response to Cathleen's letter

Dear Cathleen,

As a fellow beekeeper, I can appreciate your concern for bees, however I cannot support your conclusions about eucalyptus trees and bees: “Cut down all these Eucalyptus trees and the fate of thousands of hives of bees, and thus the continued pollination of our food crops, may be in serious jeopardy.” While I sympathize with your motives, I think this statement is alarmist and not supportable by scientific evidence. On the other hand, the damage caused by eucalyptus trees is compelling and well-documented by scientists. I appreciate you sharing your concerns with other beekeepers in the club. I hope it will encourage all of us to discuss these kinds of issues and concerns with each other and consult with scientists when we’re forming opinions about this and similar topics. Naturally, I support everyone’s right to express views and opinions about bees and the natural environment, but I also think we have a responsibility to try and base our views on as much scientific and expert opinion as possible. Once again, I appreciate the fact that you shared your views with others in the club and I hope it will encourage others to do the same. I also hope that you will be able to hear my comments in the constructive and supportive manner in which I intended.

Sincerely,
Craig Merrilees