Tag Archives: Colony collapse disorder

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Our bees are dying


Tell the EPA: Save our bees and crops! Ban toxic pesticides!

Take action!Disaster struck for Mark, a Minneapolis beekeeper last month. His precious backyard bees were spilling out of their hive “like they’re drunk” and falling to the ground dead — victims of toxic agricultural pesticide.

[1] A quarter of everything we eat — from apples to onions — depends on pollination.

[2] But now, Mark and fellow beekeepers from around the world are reporting a pandemic of the worst bee population collapses ever recorded. While you and I know chemical-giant Bayer for aspirin and alka seltzer, their toxic agricultural pesticides are unfortunately linked to this unprecedented bee die-off.

[3] The EPA has the power to ban the pesticides, but so far has bowed to pressure from Bayer.

[4] Our nation’s food supply is at risk — it’s time for the SierraRise community to step in and speak out! Over 1 million people have stood up for the health of our bees and our food — will you join them?

[5] The EPA has the power to protect our bees and our food supply. Let’s send 50,000 more letters by Tuesday, demanding they ban Bayer’s toxic pesticide! The same story of shocking bee die-off — called Colony Collapse Disorder — has been heard all over the country. Bret Adee, whose family owns Adee Honey Farms of South Dakota, the nation’s largest beekeeper, described mounting losses. “We lost 42 percent over the winter. But by the time we came around to pollinate almonds, it was a 55 percent loss,” he said in an interview.

[6] This isn’t just bad for our nation’s food supply — it’s also crippling family businesses like Bret’s and the local economies. Independent, unbiased studies have linked Bayer’s pesticides to colony collapse — when picked up by bees, the chemical can act like a nerve agent, compromising a bee’s ability to feed and make its way back to the hive.

[7] It’s no wonder the European Union just adopted a continent-wide ban on these toxic chemicals. It’s time we do the same![8] The EPA continues to dither while Bayer peddles its toxins and puts our nation’s crops at risk. Not on our watch — together, we are more powerful than any chemical company. Make sure the EPA knows where you stand. The safety of our food supply is at risk.

Demand the EPA stands up to big chemical companies like Bayer and bans bee-killing pesticides! In it together, Ashley Allison SierraRise Senior Campaigner P.S. To keep up with the latest about climate change and other campaigns from SierraRise, like us on Facebook and follow @SierraRise on Twitter! Share this page on FacebookShare this page on TwitterShare this page with other services

References:

[1] Colwell, Hailey (2013 September 16). “U investigates sudden slew of bee deaths.” Minnesota Daily.

[2] Collman, Ashley (2013 June 14). “What your supermarket will look like if bees die out: Empty shelves, scant produce options.” Emerging Truth.

[3] Carrington, Damian (2013 March 28). “Study: Pesticides Make Bees Forget the Smell of Food.” Mother Jones.

[4] Staff (2013 August 22). “EPA announces new bee warning labels for neonicotinoid containing pesticides.” Underground Health.

[5] DeWitt, Dan (2012 March 31). “A Pasco County beekeeper knows why bees are dying and colonies are collapsing.” Tampa Bay Times.

[6] Wines, Michael (2013 March 28). “Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms.” New York Times.

[7] Eban, Katherine (2010 October 8). “What a scientist didn’t tell the New York Times about his study on bee deaths.” CNNMoney.

[8] Carrington, Damian (2013 April 29). “Bee-harming pesticides banned in Europe.” The Guardian.

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USA: Save the bees


Across the USA, millions of bees are dying, threatening our food supply. Scientists blame one group of pesticides some of which have just been banned in Europe. A new bill could save America’s bees, but big Agriculture and the pesticide industry are lobbying hard against it. We only have days to make sure Congress acts to stop the Chemical Armageddon — sign the emergency petition now!Quietly, across the USA, millions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. A new bill this week could ban one group of deadly pesticides and save bees from annihilation, but only if Congress feels the sting of public opinion.

America’s bees are facing a chemical Armageddon — just last week, 50,000 died in a single car park in Oregon after being exposed to pesticides, and last winter over 50% of all California’s bees died. Leading scientists blame one group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. The evidence is so compelling that the entire European Union has begun banning them, and the Save America’s Pollinators Act could impose a ban on these deadly poisons in the US.

Now it’s up to us to get our politicians to save America‘s bees. Big Agriculture and powerful chemical companies like Bayer are already lobbying hard to stop the bill, but if we show an overwhelming public support for a ban, we can counter their influence. Sign the petition below and tell everyone — when we reach 250,000 signers, we’ll take Avaaz’s giant inflatable bee to Capitol Hill to tell Congress to save our bees:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/usa_save_the_bees/?biEWLbb&v=27215

Bees don’t just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 95 types of fruits such as avocados, almonds, apples, and that’s just the A’s — with an estimated $30bn value. Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favorite fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations — some bee species are already extinct and some US species are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals.

But increasingly, independent research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides, forcing the European Union to temporarily suspend use of one or more of these bee killers. But, in the US, the EPA has been slow to react — their review won’t be completed until 2018 condemning our bees to 5 more years of chemical Armageddon.

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the scale of this problem, and Representatives Blumenauer and Conyers have introduced legislation. If we can get other members of Congress to act, we could shut down once and for all Bayer’s influence on policy-makers and scientists. The real experts — the beekeepers and farmers — want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let’s support them now. Sign the urgent petition to Congress now, then forward this email:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/usa_save_the_bees/?biEWLbb&v=27215

We know we can win on bees. Last April, over 2.5 million of us signed a petition calling on the EU to adopt a ban on bee killing pesticides and won! And in the US, nearly a million of us persuaded the EPA to review their position on these poisons. Now let’s go one step further towards saving bees!

With hope,

Iain, Luis, Anne, Alex, Allison, Ricken, and the whole Avaaz team

PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It’s easy to get started – click to start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917

MORE INFORMATION

Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms (NY Times):
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/science/earth/soaring-bee-deaths-in-2012-sound-alarm-on-malady.html?pagewanted=all

Bee protection: US in spotlight as EU bans pesticides (The Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/30/bee-protection-us-eu-bans-pesticides

Legislation to restrict pesticide use proposed by Rep. Blumenauer (Oregon Live):
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/07/legislation_to_restrict_pestic.html

Some US bumblebees see 96% drop in last decades (Treehugger):
http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/some-us-bumblebees-see-96-drop-in-last-decades.html

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Pesticides are killing bees

1 Comment

 

Pesticides are killing bees and threatening our food supply. In 24 hours, shareholders at the biggest chemical producer, Bayer, could vote to stop their toxic production. Massive public pressure has forced this debate at their Annual General Meeting, now let’s make sure they vote to stop the pesticides and save the bees. Sign the emergency petition:

 

Quietly, globally, billions of bees are dying, threatening our crops and food. But if Bayer stops selling one group of pesticides, we could save bees from extinction.

Four European countries have begun banning these poisons, and some bee populations are already recovering. But Bayer, the largest producer of neonicotinoids, has lobbied hard to keep them on the market. Now, massive global pressure from Avaaz and others has forced them to consider the facts — and in 24 hours, Bayer shareholders will vote on a motion that could stop these toxic chemicals. Let’s all act now and shame the shareholders to stop killing bees.

The pressure is working, and this is our best chance to save the bees. Sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone — let’s reach half a million signers and deliver it directly to shareholders tomorrow in Germany!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?vl

Bees don’t just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 90% of plants and crops — with an estimated $40bn value, over one-third of the food supply in many countries. Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favourite fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations — some bee species are already extinct and some US species are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals. But increasingly, independent research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides. France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison across the world.

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the scale of this problem. If we can get Bayer shareholders to act, we could shut down once and for all Bayer’s influence on policy-makers and scientists. The real experts — the beekeepers and farmers — want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let’s support them now. Sign the urgent petition to Bayer shareholders now, then forward this email:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?vl

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research run by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their pockets. Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for ourselves and the other species we care about and depend on.

With hope,

Alice, Antonia, Mia, Luis, Ricken, Stephanie, Pascal, Iain, Ari and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Studies fault Bayer in bee die-off (Christian Science Monitor) http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0406/Studies-fault-Bayer-in-bee-die-off

2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee Colonies (New York Times) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/neocotinoid-pesticides-play-a-role-in-bees-decline-2-studies-find.html?_r=1

Leaked document shows EPA allowed bee-toxic pesticide despite own scientists’ red flags (Grist) http://grist.org/politics/food-2010-12-10-leaked-documents-show-epa-allowed-bee-toxic-pesticide/

Bayer’s Annual Stockholder’s Meeting (ASM website) http://www.asm2012.bayer.com/en/counter-motions.aspx

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell the EPA: Ban the pesticide that’s killing bees


 

Ban the pesticide that’s wiping out honey bees.

The bee population is on the verge of collapse.

Clicking here will automatically add your name to this petition to the E.P.A.:

The E.P.A. must immediately ban clothianidin and conduct a full, independently verified scientific review on the effect of this pesticide and other neonicotenoids’ impact on honey bees and other non-target species.

Since 2006, U.S. honey bee populations have been in precipitous decline, with some estimates suggesting losses as high as 30% per year.1 While that’s terrible, the problem is far greater than just the loss of a species. Without bees, a big piece of our food supply is in serious danger. Pollination by honey bees is key in cultivating the crops that produce a full one-third of our food.

Scientists have been scrambling to understand the crisis — termed Colony Collapse Disorder — but have yet to find a single, definitive cause. There are likely multiple interacting causes, and mounting evidence suggests that one widely used class of pesticides may be a critical factor.

One such chemical, called clothianidin, is produced by the German corporation Bayer CropScience. It is used as a treatment on crop seeds, including corn and canola, and works by expressing itself in the plants’ pollen and nectar. Not coincidentally, these are honey bees’ favorite sources of food.

Shockingly, no major independent study has verified the safety of this pesticide. While clothianidin has been used on corn — the largest crop in the U.S. — since 2003, it was officially approved by the Environmental Protection Agency last year on the basis of a single study, conducted by Bayer. However, recently leaked documents show that the study was actually debunked by the agency’s own scientists, so the pesticide was effectively approved with no scientific backing.2

It is outrageous that the E.P.A. is putting a vital species, the livelihoods of farmers and beekeepers, and our very food supply at risk just so Bayer can peddle its pesticide. Click here to automatically sign the petition asking the E.P.A. to immediately issue a ban on clothianidin.

When clothianidin first came to market, there was little or no scientific review of its effect on the environment. The E.P.A. allowed “conditional registration” in 2003 but requested additional study to establish the safety of the chemical. Bayer, the producer of the chemical, conducted one such study, and without public notice, the E.P.A. granted unconditional use in early 2010.

But E.P.A. documents3 leaked at the end of last year expose a more sordid story. Agency scientists who reviewed Bayer’s study determined that the evidence was by no means sound, and even downgraded the study to a level at which it should not have been allowed as the basis for an unconditional approval of the pesticide.

Additional independent studies have shown that neonicotinoid pesticides like clothianidin are highly toxic to honey bees, providing compelling evidence that they should be immediately taken off the market until the E.P.A. can conduct a full and valid scientific review.

This appears to be a case of the E.P.A. catering to the needs of a large chemical corporation at the expense of a lynchpin species in our ecosystem. France, Italy, Slovenia, and Germany — the home of Bayer — have already banned clothianidin.

The stakes are simply too high to continue the use of this chemical in the absence of any scientifically verified evidence that it is safe to use. Click here to automatically sign the petition telling the E.P.A. to immediately prohibit the use of clothianidin and conduct a full scientific review to determine its impact on honey bee and other non-target populations.

Thank you for speaking out to protect the honey bees and our food supply.

Adam Klaus, Campaign Manager

CREDO Action

1 secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder

2 http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-12-10-leaked-documents-show-epa-allowed-bee-toxic-pesticide-

3 http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/Memo_Nov2010_Clothianidin.pdf

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