If the bees go much will go with them

Bees—both honey and wild bees are the most important pollinators of the many fruits and vegetables we consume on a daily basis. Of the 100 crop species that provide 90% of our global food supply, 71 of them are pollinated by bees. The value of food crop pollination by bees, in the U.S. alone is estimated to be $16 billion and insect pollinators in general contribute $29 billion to U.S. farm income. A world without bees is a world no one wants to know.

In just the last ten years, over 40% of the bee colonies in the US have suffered Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Bees either become so disoriented they can’t find their way back to their hives and die away from home, or fly back poison-drunk and die at the foot of their queen. There are many arguments as to what is causing CCD, but the most logical and likely culprit is the increased usage of pesticides by the likes of Monsanto, Bayer and others.

A study by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has labeled one pesticide, called clothianidin, as completely unacceptable for use, and banned it from use entirely. Meanwhile, the U.S. uses the same pesticide on more than a third of its crops – nearly 143 million acres. Two more pesticides linked to colossal death among pollinators are imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam. These toxic chemicals are found in everyday weed killers such as round up—as well as standard yard and mosquito sprays. These toxic chemicals are used extensively in the US—while elsewhere such as in France, they have been taken out of circulation completely.

Not only are these pesticides decimating our pollinator populations, but they seep into our food supply, our ground, grub and water supplies. Birds and other animals ingest the pesticides seeping into the ground from weed killers / toxic sprays and the entire ecosystem is contaminated. Stand up against pesticides for our future and our natural environment!

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