Dear John,
Monarch butterflies are on the brink of extinction! In the last 20 years, they have declined by 90%.
The key culprit: Glyphosate, a.k.a. Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup®.
Trump’s EPA recently announced that it won’t require warning labels showing how toxic Roundup® is. But at Friends of the Earth, we’re not going to let monarchs disappear without a fight. We’re working with Congress to pass a bill to ban this toxic pesticide -- but we need your help!
Help save monarch butterflies from extinction: Donate $10 or more NOW!
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Roundup® isn’t just bad for monarchs. It’s linked to bee declines as well. And more than 18,000 people, including two children, are suing Bayer-Monsanto because they believe their exposure to Roundup® caused their cancer. Of the four cases considered so far, a jury found Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup® to be a major factor. The pesticide giant has already been forced to pay more than $2 billion in damages.
Officials across the country are starting to pay attention. In 2017, California added glyphosate to its list of cancer-causing chemicals. Now, products sold in California have to carry warning labels when they contain this pesticide. This was an important first step in protecting people, pollinators and the planet.
But in an unprecedented move, Trump’s EPA stepped in and stopped the labeling. The EPA is serving the interests of the pesticide industry instead of protecting people and the planet. Our legislators must take action and demand that the EPA do its job.
Stop Bayer-Monsanto from wiping out monarchs and poisoning our communities: Donate $10 or more before time runs out.
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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 25,000 messages to Congress supporting the bill to ban glyphosate. And our campaigners are on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators one-on-one to keep the pressure on.
- 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. This year, 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 don’t go far enough. So we’re going to keep pushing these and other leading supermarkets to do better on pesticides and increase their organic offerings.
These actions won’t only help monarchs. Bees, butterflies 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 rapidly 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,
Lisa Archer,
Food and agriculture program director,
Friends of the Earth
