I chose to review the article, “Urban Hives” by Madeleine Hinchy taken from Vogue Living Jan/Feb 11 (67-68). This particular article caught my attention because it had the word “sustainable” mentioned several times throughout. I thought to myself, “what’s so sustainable about bees?” My chiropractor had often told me a local beekeeper could potentially solve my need for Claritin, which I’ve been prescribed for years for allergies. I had to find out if that was the reason for the article so I kept reading. Well, it turned out that bee keeping in urban areas has become a sort of trend, not only in Australia but also in other countries like France, US, and England.
According to the article, “Sydney’s original urban beekeepers George and Charis Schwarz set the standard for a growing number of amateur enthusiasts”. (67) They started keeping bees as a form of therapy but now it is a way of life for them both. They estimate that the bees provide an annual yield averaging around 80kg of honey per hive. The honey is enough to supply interested neighbors as well as profit from selling at Sydney Sustainable Markets in Taylor Square. Even with this much honey being supplied locally, the Schwarz still notice that local chefs and restaurants are in need of large quantities of honey for things like honey wine.
At first glance I thought the production of honey was the primary purpose of beekeeping but as I read on, I realized for the Schwarz that was an incorrect inference. Apparently, the population of bees has been quickly decreasing worldwide for some time. The true reason is unknown, which leads many to speculate there are a variety of reasons such as pesticide use, climate change, and loss of biodiversity. (68)
People like the Schwarz who are aware of this horrible trend have begun a movement to educate the world on how they can help. Australia’s Milkwood Permaculture, an organization that focuses on sustainable farming and agriculture, now offers a course on urban beekeeping. The reason for proper and formal education on the subject is because incorrectly caring for beehives may further exacerbate the already growing issue of disease within the bee population.
Things like this continue to solidify the fact that every part of nature is interconnected. Something as simple as bees can help sustain us for a variety of reasons; yet, we take for granted their presence and almost consider them a huge annoyance. I often spray insecticides in my backyard, which are adding to this growing problem of unsafe food and plant life. With a little education I would understand that planting a particular variety of greenery along my fence line will serve the same purpose of keeping bees at a safe distance from the house.
“Throwaway line” by Helen Redmond (Vogue Living Jan/Feb11)
Wasara’s idea was to create chic tableware that was also eco-friendly. The dishes are designed by Shinichiro Ogata and made from reed pulp, bamboo, and sugarcane waste, which are all organic and biodegradable. The design of the tableware is such that you will be inclined to reuse as opposed to discard them when they are used minimally. And once you can no longer reuse them, they are environmentally safe to discard.
Currently, companies that design and market sustainable products are in the minority. This is the reason I gave up on using disposable dishware even though I truly believe disposable, yet biodegradable, kitchenware is much less damaging to the planet than reusing real dishes. I say this because the bleach, water, and energy used to heat the water for washing dishes over and over adds more to the depletion of natural resources as well as my monthly utility bill. Hopefully more companies will see what Wasara is doing and begin developing more sustainable products to compete with them. Then, people like me will not have to choose the lesser of two evils when deciding which dishes to use day in and day out. (76)
