Dear John,
Over the last 20 years, what used to be a roaring river of monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico each year has become a trickle.
At the same time, the use of glyphosate -- aka Monsanto’s Roundup® -- has massively increased. It’s a simple formula: More Roundup® = less milkweed = fewer monarchs.
If we don’t act fast, we could see these iconic pollinators disappear in our lifetimes. Scientists warn that we could be facing a “second Silent Spring.” Friends of the Earth isn’t about to let the monarch butterfly disappear on our watch -- but we need your help to save it.
Help save monarchs from Monsanto’s Roundup®: Donate $10 or more RIGHT NOW!
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In the 1980s, approximately 4.5 million butterflies spent the winter along the California coast. This year there were only around 30,000.
Monarchs are losing their habitats alarmingly quickly. At the same time, young monarchs are facing starvation -- the only food they eat is milkweed, which is being wiped out by Roundup®.
The Fish and Wildlife Service and the EPA could work together to turn all this around. These agencies could implement protections that go beyond the Endangered Species Act to protect monarch habitats. And the EPA could ban glyphosate once and for all.
The problem is, pesticide companies like Bayer-Monsanto are pressuring them to do nothing. That’s why it’s so important that you join us in fighting back. It’s going to take every one of us acting NOW if we want to save the monarchs.
Stop Monsanto from wiping out the monarchs: Donate $10 or more before it’s too late!
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We’re going up against huge corporations and their powerful cronies in the Trump administration -- a daunting task. But with Friends of the Earth Members like you at our side, I know we can win this fight and save the monarchs from extinction.
We have a comprehensive plan to get toxic pesticides out of our food system and stem insect declines:
- We’ve mobilized people like you to send more than 30,000 public comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service urging it to extend protections for monarch butterflies. And we organized a petition delivery to hand over thousands of petitions to the EPA to ban Roundup®.
- We’re supporting a new bill introduced by Representative Velazquez to ban neonicotinoids -- another monarch-harming pesticide -- in wildlife refuges. It’s hard to believe, but the Trump administration has actually allowed these toxic pesticides to be used in our protected wild places. This bill would reverse Trump’s decision and restore this critical monarch and bee habitat.
- We’re working at the state and local levels to protect pollinators from pesticides. In the past few months alone, New York and Vermont passed bills to ban pollinator-toxic pesticides like neonics and chlorpyrifos, and California announced a new plan to ban chlorpyrifos. We’re continuing work in five other states to pass bills to ban toxic pesticides, including glyphosate. Plus, we’re working with cities to pass policies to ban this and other toxic pesticides.
- We’re pushing food retailers to eliminate pesticides, including glyphosate, from their supply chains. Costco has already announced steps to address pesticide use in the food it carries. Kroger -- the nation’s largest conventional food retailer -- recently updated its pollinator policy to help protect bees and butterflies. But the commitments are non-binding and insufficient. So we’ll keep pushing Kroger and Costco to do better -- while demanding other supermarket giants follow suit.
These actions won’t only help monarchs. Bees and other insects are dying at alarming rates. Scientists are warning if we don’t stem insect decline, we could soon face the “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems.” We must greatly reduce our use of pesticides if we are to save these crucial species.
You know that when we work together, we can move mountains. You and I have already transformed the garden industry, including convincing Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, True Value, Ace Hardware and Walmart to eliminate bee-killing pesticides in garden plants.
Imagine what we can do for the monarchs! But we’ve got to act fast, before these beautiful and iconic pollinators disappear forever.
Make a generous contribution today and help Friends of the Earth save the monarchs and our food system!
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Standing with you,
Tiffany Finck-Haynes,
Pesticides and pollinators program manager,
Friends of the Earth
