Clothianidin

UK Parlia. Chair: "...serious questions...EU pesticides regulation...

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on December 15, 2012 - 16:09

Great article in the Guardian by Damian Carrington:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/dec/12/mps-insecticide-regula...

Quoted by Joan Walley MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC).

"European regulators seem to have turned a blind eye to data on the danger that one of the world's biggest selling pesticides could pose to bees and other pollinators," said Joan Walley MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC). "Evidence seen by the committee raises serious questions about the integrity, transparency and effectiveness of EU pesticides regulation. Data available in the regulators' own assessment report shows it could be 10 times more persistent in soils than the European safety limit."

Quoted by Prof Dave Goulson, an ecologist at the University of Stirling

Bee-Killing Nicotine Pesticide Illegally Registered in US - One Million+ Sign Emergency Petition

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on March 24, 2012 - 17:14

A remarkable emergency petition with over one million signatures has been submitted to the USEPA requesting the withdrawal of the pesticide clothianidin - a nicotine-based systemic pesticide widely used on corn/maize. Multiple activist organizations participated, lead by major US beekeepers.

The basis of the petition is that the USEPA's legal requirements for the demonstrated safety of clothianidin were never proven - and subsequent findings have shown its damages - violating the US law FIFRA, which governs the registration process for pesticides.

A coalition of beekeepers and activists gained over one million signatures on this petition, that walks step-by-step through the reasoning behind the proposed determination of the clothianidin registration's illegality - used as the basis for the withdrawal request.

This is fantastic.

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pollinators/CFS-Clothianidin-Petition-3-...

Please pass this link to whomever you think might benefit.

Major Study: Multiple Routes of Pesticide Exposure for Honeybees Living Near Agricultural Fields

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on January 14, 2012 - 13:13

A major new study from Purdue University researchers highlights that honeybees face a long list of pesticide dangers near agriculture. Multiple toxic agents combined, via several simultaneous routes of exposure mean bees are in peril from many sources.

The complete article is open-access from PLos ONE, attached above (thanks PLos ONE and the authors for making this important article OPEN ACCESS!!!).

Toxic food.

I'm concerned that our food would be toxic in multiple ways simultaneously.

Pesticide Risk Increases Over Time

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on January 5, 2012 - 20:01

A very important shift may be occurring in our understanding of pesticides: risk may increase over time, rendering even very small amounts of pesticides such as some nicotine-based neonicotinoids much more toxic than previously realized.

Dutch researcher Dr. Henk Tennekes, with Dr. Francisco Sanchez-Bayo of Australia, have shown this in a new article in the Journal of Environmental & Analytical Toxicology: "Time-Dependent Toxicity of Neonicotinoids and Other Toxicants: Implications for a New Approach to Risk Assessment" that is an open-access research article downloadable with the link shown above. I corresponded with Dr. Tennekes, who summarized his deep concerns:

"By Dr. Henk Tennekes

AN ECOLOGICAL DISASTER THAT WILL AFFECT US ALL

A Spring Without Bees

Michael Schacker's book A Spring Without Bees has influenced a large body of people around the world to help with the global honeybee situation - and the entire web of life for which it is a bellwether. This book was highly influential and helpful in our work producing our film Nicotine Bees.
 
For anyone interested in this subject, this is the best starting point - the product of enormous research effort. 
 

Prosecutor Charges Bayer+Syngenta Over Honey Bee Die-Off

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on November 13, 2011 - 02:45

Three related events have recently heightened the honeybee issue:

First: Prosecutors in Italy have charged Bayer CropScience and Syngenta - both manufacturers of clothianidin - in honeybee deaths:

Six major US groups complain about Clothianidin killing honey bees: USEPA refuses to take action

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on February 20, 2011 - 19:53

Six major US groups recently sent a joint complaint on December 8, 2010 to the USEPA, about the risks to honey bees and pollinators from the pesticide Clothianidin (a nicotine-based or 'neonicotinoid' pesticide), following the leak of the internal USEPA report identifying risks from this chemical:

Location: 
Washington, DC
United States
38° 53' 42.4032" N, 77° 2' 10.9176" W
See map: Google Maps

Location

Washington, DC
United States
38° 53' 42.4032" N, 77° 2' 10.9176" W
See map: Google Maps

Timeline of a Bee Massacre: EPA Still Allowing Hive-Killing Pesticide

Submitted by Pierre Terre on January 21, 2011 - 12:36

Ariel Schwartz reports for FastCompany.com on the USEPA's refusal to ban the known problem nicotine pesticide Clothianidin:   http://www.fastcompany.com/1709815/why-has-the-epa-allowed-a-bee-killing...

Excellent Analysis of New Bee-Dieoff Research by Scottish Beekeeper Graham White

Submitted by Pierre Terre on January 20, 2011 - 13:05

Please see an important article from The Independent Newspaper in London: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/exclusive-bees-facing-a-...

Very Good Analysis of the data presesnted by Mike McCarthy in The Independent (link above) by Graham White, Bee-keeper, 'Friends of the Bees' - Location: Coldstream, Scottish Borders; Tel: (44) 01890 882 713 

Syndicate content