{"id":348748,"date":"2025-11-07T12:27:44","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T17:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/?p=348748"},"modified":"2025-11-07T12:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T17:27:44","slug":"how-the-internet-is-helping-save-the-bees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reviews.com\/utilities\/internet\/how-the-internet-is-helping-save-the-bees\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Internet is Helping Save the Bees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Global managed honey bee hive counts have continued to grow rather than collapse: the FAO\u2019s latest international dataset shows more than 100 million beehives worldwide<\/a> in 2022, extending a multi-decade upward trend. At the same time, serious regional and species-specific declines persist; National Geographic notes that some areas have seen up to a 90% loss<\/a> of honey bee populations in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the United States, managed colony inventories remain broadly stable overall, but losses are still elevated. The latest national beekeeper survey from the Bee Informed Partnership<\/a> reports an annual loss of about 30% for the 2023\u20132024 season\u2014an improvement from roughly 48% in 2022\u20132023\u2014while USDA NASS<\/a> continues to identify Varroa destructor mites as the top reported stressor. Note that \u201cannual loss\u201d covers April-to-April turnover across all seasons, whereas \u201coverwinter loss\u201d focuses only on winter mortality; both measures are useful and often differ. Regionally, some native bee species face steep declines; for example, across New England, 14 bee species were reported declining by as much as 90%<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts today emphasize concrete stressors\u2014Varroa mites, nutrition and forage gaps, queen issues, pathogens, pesticides, and extreme weather\u2014rather than the narrower \u201ccolony collapse disorder\u201d concept originally used for sudden worker disappearances. Regarding invasive threats, the Asian\/northern giant hornet<\/a> incursion in Washington State (2019\u20132021) has been contained: there have been no confirmed U.S. detections since 2021, and agencies report the species is not established in the U.S. (WSDA<\/a>; USDA APHIS<\/a>). Monitoring continues to ensure rapid response if reintroduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decline of bees has serious economic and environmental implications. There are about 4,000 known native bee species<\/a> in the U.S., and they play an essential role in maintaining not only our ecosystem, but also our food supply. Bees pollinate flowers, fruits and vegetables, so they are needed for plant growth on farms as well as in the wild. Beyond the U.S., the European Union hosts roughly 20 million managed hives and more than 600,000 beekeepers, yet market briefs still highlight health pressures and import reliance for honey (European Commission<\/a>). Canada reported around 30% overwinter mortality in 2023\/2024 and New Zealand\u2019s long-running survey shows mid\u2011teens winter loss in 2024 (CAPA<\/a>; NZ Colony Loss Survey<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, scientists, beekeepers and agricultural experts are advancing solutions. Many companies, organizations, and individuals are pitching in as well. Data sharing and online tools\u2014from loss surveys and open hive-scale networks to extension resources\u2014make it easier to participate and learn (e.g., Bee Informed Partnership<\/a>, BeeCounted<\/a>). Now more than ever, the internet <\/a>has also made it easier to join bee conservation efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hobby and commercial beekeepers can learn online and adopt sensors, apps, and analytics to monitor colonies between inspections. At the same time, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are cutting network energy intensity and scaling renewable electricity\u2014helping decouple traffic growth from power use, according to the IEA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how the internet is working together to save the bees \u2014 and how you can help, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ISPs Committing to Sustainability<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Much of the decline of bee populations \u2014 and insect populations in general \u2014 is attributable to environmental decline and the hefty use of pesticides and fertilizers in farming practices. Heavy land use has also led to the loss of vast amounts of viable habitat for insects. According to one 2017 study<\/a>, Germany\u2019s insect population has seen a 75% decline since the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ISPs have shifted from pledges to measurable progress since 2019: scaling renewable electricity, modernizing networks for efficiency, and issuing green financing. Industry tracking indicates that data transmission networks\u2019 electricity use has risen only modestly despite surging internet traffic, due to equipment and architecture efficiency gains (IEA<\/a>). Here\u2019s how some of the biggest ISPs are helping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verizon<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Verizon\u2019s sustainability strategy includes net\u2011zero operational emissions by 2035, repeat green bond issuances, and approximately 3 gigawatts of long\u2011term renewable energy purchase agreements supporting its electricity needs (announced<\/a>). These instruments fund projects in renewable energy and efficiency, helping to lower the company\u2019s Scope 2 footprint even as data demand grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verizon\u2019s green financing programs have mobilized capital toward renewable procurement, energy efficiency, green buildings, sustainable water management and biodiversity conservation, reinforcing sector-wide decarbonization momentum (ESG resources<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AT&T<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

AT&T, one of the world\u2019s largest companies, has multiple environmental initiatives as part of their social responsibility program, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n