Dear John,
“This summer has been the first summer that the diminished bird population in our area has been so obvious… I miss them terribly and am devastated to think that my grandchildren may never see them.”
This is what Friends of the Earth Member Elizabeth Bagi is seeing in her hometown of Oreland, Pennsylvania.
And she’s not the only one. Over the last 50 years, North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds representing hundreds of species. A key contributing factor is the massive increase in the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
That’s right -- the same pesticides that are driving bee declines are also harming birds. At Friends of the Earth, we’re working round-the-clock to get these toxic pesticides out of our food system -- but we need your help.
Stop toxic pesticides from wiping out bees and harming birds: Donate $10 or more now!
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Now, let me tell you some of the disturbing facts about neonics. These toxic pesticides -- 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.
Migratory birds are often exposed to neonics while traveling north in the spring -- when industrial farms treat their crops. Even small exposures are linked to weight loss and migration delays. This can reduce their chance of survival and make it harder for them to nest and reproduce. In fact, 75% of songbird species are in decline.
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 pesticides.
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 Bayer-Monsanto’s toxic 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 campaigners are lobbying on Capitol Hill to push legislators to act on pesticides. We’ve built support for a suite of pesticide restriction legislation -- from the Saving America’s Pollinator’s Act, which would ban neonicotinoids, to a bill to ban chlorpyrifos, and even legislation to prevent agricultural mega-mergers like Bayer-Monsanto.
- Leading agrochemical 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 these 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 doesn’t go far enough. So we’ll keep pushing Kroger to do better -- while demanding other supermarket giants follow suit.
These actions won’t only help bees and songbirds. Butterflies and a host of other insects are dying at alarming rates. 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 wildlife from toxic pesticides!
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Standing with you,
Lisa Archer,
Food and agriculture program director,
Friends of the Earth
