The FOUR YEAR quote was from Einstein who said "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."
Most probably Einstein never said this. Note the following email:
From: "Roni Grosz" <ronigr@savion.huji.ac.il>
To: "Scott Debnam" <beeresearch@*deleted*.com>
Subject: RE: Dr. Einstein and The Honey Bee
Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 13:37:24 +0300
Dear Mr. Debnam,
I found the following as a widely reported but unconfirmed quote. I
am sorry to have to inform you that the quote you refer to is not
authentic.
If the bee becomes extinct, mankind will have only four years to
live: no bees, no pollination, no plants, no animals, no humans.
I agree with you that Albert Einstein would probably have held your
work in high esteem but I cannot offer you authentic words from him
regarding the bee.
With best regards
Dr. Roni Grosz
Bern Dibner Curator
Albert Einstein Archives
Jewish National & University Library
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
POB 39105 Jerusalem 91390 ISRAEL
TEL: +972-2-658-5781
FAX: +972-2-658-6910
e-mail: ronigr@savion.huji.ac.il
www.albert-einstein.orgFurther, Dr. Grosz is quoted in Gelf Magazine
http://www.gelfmagazine.com/archives/albert_einstein_ecologist.phpPerhaps the most bizarre thing about this oft-quoted line is that Einstein probably never said it. Roni Grosz, curator of the Albert Einstein Archives of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, tells Gelf, "There is no proof of Einstein ever having said or written it." While Grosz notes that it is extremely difficult to disprove a quote, he "could not remember even one reference to bees in Einstein's writings."
"Einstein had no particular expertise or even interest in ecology, entomology, or bees."—Roni Grosz