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Mead Lovers Digest #1639
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1639, 8 August 2013
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1639 8 August 2013
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Bees (Segedy)
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Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn
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Subject: Bees
From: Segedy <segedy@gsinet.net>
Date: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 02:32:40 -0400
I am not usually one to forward things, but in this case I thought it
was an important message for the group:
Bees are dying by the millions all across America.
According to leading scientists, they're being poisoned by a group of
pesticides called neonicotinoids (also known as ?neonics?). If we don't
stop using these chemicals soon, the bee population could be done for ?
and so could all the fruits and vegetables that rely on bees for
pollination.
But there's hope. A bill was just introduced in Congress that would
impose a ban on neonics until a scientific review and field studies
prove no harm will come to bee populations from their use.
Passing this bill won't be easy. Big Agriculture and chemical companies
like Bayer are already lobbying hard to defeat it. Massive public
support is the only chance the bees have. Over 100,000 Greenpeace
supporters helped raise the profile of this issue last month. Together
we now have a chance to save the bees before it is too late.
Write your congressperson today and urge them to support the Save
America's Pollinators Act and save the bees!
The stories are shocking. Some 50,000 bees dropped dead a few weeks ago
in Oregon after being exposed to the deadly pesticides. And last winter
alone, 31% of beehives in the United States collapsed. Sobering stuff.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of
Agriculture (USDA) have been dragging their feet on this issue for too
long. EPA is currently conducting a study on neonics that they don't
expect to finish until sometime in 2018! At this rate, there may not be
any bees left by that time.
By allowing toxic chemicals like neonics to weaken and kill bees, we
threaten our food and our environment. Every day these chemicals are
allowed to be used is one day closer to disaster.
Now's the time to act. Tell your congressperson to support the Save
America's Pollinators Act today.
The world is stepping up to take action and it's time for the US to do
the same.
Policymakers in Europe pulled three commonly used neonics off the market
earlier this year, citing the growing body science showing their harms
to pollinators. Just a few weeks ago, the EU added another bee-harming
pesticide to their restricted list.
However, the Industrial Agriculture lobby has no intention of backing
down and Congress is going to need all the support it can get.
Write your Representative now and tell them to support this critical
bill and save the bees.
Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favorite fruits,
vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves. Avocados, almonds,
apples...the list goes on. A world without bees.
A win for the bees here in the US is possible, but only if we keep the
pressure up on Congress to do the right thing.
Thanks,
Mark Floegel
Greenpeace Senior Investigator and Beekeeper
P.S. America's bees are being poisoned. There's a bill in Congress that
would help save them. Write your representative today and tell them to
support the Save America's Pollinators Act today! Then forward this
message to your friend and family.
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1639
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