Today, let's look at a number. 70% of our crops require pollination, and bees are the main pollinators.
It is true that some major crops can be grown without the little critters. Grains, such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Yes, we could survive on those, but not well and not for long. They provide inadequate supplies of nutrients. Think, no strawberries, no beans, no leafy green, no apples or pears, no oranges, or peaches, no nuts. And that is just a few things we would lack.
Meat? Forget it. True, many animals can live on grains, but those grains will have to be turned to human use. No wild game either, since they depend on fruits, leaves, etc.
What about sea food and plants? Sorry. We have overfished the water and turned it into a garbage dump. In addition, the climate changes are making the water more acidic and the kelps, etc are dying. The coral reefs, home to many fish and shellfish are also dying.
Could we survive without bees? For awhile, but not long. It is conceivable that we could adapt to such a limited diet, but we evolve slowly. Next time, I'll mention the political fallout from the famine that is. possibly, even likely to occur.
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