Tag: protest insecticides

Nicotinoid Insecticides Kill Bees And Harm Humans

DSC01902Bee-Colony-Collapse-Disorder

Photo by Merrilyn on Holly’s camera:  Plant Daisies for the Bees and stop using poisonous insecticides and herbicides.

I have just had an important email from the Avaaz people, on the 15th March 2013.  I urge you to go to their home page to join the protest against the use of nicotinoid insecticides which have been proven to be deadly to bees.

Bee Colony Collapse Disorder is a very real threat to our civilization.  All over the world, whole beehives are being hit by a mysterious virus which kills the whole hive, and this virus has been related specifically to the nicotinoid range of insecticides.

The answer to this problem of dying bees, and one which will help address the rise in cancers, arthritis, and other degenerative disease, is to ban toxic insecticides and herbicides. Plant more flowers to feed the bees, such as the daisies pictured above, and chamomile daisies in your lawn, and avoid all the use of poisonous insecticides and herbicides.

Read Merrilyn’s other posts on the subject of bees and bee colony collapse disorder: ‘Bee Colony Collapse Disorder’, ‘Planting Lawn Flowers For The Bees’, and ‘Bees Killed By Insecticide’.

Without bees happily living in our environments, our crops will fail.

These insecticides are very bad things for the environment overall, and also pose a threat to humans, as well as other animals, bird, and insect life.

Here is an excerpt from the Avaaz warning I received today:

Thanks for joining the campaign to ban the bee killers!

Buzz key EU governments now!Lets make sure the EU leaders hear our call and take bold steps to protect the bees from killer pesticides. Take a moment to call the officers in charge and ask them to support the full bee killer ban now. Call European Ministers of Agriculture now:

Make an urgent call
UK: 08459 33 55 77 or from outside the UK +44 207 238 6951Germany: +49 2 28 / 99 529 – 35 27 Spain: 91 347 53 68 or 91 347 57 24Ireland: +353 1 6072 000 France: 00 33 1 49 55 49 55 Netherlands: 070-456 00 00 or from outside the Netherlands +31 77 465 67 67 Romania: +4 021 307 24 46Belgium: +32 2 552 60 00

Here’s some tips on what to say:

  • I urge you to support the EU Commission’s proposal to restrict use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
  • A comprehensive scientific review by the EU Food Safety Agency concluded that neonicotinoid pesticides pose ‘high acute risks’ to honey bees.
  • The science is clear, now Europe must act to reverse the decline in our bees, before it’s too late.
  • Caving to corporate pressure on timelines, enforcement or the breadth of this agreement is a blow to our democracy, our food and our environment.

Remember to be polite and patient. If phone lines are busy, keep trying until our buzz breaks through.

Avaaz have invited us to post this info on our social media, so here is more of the email which I received today:
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Thanks for taking action to ban the bee killers

Inbox
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Avaaz.org <[email protected]>
9:46 AM (3 hours ago)
to me
Images are not displayed. Display images below – Always display images from [email protected]
Thank you for taking action to ban the bee killers.Send the email below to friends and family, and post this link on your Facebook wall.http://www.avaaz.org/en/bye_bye_bees_global/?tPHMWdbThanks again for your help,The Avaaz team——–Dear friends,In just hours, the European Union will vote on whether to ban toxic pesticides that are killing bees around the world and threatening our food supply. The big corporations profiting from this vile stuff are lobbying furiously to defeat the ban and we’ve just heard that key governments are about to cave — unless they feel the sting of public opinion!Bees are disappearing around the world at alarming rates. Because bees pollinate our crops, experts are warning that these mass deaths pose a catastrophic threat to our food supply. Thankfully, numerous studies have now identified the likely culprit: a certain class of noxious pesticides. An official EU report found that banning them could solve the problem, but pesticide giant Bayer is trying to convince our leaders to ignore the science to protect their profits.Over 2.5 million of us have signed the petition that made this vote possible — and now it’s time to tell EU decision-makers that they must side with science to save the bees this week. Let’s flood the inboxes of key EU Agriculture Ministers, drown out the corporate lobby, and make sure Europe saves the bees and our food — click below to send a message then share this urgent campaign with your friends:http://www.avaaz.org/en/bye_bye_bees_global/?tPHMWdbBees don’t just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 90% of plants and crops and helping to generate an estimated $40bn value and 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.

Last month the European Food Safety Authority gave the most compelling evidence yet that toxic chemicals called neonicotinoid pesticides could be responsible for the bee deaths. Italy has banned some uses of these bee-killing pesticides and has already seen it’s bee populations come back, but Bayer and Sygenta are lobbying to prevent a Euro-wide ban, for fears it would harm their global business. It seems they’re close to having the support of the UK, Spain, and Germany, who want to protect their biggest chemical corporations.

Now the issue is coming to a boil. Just weeks ago, Avaaz delivered a petition signed by over 2.5 million of us to the European Commission, who proposed a ban days later. EU parliamentarians are stepping up their pressure and several other European governments have announced plans to push ahead with new legislation to ban the deadly pesticides on their own. So we have the power to win this, but we need one final push to overcome the pesticide lobby. Send a message telling EU governments to support the ban now and then share with others:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bye_bye_bees_global/?tPHMWdb

Our world is beset with threats to what makes it habitable, and to what fills it with wonder. The Avaaz community comes together to defend both — large or small. Whether winning a battle to keep the International Whaling Commission from sanctioning the murder of these giants, or saving bees, the tiny creatures upon which so much depends, we will come together and stand up for the world we all want.

With hope,

Iain, Marie, Pascal, Emma, Ricken, Alaphia, and the Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Plan Bee: Brussels pitches 2 year pesticides ban (EurActiv)
http://www.euractiv.com/science-policymaking/plan-bee-brussels-pitches-year-p-news-517500

EU Proposes ban on bee killer (The Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9840497/EU-proposes-ban-on-bee-killer-pesticide.html

Government to ignore European ban on neonicotinoid pesticides (Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/government-to-ignore-european-ban-on-neonicotinoid-pesticides-8483916.html

The Battle to ban bee killers (Avaaz Daily Briefing)
http://en.avaaz.org/1326/eu-ban-bee-killing-pesticides-bayer

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