Last year was the second-deadliest on record for honeybees in the United States, John.
Beekeepers lost 48% of their colonies, an alarming leap from 39% the year before.1 And when we rely on bees to pollinate many of our most important crops, losing them could spell disaster for our food supply.
That's the bad news.
The good news is that we know how to save the bees: We need to stop using the toxic pesticides that are killing them. And you can help by adding your name to our petition.
Thank you,
Faye
1. "US honeybees suffer second deadliest season on record," The Guardian, June 23, 2023.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. PIRG <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, July 15, 2023
Subject: Tell the EPA: Ban toxic bee-killing pesticides
To: John xxxxxx <[email protected]>
John,
Honeybees just had their second-deadliest year yet. Forty-eight percent of all honeybee colonies died off, up from the previous year's 39%.1
One major reason why? The use of a class of bee-killing pesticides called "neonics" on our yards, gardens and farms.
We can't allow neonics to kill off millions of bees, which are essential for pollinating some of our most important food crops. Without bees, our food supply will face serious consequences. That's why we're telling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help save the bees by banning the pesticides that are killing them.
It's ironic. We rely on bees to pollinate more than 70 of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world's food -- everything from fruits, vegetables and nuts to the alfalfa used to feed dairy cows.2 But we're dousing our farmlands in pesticides that kill bees.
An estimated 4 million pounds of neonics are applied to nearly 200 million acres of plants across the country each year.3
Part of what makes neonics so deadly is how they're used. Neonics are often applied to seeds as a coating, making the plant deadly to bees as it grows. The coated seeds also shed into the water, soil and air.4 Neonics can stay toxic for years and accumulate over multiple growing seasons.5
We shouldn't be putting bees and our food supply at risk, especially when there are safer ways to grow our food.
Add your name to tell the EPA to ban neonics today.
There's still time to save the bees -- but only if we act quickly to end the worst uses of these bee-killing pesticides.
We're raising the voices of people like you to call on major corporations such as Amazon and Home Depot to stop selling neonics, to urge lawmakers to pass statewide bans, and to convince the EPA to withdraw its approval for these bee-killing pesticides.
Join us in taking action today.
Thank you,
Faye Park
President
1. "US honeybees suffer second deadliest season on record," The Guardian, June 23, 2023.
2. Emily Rogers, "How the widespread use of a bee-killing pesticide is threatening our food supply," PIRG, December 12, 2022.
3. Andria M. Cimino, Abee L. Boyles, Kristina A. Thayer, Melissa J. Perry, "Effects of Neonicotinoid Pesticide Exposure on Human Health: A Systematic Review," Environmental Health Perspectives, February 2017.
4. Tom Perkins, "EPA sued over pesticide-coated seeds' 'devastating impacts' on US wildlife," The Guardian, June 10, 2023.
5. Thomas James Wood and Dave Goulson, "The environmental risks of neonicotinoid pesticides: a review of the evidence post 2013," Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, June 7, 2017.
Support U.S. PIRG. Contributions by people just like you make our advocacy possible. Your contribution supports a staff of organizers, attorneys, scientists and other professionals who monitor government and corporate decisions and advocate on the public's behalf.
Join us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter
U.S. PIRG, Main Office: 1543 Wazee St., Suite 460, Denver, CO 80202, (303) 801-0582
Federal Advocacy Office: 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, 4th Fl., Washington, DC 20003, (202) 546-9707
Member Questions or Requests: 1-800-838-6554.
If you want us to stop sending you email then follow this link -- unsubscribe.