A world without cell phones?

Posted by on May 8, 2008 in Randomness | 0 comments

So on the surface this isn’t much of a big deal, I mean, twenty years ago cell phones were rare, and huge.

Today though, half the elementary school students I encounter are carrying cell phones in their back packs.  They can call their parents to tell them they are sick at school, or forgot their lunch or lost a tooth.  Not just that but parents have the security that if their child is off riding their bike they can call and make sure they are safe and sound.

It isn’t just parents and children though who depend on them. Almost everyone has a cell these days.  So why even consider a world without them.

Well because of the bees of course.

For any one who doesn’t know honey bees are dying off at an alarming rate due to a disorder known as colony collapse disorder.  No one knows why it is happening.  Some theories point to illness, but a lack of dead adult bee bodies seems to preclude this.  Others think it might be because of cell phones

As a science fiction writer, and nature lover this problem intrigued me.

Bees are responsible for about 80% of farm pollination and more then that for flowers and other plants.  (Although it is important to note that not JUST honey bees are responsible for this pollination.)

So, what would our world be like if suddenly we were without cell phones in an attempt to save the bees?  Would it work?  Would people begin to carry concealed cell phones in an attempt to avoid the law?  What if it didn’t work, would it continue to be enforced years later because it had become part of the culture?  Would environmental groups accuse people with cells of destroying the world?

More so, what would the world look like without Honey Bees?

So much to think about – so many wonderful ideas to develop into stories.

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