Supporter,
Bees are one of the most important members of our global ecosystem to humans. They pollinate 75 percent of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States and are responsible for one out of every four bites of food people take.
But they're being killed off at an alarming rate, with potentially devastating consequences for biodiversity and human health. And what scientists now call “colony collapse disorder” threatens family farms and small businesses all over the country.
While there are a variety of factors leading to bee deaths, one of the leading causes is a widely-used, highly-toxic class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids. Currently among the most widely used crop sprays in the U.S., these “neonic” pesticides also kill birds, harm butterflies—and end up in some of the foods we eat.
There is hope: banning neonic pesticides, would help stop the carnage. Pro-environment members of Congress passed a bill out of committee to ban neonics, but to build grassroots momentum and rally support for full House passage, we need your help now.
Please, help us save bees, butterflies, birds—and our entire food supply—from toxic pesticides. Renew your support for the Sierra Club now, while a generous donor will MATCH your gift $1-to-$1—up to $5,000. You'll also get our Parks Project Socks FREE!
Neonics are 10,000 times more toxic to bees than other pesticides—able to reduce a native bee colony by as much as 55% and contributing to the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee becoming our first endangered bumble bee. So why would we allow them in iconic places like the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia, the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota, or the Hakalau Forest in Hawai'i? Particularly when emerging research suggests that human exposure to neonics in the womb or during a child's early years could be linked to developmental defects, muscle tremors, and more?
Unfortunately, the Trump administration lifted the federal ban on these horrifying insecticides on National Wildlife Refuges. And the Environmental Protection Agency caved to big-money agricultural pressure, saying there's no need to ban these pesticides—despite the obvious threats to human health and the protests of major environmental groups.
Neonics are like the Trump Administration itself—they stick around, causing damage, much longer than we'd like. The insecticides can persist for a long time in soil, where rain or irrigation water carries the systemic neurotoxins into surrounding lakes, streams, or other sources of drinking water.
Bees don't have a chance—and neither do we—if we don't get Congress to act now. Please, make a gift to the Sierra Club, so we can rally support behind the proposed neonic ban and end the irresponsible use of neurotoxic agrichemicals on National Wildlife Refuges.
With determination,
Michael Brune
Executive Director
Sierra Club | 
