Dear John,
BREAKING: New research in a scientific journal shows that bumblebees are in danger of extinction.
You’ve probably seen bumblebees buzzing around your backyard garden or neighborhood park. They’re larger and fuzzier than honeybees, and while they don’t produce honey, they do pollinate some of our favorite flowers.
But if you’re lucky enough to spot one of these bees this year, take a good look -- it could be the last time you see them. The climate crisis and pesticides are two key elements threatening to wipe out bumblebees forever.
At Friends of the Earth, we’re working to save bees and other pollinators from toxic pesticides and environmental ruin. But we can’t do this without you, John.
Help save bumblebees from extinction: Donate $10 or more before it’s too late!
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
Express Donate: $50
Or, donate another amount
We're hurtling toward the brink of ecological collapse as critical insect species disappear. Scientists warn that if we don’t act fast to stem insect decline, we could be on the brink of a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems.”
And while the Earth is under lethal attack, Trump's EPA and Fish and Wildlife Service are busy giving handouts to the very corporations threatening the survival of our most essential pollinators.
It’s not just bees that are at risk. This year’s western monarch count shows that monarch butterflies are at an all-time low for the second year in a row. Honeybees are dying at alarming rates. Fireflies are in trouble. And the same pesticides that are killing bees are harming songbirds as well.
If you want to stop the pesticide industry and Big Polluters from driving us toward a "Second Silent Spring," one of the most important ways to make an impact is by donating to Friends of the Earth right now.
Stop a “Second Silent Spring”: Donate $10 or more to Friends of the Earth!
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
Express Donate: $50
Or, donate another amount
Pesticides like neonicotinoids can kill bees outright. They also harm bees’ navigational systems, making it harder for them to find their way back to the hive.
Meanwhile, climate change is threatening bee habitats and bee health. Bumblebees are especially susceptible as global temperatures rise because they are more vulnerable than other bee species to overheating.
These threats may seem insurmountable -- but the truth is, there are a number of simple actions that our leaders could take to protect bees and other pollinators. At Friends of the Earth, we are pushing elected officials and corporations on all of these fronts:
- The EPA could ban pesticides like neonicotinoids. In April, the agency will collect public comments on whether to renew the license for some bee-toxic pesticides. So with your help we’ll submit thousands of comments to the agency. Then, we’ll deliver those comments with a rally outside the EPA to call the media’s attention to the bee crisis.
- The Fish and Wildlife Service could ban bee-toxic pesticides on wildlife refuges. Friends of the Earth is pushing the agency to act -- but with Trump in the White House, this is an uphill battle. So we’re also asking Congress to step in and pass legislation to ban these toxic chemicals in the very places that should be sanctuaries for our pollinators.
- Cities and states across the country could ban pesticides. Friends of the Earth members like you have already helped ban chlorpyrifos in Hawai'i, California and New York. Now, we’re working to pass similar bans on this and other pesticides in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and beyond. And these state bans have a ripple effect -- they reduce the market for pesticides, causing pesticide producers to second-guess whether their products are worth keeping on the market. This month the Big Ag company Dow decided to stop selling chlorpyrifos in part because of state bans.
- Supermarkets play a critical role in our food system -- and they rely on bees and other pollinators to supply them with fresh fruits and vegetables. But too many big grocery chains are looking the other way as pollinators continue to die at alarming rates. That’s why we’re demanding Kroger take action and stop selling food grown with bee-killing pesticides. As the largest traditional food retailer in the U.S., Kroger could help dramatically shift the market away from pesticides and toward organic food with a strong pollinator policy.
In short, we’re working to shine a light on the bee crisis in the media. We’re raising awareness with the public about the impact of toxic pesticides on our food system. And we’re organizing across the country to make sure our voices are louder than Bayer-Monsanto, Dow and Syngenta’s lobbyists. But we can’t do this without you.
Make a generous contribution to Friends of the Earth and protect bees from bee-killing pesticides!
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
Express Donate: $50
Or, donate another amount
Standing with you,
Lisa Archer,
Food and agriculture program director,
Friends of the Earth
