[Newleaf] Fwd: Save the bees & our agriculture

Tue Jan 11 13:27:01 EST 2011

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alex Wilks -- Avaaz.org <avaaz at avaaz.org>
Date: Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 1:59 PM
Subject: Save the bees: amazing response
To: "clhl06 at hampshire.edu" <clhl06 at hampshire.edu>

 Wow! Over the weekend half a million of us have signed up to save the
world's bees. Let's get to a million and get the ban now -- send this on to
everyone

Dear friends,

  <https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=901181583&v=8134>

*Bees are dying off worldwide and our entire food chain is in peril*.
Scientists blame toxic pesticides and four European governments have already
banned them. If we get *the US and the EU to join the ban*, other
governments across the world could follow, and * save bees from extinction*.
*Sign the petition and forward this urgent appeal*:

[image: Sign the
petition]<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=901181583&v=8134>
*Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is in
danger*. Bees don't just make honey, they are a giant, humble workforce,
pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.

Multiple *scientific studies blame one group of toxic pesticides for their
rapid demise,* and some bee populations are recovering in countries where
these products have been banned. But powerful chemical companies are
lobbying hard to keep selling these poisons. Our best chance to save bees
now is to *push the US and EU to join the ban* -- their action is critical
and will have a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

*We have no time to lose* -- the debate is raging about what to do. This is
not just about saving bees, this is about survival. Let’s build a giant
global buzz calling for the EU and US to outlaw these killer chemicals and
save our bees and our food. *Sign the emergency petition now, and send it on
to everyone* and we’ll deliver it to key decision makers:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=901181583&v=8134>

*Bees are vital to life on earth* -- every year pollinating plants and crops
with an* estimated $40bn value*, over one third of the food supply in many
countries. *Without immediate action to save bees many of our favourite
fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves*.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee
populations -- *some bee species are already extinct and last week we
learned that some US species are at just 4% of their previous
numbers.*Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies
claim the decline
may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and
toxic chemicals. But increasingly independent research has produced *strong
evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides*. France, Italy, Slovenia and even
Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of
these bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison across the
world

This* issue is now coming to the boil* as major new studies have confirmed
the scale of this problem. If *we can get European and US decision-makers to
take action, others will follow*. It won’t be easy. A leaked document shows
that the US Environmental Protection Agency knew about the pesticide’s
dangers, but ignored them. The document says Bayer’s "highly toxic" product
is a "major risk concern to non target insects [honey bees]".

We need to make *our voices heard to counter Bayer’s very strong influence
on policy makers and scientists* in both the US and the EU where they fund
the studies and sit on policy bodies. The real experts -- the beekeepers and
farmers -- want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have
solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let's support them now.
*Sign the petition below, then forward this email: *

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=901181583&v=8134>

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research run
by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their pockets.
Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for ourselves and
the other species we care about and depend on.

With hope,

Alex, Alice, Iain, David and all at Avaaz

MORE INFORMATION

Bee decline could be down to chemical cocktail interfering with brains
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/22/chemicals-bees-decline-major-study?INTCMP=SRCH

Bee briefing
http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RXLEm9WXrHk%3D&tabid=439

$15 Billion Bee Murder Mystery Deepens
http://www.businessinsider.com/colony-collapse-disorder-still-unsolved-lead-researcher-had-connections-to-bayer-2010-10

“Nicotine Bees" Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/nicotine-bees-population-restored-with-neonicotinoids-ban.php

EPA memo reveals concern that pesticide causes bee deaths
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=79910

Beekeepers want government to pull pesticide
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/beekeepers-want-government-to-pull-pesticide-1107701.html

Bees in freefall as study shows sharp US decline
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/03/bumblebees-study-us-decline?INTCMP=SRCH

Pesticide industry involvement in EU risk assessment puts survival of bees
at stake
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agribusiness/news/2010/11/16/pesticide-industry-future-bees

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-- 
Claire Lau
Email: clairelau63 at gmail.com
Website: clairelau.net
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