John,
A wildlife refuge should be a safe haven for bees.
So why are bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides allowed to be used here? One puff of this toxic stuff could turn what was once a safe space into a deadly trap.
It's time to give wildlife refuges back to the bees. Tell the Biden administration: Ban the use of bee-killing neonics in wildlife refuges.
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Bee-killing pesticides weren't always allowed in wildlife refuges. But in 2018, the Trump administration lifted an Obama-era ban on neonics in refuges, ushering in an unsafe era for bees.[1]
We know that neonics are 1,000 times more toxic to bees than DDT.[2]
We know that the widespread use of neonics has made our country's agricultural landscape 48 times more toxic to bees in just the past few decades.[3]
And we know that bees are in trouble as a result. Experts warn that 1 in 4 native bee species is at increasing risk of extinction.[4]
To save the bees, we need to give them a safe place to call home. Tell the Biden administration to reinstate a ban on bee-killing neonics in wildlife refuges.
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The nearly 95 million acres of our wildlife refuge system offer an oasis to all kinds of wildlife. But they won't be safe for bees as long as bee-killing neonic pesticides are allowed to be used in them.
We need bees -- they pollinate thousands of species of plants and carry entire ecosystems on their tiny shoulders.[5] It's time to return the favor and take action to keep bees safe.
Add your name to keep bee-killing pesticides out of wildlife refuges today.
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Thank you,
Ellen Montgomery
1. "Trump administration lifts ban on pesticides linked to declining bee numbers," The Guardian, August 2, 2018.
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2. Stephen Leahy, "Insect 'apocalypse' in U.S. driven by 50x increase in toxic pesticides," National Geographic, August 6, 2019.
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3. Stephen Leahy, "Insect 'apocalypse' in U.S. driven by 50x increase in toxic pesticides," National Geographic, August 6, 2019.
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4. Maryellen Kennedy Duckett, "Nature needs us to act--now," National Geographic, March 4, 2020.
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5. "The buzz on native bees," USGS, June 15, 2015.
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