Dear John,
Bees are facing the worst die-off in 40 years -- and they need your help, John.
Last year, beekeepers lost nearly half of their hives. You can hardly open a newspaper without reading another story about a massive bee die-off, or beekeepers fearing for the future of their hives.
A key factor is bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides produced by Big Ag companies like Bayer-Monsanto and Syngenta. Friends of the Earth is working to get these toxic pesticides out of our food system -- but we need your help. If 75% of the people reading this donate before midnight, we’ll reach our fundraising goal.
Help save bees from toxic pesticides: Donate $10 or more NOW!
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Neonics not only kill bees outright, they also interfere with bees’ navigation systems and make them more vulnerable to disease and pests.
These pesticides are widely used in agriculture. They’re even permitted in wildlife refuges -- which should be safe havens for crucial pollinators and other wildlife.
That doesn’t sit well with me, and I’m betting it doesn’t with you, either. Fortunately, the bees have Friends of the Earth members like you on their side. Together, we can push Congress, supermarkets, and even the EPA to say no to neonics -- but we can’t do this without you.
Help get bee-killing pesticides out of our food system: Donate $10 or more before midnight!
f you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
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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 bees from toxic pesticides.
We have a comprehensive plan to get toxic pesticides out of our food system and stem insect declines:
- We’re building support for a suite of pollinator protections in Congress -- from the Saving America’s Pollinators Act to a bill to ban Dow’s toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. Together, we can push Congress to take a strong stand against Big Ag and protect our wild places and rural communities.
- Friends of the Earth is exposing the pesticide industry’s cozy ties to the Trump Administration, revealing a revolving employment door for pesticide industry executives and the suppression of science on pesticides’ harm to human and pollinator health.
- We recently held a petition delivery with allies outside the EPA and delivered nearly 150,000 comments demanding that the agency ban Monsanto’s Roundup® -- another pesticide that harms bees and butterflies. The pressure is working -- the EPA just extended the comment period to seek even more public input.
- 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 four other states to pass bills this legislative session 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 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.
This was an important first step -- but bees are still at risk. And 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!
f you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
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Standing with you,
Tiffany Finck-Haynes,
Pesticides and pollinators program manager,
Friends of the Earth
