[All] BEES and Neonics

[Anne Morgan]

>
>
>
> ​I thought we had made some progresson on the neonic front, but it looks
> like we still have a long way to go, especially fighting big corporations
> with big money.​  You may have noticed that John Bennett (who spoke at our
> Pollinator gathering) has moved from the Serra Club to Friends of the
> Earth.      Anne
>
>
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> single most important thing you can do to save the bees
> December 16, 2015
>
> [image: Bee Cause Logo & Bee Photos]
>
> Dear Anne, The regulatory system for pesticides is broken and we have to
> fix it.
>
> The Quebec government agrees. It has announced plans to regulate bee
> killing neonicotinoid pesticides
> <http://foecanada.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=537206ea892693ef017841583&id=83d0e3692c&e=f2afbd22aa>.
> This is the second province to take action because the federal government’s
> Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) failed to do its job.
>
> The details of the Quebec Plan are yet to come, but any action to limit
> the use neonicotinoid pesticides is welcome and we should celebrate, but
> only for a moment, because it’s only a stepping stone to our goal of
> changing how pesticides are approved in Canada.
>
> I was talking to a retired Environment Canada scientist the other day. He
> told a chilling story that reinforces what I’ve been telling you - that we
> need a new system to protect nature.
>
> Back in the 80s, a new pesticide was going through the approval process.
> Government scientists were concerned about its effect on birds especially
> water fowl. So the pesticide’s license was made conditional on further
> testing. The test was done by contaminating a duck pond – all the ducks
> died.
>
> The scientist later learned the pesticide was approved. When he asked why,
> he was told the extra test was done thereby meeting the conditions. No
> matter ducks died, a procedural box was ticked.
>
> Wouldn’t you think that 30 years later the Pest Management Regulatory
> Agency would have changed, but it is still issuing conditional licenses.
> For nearly ten years, it allowed the makers of bee killing neonicotinoid
> pesticides to ignore a condition requiring studies on the chronic toxicity
> to bees. Only after millions of bees had been killed arousing public
> opinion did the PMRA ask for the required studies be completed. Dead bees,
> like dead ducks, don’t stand in the way of registering a pesticide.  Nor
> was public input possible before PMRA decided the condition had been met.
>
> If you’re not already incensed and worried, add in Propaganda.
>
> Ever wonder why, despite the science and publicity neonicotinoid
> pesticides have received, they are still on the market?  The answer is
> pretty clear. Money.
>
> Bayer (the aspirin people) brings in about $2 billion a year selling
> neonics and is willing to spend millions to persuade the public that
> pesticides are not a problem. They don’t mess around either - they go right
> after the children.
>
> Bayer Crop Science Headquarters in North Carolina devotes 6,000 square
> feet to displays and exhibits about bees so school children can take
> interactive tours and learn all about how Bayer is helping insects.
>
> The tours give Bayer what it really wants: Feel Good Publicity and media
> coverage
> <http://foecanada.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=537206ea892693ef017841583&id=d8abe4f0a4&e=f2afbd22aa>.
> Checkout the cute picture distributed with the AP story that ran across
> North America.
>
> Now, Bayer may have money and a PR machine but we have science and we have
> public voices calling for change.
>
> We call our campaign The Bee Cause and work closely with beekeepers but it
> is about all pollinators especially the almost 800 species of native bees
> like bumble bees.
>
> A new study on the effect of neonicotinoids on bumble bees was published
> in Nature
> <http://foecanada.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=537206ea892693ef017841583&id=af5f9f27e5&e=f2afbd22aa>.
> It looked at how these pesticides impact the pollination services bumble
> bees provide to apple growers. The scientists found bumble bee colonies
> exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides visited the apple trees less often
> which they expected to see based on previous studies. However, they also
> looked at the apples produced and found they had fewer seeds, an indicator
> of reduced pollination services.
>
> They conclude:  ”*These findings show that pesticide exposure can impair
> the ability of bees to provide pollination services, with important
> implications for both the sustained delivery of stable crop yields and the
> functioning of natural ecosystems.*”
>
> In other words pesticides said to increase crop yield could, in fact, be
> reducing them and interfering with wild flowers and plants that support the
> entire ecosystem.
>
> Let me end with some good news - the market place is listening to you!
> Last week Friends of the Earth reported success in our market campaign when Home
> Depot committed to phasing out neonics
> <http://foecanada.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=537206ea892693ef017841583&id=876b39f8c9&e=f2afbd22aa>
> use by 2018.
>
> We can’t let up. We won’t let up.  We’re starting to win. Thanks for
> caring.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> John Bennett
> *John Bennett, the former Executive Director of Sierra Club Canada, has
> joined Friends of the Earth to concentrate on campaigning. He has more than
> 30 years experience as an activist and outspoken advocate for the
> environment.*
>
> P.S. This holiday season, make a gift to The Bee Cause
> <http://foecanada.us3.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=537206ea892693ef017841583&id=bcec677bfc&e=f2afbd22aa>
> and help fix the
> broken PMRA regulatory system, the single most important action you can
> take to save the bees.
>
> ------------------------------
> Help Friends of the Earth Canada
> continue to lead the charge to save the bees from pesticide poisoning.
>
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