistance in the form of new technologies that can help track bees and that can help keep hives maintained. Some internet providers are setting goals for some of their responsibilities pertaining to corporate actions in order to help save bee colonies as well.
Sustaining
One of the ways that the number of bees and other animals in the country and across the world has declined is through the use of pesticides and other harmful items that are used on farms. These items are supposed to help plants grow or keep insects from destroying plants, which can be good overall, but the items that are used are killing bees and other animals that consume the products. More land areas have been taken over as well, which has resulted in fewer locations for bees to make their colonies. Germany has seen an almost 75% decrease in its insect population since 2017. Internet providers are trying to get the word out about these issues so that bee colonies can be sustained.
Verizon
The company announced in 2019 that it closed the first Green Bond for a telecommunications provider. This is a way that money can be earmarked for a certain cause or purpose. As investors show interest and invest in Green Bond, an equal amount of money is given as proceeds to the environmental cause. The company has already raised over $1 billion for various environmental projects.
AT&T
This is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. There are numerous initiatives that the company has taken on regarding social responsibility as it pertains to saving the environment and caring for bees and other animals. The company has invested in everything from reducing emissions to helping to minimize waste through recycling. A roadmap has been created by AT&T as a way to guide the company along some of the initiatives that have been formed at least through 2025.
Spectrum
There are new headquarters being established in Connecticut. The goal is for Spectrum to achieve the Gold status when it comes to various leadership and design responsibilities. The company wants to make its fleet of vehicles as energy-efficient as possible as well as many of its buildings across the country.
HughesNet
The company has recently received awards for establishing committees that help to develop environmental programs and support volunteer programs so that there are more people who can assist with helping the environment. HughesNet is also listed as a Green Business in Montgomery County.
Frontier
The company uses numerous ways to help sustain the environment. Employees can work from home so that they aren’t on the road in their vehicles, reducing emissions in the air. Public transit credits are provided for employees who do want to work at the office. Frontier also helps customers ensure that their bills are paid online instead of mailing a payment in order to save paper.
Rural Areas
The most common type of internet service that customers have is broadband. It offers the speed needed to perform almost any task online. The goal is to try to reach as many customers in rural areas as possible so that more people have access to broadband. This could mean that even more people will be able to learn about ways that they can help save the bees and other areas of the environment. Beekeepers living in rural areas can also seek information about maintaining their colonies a bit easier than if they didn’t have access to broadband.