Dear John,
The crisis facing the world’s bees gets worse every day. You can’t open a newspaper without reading another story about a massive bee die-off, or beekeepers fearing for the future of their hives.
You may have heard that diseases, pests and climate change have all been implicated in the global bee die-off. But now, a growing body of science points to a key contributing factor: the world’s most popular insecticides -- neonicotinoids, or neonics.
Friends of the Earth supporters are waging a no-holds-barred fight for the bees’ future and the future of our planet. Together, we’re taking on the grocery industry to get neonics out of the food they sell -- and therefore out of the fields where bees are exposed. But we can’t do this without you, John.
Help save bees from toxic neonicotinoid pesticides: Donate $10 or more NOW!
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Now, let me tell you some of the disturbing facts about neonics. These dangerous poisons -- the most widely used insecticides in the world -- are lethal to bees. Even at doses that don’t kill bees outright, neonics weaken bees' immune systems and impair their critical brain functions, making it hard for them to find their food sources and leaving them vulnerable to diseases and pests.
The EPA released assessments in 2017 concluding that neonics pose far-reaching risks to birds and aquatic invertebrates. But under Trump, the agency has refused to ban these bee-killing toxins.
Even the producers of neonics, companies like Bayer-Monsanto and Syngenta, have conducted studies -- obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request -- showing that neonics cause significant harm to bees and other pollinators.
And we know that reducing neonic use is correlated with bees recovering. Italy experienced a clear and dramatic improvement in bee populations after restricting neonics.
But the EPA is dragging its feet, allowing these toxic pesticides to remain in our food system. So we’re turning to supermarkets to pick up the slack. This industry could play a key role in phasing out neonics -- after all, neonics are widely used in agriculture. So if grocery chains like Kroger commit to stop selling food grown with bee-killing pesticides, Big Ag will have no choice but to shift its ways.
Help get bee-killing pesticides out of our food system: Donate $10 or more before it’s too late!
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Clearly, the bees can’t wait -- and neither can we. Friends of the Earth is pulling out all the stops, working on several fronts in an effort to push this issue to the top of our national agenda.
- Our Keep the Hives Alive Tour traveled coast-to-coast, highlighting the plight of pollinators and culminating in a rally outside the EPA's headquarters. We trucked 2.5 million dead bees across the country to illustrate the massive bee die-offs each year. The tour also delivered nearly five million signatures to the EPA urging an immediate ban on bee-killing pesticides. And we conducted a congressional briefing on neonics and their impact on wildlife and people.
- Leading petrochemical and seed corporation Bayer-Monsanto has developed sophisticated campaigns to divert attention away from the bee- and butterfly-killing pesticides they produce. Friends of the Earth has exposed their shady practices and undue influence on our government, particularly on the EPA, which, among other actions, green-lighted Bayer’s products based largely on a study funded by the chemical giant itself.
- We’re working at the state and local levels to protect pollinators from pesticides. In the last 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 neonics, from their supply chains. In response to pressure from Friends of the Earth members like you, Kroger just updated its pollinator policy to reduce the use of bee-killing pesticides in the food it sells and increase its organic offerings. But the commitment is non-binding and insufficient. So we’ll keep pushing Kroger to do better -- while demanding other supermarket giants follow suit.
These actions won’t only help bees. Butterflies and a host of 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.
But bees are still at risk, thanks to the toxic way we grow our food. 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 bees from toxic pesticides!
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Standing with you,
Tiffany Finck-Haynes,
Pesticides and pollinators program manager,
Friends of the Earth
