Honey makes the world go round

By Shane Solanki

Apparently, Einstein said something like “Dudes – if the bees go, we’ll soon follow.” Like bee=mc², this quote has never been proved. But one thing is true; the bees are dying, and we aren’t sure why. Could it be a virus? Mobile phones? Insectides? Global warming? We don’t know… but do not fear! The 21^st century is here! Locate a problem, and a grass roots movement will follow…

Perhaps we are closer to bees, and ants, than we care to admit; perhaps we are one of the planet’s many engineering communities; “There’s a problem with the machine, cap’n. Let’s tweak a few knobs and see if we can restore equilibrium.” Perhaps that’s one reason why there are so many urban beekeepers springing up around the globe; the British Beekeepers Association tells us that this year, more bees were working in city hives than in country hives. Or perhaps the reason we’re all getting buzzed up could be something to do with honey…

A commentator on Vergil’s Georgics Volume 4, which tells of honeybees and lost love, remarked that only four things withstand time; gold, sunlight, amber and honey. The ancient Greeks anticipated cryogenic freezing by mummifying their dead in honey. Whilst sugar is synthetic, causes decay of teeth as well as society, has teamed up with Playstation to speed up the demise of civilisation, and was built on the backbone of slavery, honey is a sweet, sticky, completely natural food which – wait for it – is made from flowers (possibly the planet’s most intelligent species, drinking in sunlight and water, putting out nuttin’ but colour, scent and pollen) by bees, who drink flower nectar, and provide us with a substance that tastes like the food of the gods! It’s a no brainer! So perhaps it isn’t a surprise that the amount of beekeepers are on the rise…

Meet Cameo Wood, viola-playing proprietrix and Her Majesty’s Secret Beekeeper. Cameo has brought beekeeping to the American masses by opening HMSB in San Francisco in 2009. The shop is not only an homage to bees and honey, but a one stop shop for anyone interested in beekeeping and honey making. Don’t quote us on this, but we’re sure Cameo waxed lyrical about a state-funded initiative to green roofs all over the city of SF, where ‘juveniles’ would tend to hives. What better solution for angry young men than have them deal with bees to make honey? Now that’s poetry.

And, like any good virus, the news is spreading quickly; suddenly, across the planet, the thought of rooftop gardens is fast becoming a reality as urban planners wake up to the fact that while we fight for every square inch in our rapidly developing cities, rather a large amount of space is available on the top of buildings. Such environments are perfect for bees, who unlike humans (and more specifically children prone to anaphylactic shock) can, of course, fly. Check out the hives atop of London’s famous Fortnum and Mason…

So there it is, folks; reasons to bee cheerful – 1,2,3;
1)    Save the bees
2)    Save humanity
3)    Procure food of the gods

We at VivaCity cannot help but notice that lots of people around the planet are visiting our site, but the shy folk that you are, you’re leaving without relieving yourselves. So we’d like you to make a deposit! Please leave a comment below, telling us about any urban beekeeping projects you know in your local ‘hood. We’d love to know. Perhaps, if we get enough comments in, we can use the Ushahidi engine to create a worldwide map of urban honey heros…

why vivacity

This is the century of the city.

Over half the world’s population now live in cities. This is projected to rise to three-quarters of all people in 2050. With population increases, this means 6.75 billion of us will be city dwellers, an increase of 3.75 billion from today. As the future success or failure of mankind lies in cities, new ways of using them are needed.

The city represents an incredible paradox. We have never been closer together physically, but we have never been further away from each other emotionally. At vivacity we celebrate city movements around the world that change and re-define the way we interact with and use cities. Whilst cities cannot cope with the numbers now and the resultant strain on the world’s natural resources and eco-systems are already painfully evident, we believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome, as it has done before.

vivacity promotes city movements that are connecting people & creating new types of communities. They are typically low impact, highly sociable, enabled by technology, using public and private spaces in new ways and empowering people to act locally.

vivacity promotes new ways of feeling alive, new ways of being invigorated, and new things to be a part of. We call it grassroots stuff in the city. We hope you get involved and share your experiences with us.

who we are

Andy Marks vivacity founder and editor

Social entrepreneur, lecturer, writer and curator, Andy Marks is an agent of positive social change practicing at the intersection or fault-line of business, society and culture. Andy is the founder of research and consultancy network Salad Worldwide, an advisor to some of the world’s leading companies on Corporate Responsibility and an advisor to a number of non-profit organizations. Andy is an expert on grass roots city movements, and a founding partner of an upcycling enterprise launching in 2010.

Julian Broadhead contributor

With a background in advertising, branding and corporate responsibility, Julian works with blue-chip companies from a wide range of industries and sectors, advising on strategy and new ways of connecting with people. He is currently developing a number of new opportunities in the environmental sector, with a particular emphasis on making environmental action more accessible.

Shane Solanki – contributor/distributor/carburettor/carbon-ara

Artist, writer, performer, producer and director, Shane’s first short film was commissioned by the BBC and directed by Peter Cattaneo. His first record was produced by Mercury Prize Winner Talvin Singh. He worked for years to forge the unique identity of independent record label Ninja Tune. We at Vivacity like to think of him as a grass roots detective, covertly operating under the pseudonym of the Last Mango in Paris; imagine him skulking around the world in a beige macintosh, recording and documenting our shift into a society where social responsibility and public creativity are norms.

contribute

become a vivacity scout

As more and more of us live in urban areas, individuals and communities can feel overwhelmed and isolated by the sheer intense-city of it all.

However we at vivacity believe that human spirit and endeavor will overcome as it has done so many times before. That is why we are celebrating movements around the world that are changing and re-defining the way we interact with the city. We would like to hear from you about grassroots movements or activities that bring people together face to face and use cities in new ways. The more original and imaginative the better.

Please email us describing a movement you would like to see on vivacity using a maximum of 300 words. info@vivacity.me