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Beekeepers suing EPA

35K views 122 replies 31 participants last post by  shinbone 
#1 ·
A group of beekeepers and environmentalists announced today that they are suing the Environmental Protection Agency in an effort to curb the use of insecticides they say are decimating bee populations and putting our nation’s food supply in jeopardy.

The four beekeepers and five environmental and consumer groups involved in the lawsuit, including the Pesticide Action Network, Center for Food Safety and Beyond Pesticides, say the link between neonicotinoids—a nicotine-like class of pesticides that include clothianidin and thiamethoxam—and bee die offs is crystal clear. And they claim the EPA acted outside the law when it allowed for “conditional registration” of their use. Syngenta and Bayer Crop Science are the primary manufacturers of clothianidin and thiamethoxam.

http://news.yahoo.com/epa-slapped-lawsuit-over-ongoing-bee-deaths-174235089.html
 
#107 ·
There are plenty of bee deaths due to neonics....but of course, they are confirmed pesticide kills (seems that they are mostly obvious pesticide kills), but of course, they are in contrast to "CCD"...a case of suspected "CCD" that shows high levels of neonics in the dead bees piled in front of the hive is not CCD...it is a pesticide kill.

deknow
 
#115 ·
And again from Catch the Buzz.

“This study shows for the first time the effect of field-relevant concentrations (3 ppb) of neonicotinoid pesticides and an organophosphate miticide on honeybee brain function,” Connolly says. “Both prevent information flow in the major learning centre of the honeybee brain.

“There is clearly a major brain dysfunction in response to these compounds and this is supported by behavioral research from Newcastle University.”

Connolly says local honeybee losses in Scotland have been two-fold higher in bees reported to forage on oilseed rape, the major exposure risk of the neonicotinoids to bees.

I think this is the first information I have seen that states that losses are higher when near crops grown with these pesticides. Also note is is a single specific crop so the increase could be due to anything associated with that particular crop.
 
#116 ·
If your bees are suffering because of the interaction between what the farmer uses and what the beekeeper uses (coumaphos or coumaphos contaminated foundation from a bee supplier), is it really fair (or even logical) to first blame the farmer without eliminating the contribution to the problem by the beekeeper?

Deknow
 
#120 ·
I would hazard a guess that many if not all insecticides will have some effect on a bee brain.
I am sure a vast range of natural and synthetic chemicals have an effect on a bee brain.

Anyone remember the stuff about cocaine and bee brains from a few years ago
This completely misses the point.
The issue is whether pesticides cause harm to bees in the field when used according to the label instructions.
 
#122 ·
It's a good thing the researchers, suppliers and the beekeepers aren't responsible for Coumaphos being approved, recommended and used in the hive so that we can lay the blame elsewhere :)

deknow
 
#123 · (Edited)
Regarding people moving between Industry and Government (except the military); Most of the higher level/policy government people are political appointees who are required to resign each time a presidential administration changes, forcing them to move out of government and into academia or industry (with most going to industry due to better pay and more available positions). When the presidential administration changes yet again, many of these people go back into government because they like the work and such appointments look good on their resume. In other words, the revolving door not only happens everywhere, it is (probably unintentionally) designed into the system.

I would add that I think it is the paid lobbiest by which industry has too much influence over government policy. Think of the lobbying budget that Monsanto and Bayer can muster compared to beekeepers . . .

FWIW
 
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