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Petition: Direct the EPA to ban the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides

46K views 128 replies 29 participants last post by  gmcharlie 
#1 ·
Direct the EPA to ban the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides, until proven that it does not negatively impact honeybees.

Numerous recent studies link the CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) of honeybees to the use of certain Neonicotinoid pesticides (e.g. imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam).

Population of honeybee colonies has been dropping at an alarming rate since 2006. EPA keeps on ignoring the fact that there are effects from these pesticides on bee health. If honeybee health were of any concern to the EPA, the use of these pesticides would have been banned years ago. Countries such as France, England, Italy, Germany and Slovenia have banned at least some form of Neonicotinoids (e.g. for seed treatments).

EPA has agreed that there are "known acute toxicity of these compounds to pollinators" but has not even placed the use of these toxic pesticides on hold.

Please sign at the link bellow:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pe...does-not-negatively-impact-honeybees/zK6mgtc3

It needs 150 signatures to be searchable on the white house website.
 
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#3 ·
...are we to assume that if they ban these chemicals that less harmful ones will be used? Anyone want to explain what those are and why they are going to be less harmful?

deknow
 
#9 ·
I'd love to hear from those who produce commercial quantities of honey - I'm starting to believe that if you want to know with certainty that your bees are safe from pesticides, herbicides, etc., that you need to control (own) the land the bees forage on, or take your chances. This would certainly increase the expense of producing honey and I've no idea if the market would support higher prices for domestically produced honey. Thoughts?

Maybe a better way of phrasing my question is to what extent do land owners who are not beekeepers themselves have a responsibility to manage their land in ways that allow bees access to safe and nutritious forage? I imagine (meaning speculate) that unless the beekeeper is providing reasonable compensation to the landowner, no obligation to provide safe & good habitat exists.

The conversation starts to get interesting when each party gets some benefit - pollination by the farmer/land owner and honey for the beekeeper.
 
#11 ·
Well understand the story, but personally I wouldn't sign...at least not yet. no real data, and living in the middle of the soup, I know what a benifit they have been to our agg community and food supplies. As a beekeeper, if we had some real evidence, I would be on board.. but at the moment its like the fracking issue... lots of noise....
 
#12 ·
I suppose that's why there's only few people that signed so far. You don't believe in your voice or are afraid of alternatives like "deknow".
The petition only allowed 800 characters and all of them were used up. If you say that there is no real data than you're missing out. Take for example EPA's own website since you trust them so much:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/intheworks/ccd-european-ban.html
Each of those countries didn't just use the wind direction in guiding them on banning at least some form of neonicatinoids. and they have done it in 2008! this is 2013!

The point of the petition is to raise the awareness about the issue and nothing will ever be done regarding this unless we raise our voice.
 
#17 ·
Numerous recent studies link the CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) of honeybees to the use of certain Neonicotinoid pesticides (e.g. imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam).
Still waiting for a list of the numerous studies which link neonicotinoids to CCD. (see posts 1 and 4)

I only know of studies which have failed to find a link between neonicotinoids and CCD so I would be interested in hearing about the studies you referred to in your opening post.
 
#23 ·
Countries such as France, England, Italy, Germany and Slovenia have banned at least some form of Neonicotinoids (e.g. for seed treatments).
Not sure where you got that information from but in the case of England (UK) This is a Department of Agriculture (DEFRA) statement from 9th April.

The UK government’s position

Defra has kept evidence on neonicotinoids under open-minded scrutiny. We assess new studies as they emerge and consider how they alter the overall situation.
Following this work, we have produced an assessment of the evidence about neonicotinoids and bees. The assessment cannot exclude rare effects of neonicotinoids on bees in the field. However, it suggests that effects on bees do not occur under normal circumstances.
Germany imposed a temporary ban after the corn/maize seed drilling/planter dust bee kills of 2008
France banned some neonics on some crops but bee problems remained.
I think Slovenia has had a ban for quite a while.

Surely a petition should get the basic facts straight before asking people to sign.
 
#29 ·
Not sure where you got that information from but in the case of England (UK) This is a Department of Agriculture (DEFRA) statement from 9th April.

The UK government’s position
Germany imposed a temporary ban after the corn/maize seed drilling/planter dust bee kills of 2008
France banned some neonics on some crops but bee problems remained.
I think Slovenia has had a ban for quite a while.

Surely a petition should get the basic facts straight before asking people to sign.
jonathan, from the article you linked to.
"Defra has kept evidence on neonicotinoids under open-minded scrutiny. We assess new studies as they emerge and consider how they alter the overall situation.

We’ve taken advice from the independent expert Advisory Committee on Pesticides, which has considered the evidence on several occasions. The committee advised in January 2013 that there were grounds for a review of neonicotinoid authorisations under pesticides legislation. This is being done by the HSE’s Chemicals Regulation Directorate."

From what I have seen in the past this caused some bans in some areas while the investigation was under way.

"The EC has drawn up plans for a ban on the use of three neonicotinoids on a long list of crops. We’re urging the Commission to make sure the measures proposed are proportionate to the risks."

I do not have links to them but I have seen several articles sine January that do state that some bans in some areas for some Nics are in effect. So far it seems these bans are pending further investigation. Maybe those investigations have been conducted and the bans are being lifted. This is just the latest comment that has been made in a list of comments.

This portion of your linked article woudl tend to confirm that.
"Following this work, we have produced an assessment of the evidence about neonicotinoids and bees. The assessment cannot exclude rare effects of neonicotinoids on bees in the field. However, it suggests that effects on bees do not occur under normal circumstances."
 
#27 ·
PETITION REQUESTS...

Direct the EPA to ban the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides, until proven that it does not negatively impact honeybees.

Of course I'm concerned about CCD but I'm more concerned about pesticide use - on food, in air, on bees and other insects.
 
#28 ·
PETITION REQUESTS...
Direct the EPA to ban the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides, until proven that it does not negatively impact honeybees.

Of course I'm concerned about CCD but I'm more concerned about pesticide use - on food, in air, on bees and other insects.
I share your concerns about pesticide use but it bugs me when people make statements about CCD being at least part caused by neonicotinoid pesticides without providing any evidence. It renders a petition like this completely pointless.

The danger here is that neonicotinoids will be replaced by some other pesticide family so if that happens we would need to be sure that it is less harmful to bees, pollinators, the wider environment and human health.

Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.
 
#33 ·
All the studies are nice.. so far as mentioned tehy are inconclusive.. But whats interesting to me is I live and raise bees in the THICKEST blanket of these products.. and have never seen or had a case of CCD, nor has anyone I know with 200 miles of me.... We have mites, EFB, noseama, and we lose hives.... Yes we would love to not have any issues... but my loses are no differnt now than they were before.
 
#39 ·
I guess I am in the same boat as GMCHARLIE.... we are surrounded Soybeans... Corn... Tobacco.... Etc etc. I have never seen CCD... if it occurred here I would know... In the urban areas I have heard people claim that CCD wiped out there 3 hives.... but it sounded more like hysteria to me.
 
#35 ·
What would be the time period from exposer till CCD kills my bee's, Because I have a couple of hives that set beside my sweet corn field. I have use treated seed every year there. By the way I catch 2 swarms and get at least 3 meds of honey a year for the last five years. When are they going to die and the girls like that sweet corn pollen.
There is a link posted in the Dan rather report bee's in almonds. It said some class of this chemical has been used since the 1700s, If it stay in soil and leaches into other plants. Why do we still have bee's.
I heard a while back that cell phones was a part of CCD, I don't see any one trying to ban those.
 
#40 ·
If this is such a problem, why are there still bees in the corn belt. I can drive west for a 800 miles and see nothing but corn :eek: . With hundreds of thousands pound of seed going in the ground every year for x amount of years. Why are there still bee's in these areas.
 
#53 ·
I do not see how this can be done today, with a world wide population of 7 billion. Perhaps we would have a chance at a sustainable organic solution with a population of 1 billion? Solve the population problem and the pesticide problem could take care of itself.
Agree with the population but even at a billion the pesticide issue is about money not population. Before WWII very few farmers used chems.
 
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