Nationwide, bee pollination contributes about $30 billion to our economy. The USDA categorizes bees as livestock. They are as essential to us as water and oxygen, or nearly so. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/lifestyle/7598102-181/after-sonoma-county-fires-beekeepers?artslide=0
I never knew that beekeepers travelled to rent their hives for crop pollination. That puts the loss of bee colonies in an even worse light.
I don't know, they pollinate large swaths of crops that feed the human population. Without pollination there won't be any food, including feed for the livestock.
Keep in mind that outside of the Somona area, bee-keepers seem to be having a much better year than recent years in the U.S. - There is an increased awareness about the impact of neonicotinoid insecticides on bees and the rate of colony collapse has dropped.
I get that, and in no way want to belittle the disaster that comes from losing bees, but it takes a hell of a lot more effort to make oxygen or water is all. https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_570404b3e4b083f5c6092ba9/amp