Dear John,
Butterflies -- including the iconic monarch -- are declining at alarming rates. A new study found that Ohio’s butterfly population declined by a third in the last 20 years.
Monarchs faced a steeper decline than other species -- and scientists cite pesticides like Monsanto’s Roundup® as a key culprit.
If we want to save monarchs from extinction, we need to rapidly shift away from these toxic pesticides. If 75% of the people reading this email donate now, we’ll meet our fundraising goal, which will help us protect monarchs and other pollinators. But we can’t do this without you, John.
Help save monarchs from Monsanto’s Roundup®: Donate $10 or more now!
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Monarchs are the canary in the coal mine, showing us that the toxic way we grow our food is on a deadly track.
It’s not just butterflies. Bees are susceptible to many of the same environmental factors -- including pesticide overuse -- that are harming butterflies. And they’re declining in alarming numbers.
The EPA could ban the use of pesticides like Roundup® that imperil monarchs. The problem is, the agency is under pressure from Donald Trump and his cronies in the pesticide industry 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.
Help save monarchs from Monsanto’s Roundup®: Donate $10 or more before it’s too late!
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
Express Donate: $50
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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 recently held a petition delivery with allies outside the EPA and delivered nearly 150,000 comments demanding that the agency revoke Monsanto’s license to pollute. The pressure is working -- the EPA just extended the comment period to seek even more public input. At the same time, 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.
- 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 pesticides to be used in our protected wild places. This bill would reverse Trump’s decision and restore the safety of this critical monarch and bee habitat.
- 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 glyphosate, 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 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 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!
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
Express Donate: $50
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Standing with you,
Tiffany Finck-Haynes,
Pesticides and pollinators program manager,
Friends of the Earth
