Imidacloprid

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

Three More Countries Restrict Bee-Killing Nicotine Pesticides

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on August 4, 2012 - 14:41

Three more countries have put additional pressure on nicotine pesticides, one of the leading suspects in the global honey bee die-offs:

Canada has asked for most of the nicotine pesticides to be re-evaluated - this is a huge step that slows pesticide manufacturers:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/pest/_decisions/rev2012-02/index-eng...

Brazil (Brasil) has forced Monsanto to pay about $7.5 BILLION in fines because its nicotine-pesticide-coated and GMO soya/soybeans were being used to force farmers not to save their own seeds - while paying a punitive 2% tax. Brazil's supreme court took action to protect farmers' rights to save seeds - and also restrict toxic seeds:
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15747

France has banned Syngenta's canola/rapeseed brand because of honeybee losses to this toxic product. This ban was upheld by French courts:
http://www.farming.co.uk/news/article/6767

Locations

Canada
See map: Google Maps
Brazil
See map: Google Maps
France

Top US Bee Experts: Nicotine Pesticides Worsen Bee Diseases

Submitted by Kevin Hansen on February 12, 2012 - 21:34

This is a really big deal:

A team of the top United States honeybee experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville, Maryland, laboratory near Washington DC has published a damning report linking tiny sub-lethal concentrations of one nicotine pesticide, imidacloprid, with an increase in another common gut disease, Nosema.

Although many other studies before this suggested similar findings, the US government has been far behind - this is therefore a breakthrough. It also acknowledges some of the major work done by French researchers: until now, the groundbreaking French research was largely ignored by official US government agencies. Look for breakthroughs because of this work.

The original article linked above was released for public/open access (thanks Springer Publishing for making this open access!!). It is a top-downloaded article at this time on Springer's website.

Abstract of Original Article:

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. 
 

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 

UK House of Commons Moves to Ban Nicotine Pesticides Killing Honey Bees Worldwide

Submitted by Pierre Terre on January 18, 2011 - 14:10

In a telling move, triggered by the increasing data regarding the role of nicotine pesticides in the devastation of honeybees worldwide, nine parliamentarians in the UK House of Commons moved to ban these chemicals. 

They state:

Syndicate content