Dear John,
This is an EMERGENCY, John -- monarch butterflies have declined by more than 97% in the west.
Scientists are warning that we could face a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems” if we don’t act fast to stem the decline of insects like monarchs.
A key driver of this crisis is the increased use of toxic pesticides like Monsanto’s Roundup®. It’s a simple formula: More Roundup® = less milkweed = fewer monarchs.
We’re not going to let monarch butterflies disappear on our watch. But we need your help to save them. If 75% of the people reading this email make a donation today, we’ll meet our fundraising goal. Will you pitch in now, John?
Help save monarchs from Monsanto’s Roundup®: Donate $10 or more NOW!
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Over the last two decades, what used to be a roaring river of butterflies migrating to Mexico each year has become a trickle.
At the same time, the amount of Roundup® being used each year has increased significantly. Use jumped from only 11 million pounds in 1987 to nearly 300 million pounds in 2016.
It’s no wonder our butterflies are in trouble. And the dramatically increased use of Roundup® is bad for us as well -- the World Health Organization has found this pesticide is a probable carcinogen.
The evidence is clear: we must stop supporting a food system built on toxic pesticides like Roundup® and instead build a future of organic for all.
But instead, the Trump Administration is poised to hand Monsanto a license to pollute our environment, harm our health, and wipe out monarch butterflies. The EPA is signaling that it intends to allow Big Ag to keep dousing our food in this toxic chemical.
We can’t let the agency get away with putting the pesticide industry’s profits ahead of our health and environment.
Stop Monsanto from poisoning our environment and communities with Roundup®: Donate $10 or more today!
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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. Last year, New York and Vermont passed bills to ban pollinator-toxic pesticides like neonics and chlorpyrifos, and California and New York announced plans 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, Aldi and Rite Aid have already announced steps to address pesticide use in the food they carry. 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 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
