Pollinator News - Bees
What’s Happening to Bees?
Globally bees are dying, and nobody is quite sure why. It could be one or a combination of factors: colony collapse disorder (where worker bees abruptly disappear); varroa mites; small hive beetle; pesticides; cell phone signals; genetically modified crops; etc. The problem is significant enough that people are scrambling to fix the problem.
Update (Aug-2013)
Beekeepers are convinced that neonicotinoid pesticides are responsible since traces of the insecticide have been found in/on 80% of the tested dead bees. The neonicotinoid pesticides are absorbed by plants and are effective at seeding and flowering times. Beekeepers are asking that North American governments follow the European Union’s lead and put a moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides to remove at least one of the variables from the equation. With enormous hive losses, beekeepers request action not words.
Update (Sep-2013)
Health Canada reports that “current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are affecting the environment due to their impacts on bees and other pollinators … Consequently, we have concluded that current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable.” (website)
Proposed fixes include:
- Requiring the use of safer dust-reducing seed flow lubricants;
- Requiring adherence to safer seed planting practices;
- Requiring new pesticide and seed package labels with enhanced warnings; and,
- Requiring updated value information be provided to support the continued need for neonicotinoid treatment on up to 100% of the corn seed and 50% of the soybean seed.
Comment period open until December 12, 2013 (although by then next year’s seeds will already be processed and packaged) e-Mail your comments to: pmra.publications@hc-sc.gc.ca (provide full name, organization, phone number, mailing address or e-mail address)
Update (Jun-2014)
Task Force on Systemic Pesticides & the Worldwide Integrated Assessment Report (video 11mins)
“Bees don't just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 90% of plants and crops -- with an estimated $40bn value and over one-third of the food supply in many countries.” AVAAZ
Rallying to Protect the Monarch Butterfly
News About Bees
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Date yyyy-mm-dd |
Posted By |
Article Link |
Comment |
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2019-07-08 |
EcoWatch / BrightVibes |
This Dutch City Has Transformed Its Bus Stops Into Bee Stops |
BrightVibes |
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2019-04-22 |
CTV News |
American Bumblebee facing 'imminent extinction' in Canada: researchers |
Christy Somos |
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2019-04-22 |
Newswire.ca |
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2019-02-04 |
Phys.org |
Culprit found for honeybee deaths in California almond groves |
Andrea Wade et al, Combined Toxicity of Insecticides and Fungicides Applied to California Almond Orchards to Honey Bee Larvae and Adults, Insects (2019) |
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2018-06-11 |
CBC Radio |
Scientists say restrictions on neonic pesticides aren't enough to save bees - we need a ban |
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2018-05-14 |
Ontario Beekeepers’ Association |
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2018-03-16 |
EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow |
Lorraine Chow |
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2018-02-28 |
The Guardian |
Total ban on bee-harming pesticides likely after major new EU analysis |
Damian Carrington |
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2018-01-15 |
RealClearScience.com |
Accidental Discovery Could Save Bees From Their Greatest Threat |
Ross Pomeroy - lithium chloride & varroa mites |
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2017-06-19 |
CBC News New Brunswick |
Nathalie Sturgeon |
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2017-05-02 |
Globe and Mail |
Study finds link between neonic pesticides and decline of bumblebee queens |
Eric Atkins |
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2017-04-25 |
EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow |
This Tiny Caterpillar Could Help Solve the World's Plastic Crisis |
Lorraine Chow |
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2017-03-21 |
Toronto Star (USA) |
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2017-03-09 |
The Western Producer |
Robert Amason |
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2016-09-01 |
Washington Post (USA) |
‘Like it’s been nuked’: Millions of bees dead after South Carolina sprays for Zika mosquitoes |
Ben Guarino - South Carolina |
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2016-07-27 |
EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow |
This Popular Insecticide Is Lowering Sperm Count in Honey Bees by 40% |
Lorraine Chow |
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2016-07-25 |
EcoWatch / Food Tank |
Tasnim Abdi |
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2016-07-20 |
NewScientist.com |
Water-bottle bees cool the hive after their overheated mates beg |
Emily Benson |
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2016-07-08 |
CTV News |
Beekeeper finds about a million dead bees in East Gwillimbury |
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2016-07-06 |
Globe and Mail |
Mark Hume |
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2016-07-06 |
E360.yale.edu |
Christian Schwӓgerl |
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2016-05-10 |
E360.yale.edu |
Lisa Palmer |
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2016-03-03 |
TrueActivist.com |
Amanda Froelich |
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2015-08-13 |
Guelph Mercury |
Italy’s ban on neonicotinoids effective, U of G conference told |
Joanne Shuttleworth |
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2015-06-09 |
Toronto Star |
Ontario first in North America to curb bee-killing neonicotninoid pesticides |
Robert Benzie - effective July 1st |
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2015-05-20 |
Colossal |
An Extraordinary Glimpse into the First 21 Days of a Bee’s Life in 60 Seconds |
Christopher Jobson |
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2015-05-14 |
EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow |
U.S. Honeybee Population Plummets by More Than 40%, USDA Finds |
Lorraine Chow |
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2015-04-08 |
EcoWatch / Stefanie Spear |
Lowe’s to Stop Selling Bee-Killing Pesticides to Protect Pollinators |
Stefanie Spear
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2015-03-05 |
EcoWatch / Stefanie Spear |
Record-Setting Indiegogo Campaign at $4.7 Million Takes Honeybee Entrepreneurs to New Heights |
Stefanie Spear “Flow” |
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2015-02-23 |
EcoWatch / Anastasia Pantsios |
Revolutionary Honey Harvesting Beehive Crowdsources $2 Million in First Day |
Anastasia Pantsios “Flow” |
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2015-02-20 |
Youtube / TheBeeVlog |
TheBeeVlog “Flow” |
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2015-02-10 |
EcoWatch / Dr. David Suzuki |
Dr. David Suzuki |
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2014-11-25 |
Government of Ontario Environment Registry |
Comment until January 25, 2015 |
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2014-11-25 |
Globe and Mail |
Eric Atkins |
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2014-11-25 |
Huffington Post |
Ontario First Province To Crack Down On Pesticides Linked To Mass Die-Off Of Bees |
Michael Bolen |
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2014-11-17 |
Ring of Fire Radio |
Joshua De Leon |
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2014-11-17 |
Globe and Mail |
Eric Atkins |
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2014-10-16 |
NaturalSociety.com |
Victory: Judge Deprives Monsanto of GM Planting Permit in Mexico, Protects the Bees |
Christina Sarich |
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2014-10-01 |
Guardian (UK) |
Louise Gray |
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2014-10-08 |
CTV News Toronto |
Paul Bliss |
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2014-10-08 |
Toronto Star |
Algonquin Park logging, bee-killing pesticides targeted by environment watchdog |
Rob Ferguson |
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2014-10-07 |
CTV News |
Pesticides linked to bee deaths pose 'massive' ecological threat, watchdog warns |
Keith Leslie |
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2014-08-27 |
Collective Evolution |
Monsanto Loses GMO Permit in Mexico – Judge Sides With the Bees |
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2014-08-22 |
BBC News |
Mark Kinver |
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2014-08-21 |
RealAgriculture |
Deflectors, Fluency Agent and Seed Polymers — An Integrated Approach to Bee Safety |
- Bernard Tobin & Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist OMAFRA - 7 min audioclip |
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2014-08-20 |
Stettler Independent |
Will Verboven - “no bee population loss crisis” |
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2014-08-20 |
CTV News Barrie |
Video newsclip |
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2014-08-20 |
Orangeville Citizen |
Tabitha Wells |
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2014-07-09 |
Alberta Sun |
Alberta apparently unfazed by science regarding bee-threatening pesticide |
Matt Dykstra, Edmonton Sun |
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2014-06-24 |
RT |
Pesticides linked to honeybee decline are affecting other species, scientists say |
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2014-06-23 |
EcoWatch / Beyond Pesticides |
Obama Mandates Precedent-Setting Task Force to Protect Honey Bees and Other Pollinators |
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2014-06-20 |
BBC News |
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2014-05-29 |
iPolitics.ca |
Ontario county bans controversial pesticide as bee health debate continues |
Kelsey Johnson |
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2014-05-09 |
Harvard School of Public Health |
Study strengthens link between neonicotinoids and collapse of honey bee colonies |
Harvard |
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2014-04-17 |
EcoWatch / Greenpeace EU |
New Report Reveals Two-Thirds of European Honeybee Pollen Contaminated By Dozens of Pesticides |
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2014-03-26 |
CTV News London |
Environmental groups want pesticide makers to release bee-death studies |
The Canadian Press |
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2014-03-26 |
Toronto Sun |
Jessica Hume |
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2014-03-24 |
Catch the Buzz |
Study Reveals that Cost Outweigh Benefits of Toxic Insecticides Implicated in Bee Kills |
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2014-03-20 |
Youtube / TEDx Talks |
John Miller |
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2014-03-19 |
The Organic View |
June Stoyer |
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2013-12-03 |
Sum of Us |
Petition: Tell Health Cda to enact sensible restrictions on pesticides now |
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2013-12-01 |
Gizmag |
Bridget Borgobello |
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2013-12-01 |
Comment: |
European Union imposed a two-year ban on neonicotinoids. |
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2013-11-28 |
Sierra Club Canada |
New study should convince government to ban bee killing pesticide |
Media Release |
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2013-10-24 |
EcoWatch / Beyond Pesticides |
Scientists Discover Key Molecule Linking Neonicotinoids to Honey Bee Viruses |
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2013-10-19 |
Global News |
Video |
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2013-10-10 |
EcoWatch / Beyond Pesticides |
- fipronil |
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2013-10-04 |
Daily Mail Online (UK) |
Jill Reilly - impact on honey bee in France |
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2013-09-25 |
iPetition |
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2013-09-25 |
Government of Ontario |
Kathleen Wynne |
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2013-09-16 |
Sierra Club Canada |
Government agency admits pesticides behind bee deaths but still refuses to take action |
Media Release |
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2013-09-13 |
Health Canada |
Notice of Intent, NOI2013-01, Action to Protect Bees from Exposure to Neonicotinoid Pesticides |
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2013-09-12 |
Cassi J. Lee, Bryan D. Merrill, William J. Burnett, Sandra H. Burnett - red honey from crushed candy canes |
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2013-09-12 |
Change.org |
Petition: Save Ontario’s bees: ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides |
Ontario Beekeepers’ Association |
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2013-09-11 |
CBC |
Amber Hildebrandt Correction: Shipping USA bees to Cda is banned due to small hive beetle not varroa mites |
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2013-09-02 |
Sum of Us (EU) |
Petition: Don’t let Bayer overturn the ban on bee-killing pesticides |
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2013-08-28 |
Nature |
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2013-08-19 |
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) North America |
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2013-08-14 |
Grist |
John Upton - plants from Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc. |
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2013-07-26 |
Treehugger |
Scientists discover another cause of bee deaths, and it’s really bad news |
Jaymi Heimbuch |
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2013-07-24 |
Daily News (McMaster) |
- Beekeeping project on campus |
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2013-07-24 |
Quartz |
Scientists discover what’s killing the bees and it’s worse than you thought |
Todd Woody - chemical brew of pesticides and fungicides |
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2013-07-05 |
Toronto Star |
Ontario honey bees dropping like flies: Beekeeper blames seed pesticides |
Alex Ballingall |
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2013-07-09 |
CBC News |
Janet Thomson, Manmeet Ahluwalia |
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2013-07-05 |
Sierra Club Canada |
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2013-07-02 |
Guelph Mercury |
Opinion: Sudden death of Guelph-area bees raises new questions |
Troy Bridgeman |
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2013-07-02 |
Ezezine |
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2013-07-01 |
Care2 Petition Site |
Deadline: July 14, 2013 |
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2013-07-01 |
Collective Evolution |
Arjun |
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2013-06-26 |
Thepost.on.ca |
Jon Radojkovic |
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2013-06-15 |
Daily Mail (UK) |
What your supermarket will look like if bees die out: Empty shelves, scant produce options |
Ashley Collman |
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2013-06-11 |
EcoWatch / Greenpeace |
Rex Weyler |
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2013-05-24 |
Global Research |
Illinois illegally seizes bees resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup; Kills remaining Queens |
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2013-05-21 |
Ezezine |
“In 15 years, the production of honey in France has been halved, mainly because of pesticides, meanwhile the rate of importing has tripled” |
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2013-05-10 |
National Geographic |
Jennifer S. Holland |
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2013-05-08 |
Beyond Pesticides/ EcoWatch |
sulfoxaflor |
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2013-05-06 |
Quartz |
America is one bad winter away from a food disaster, thanks to dying bees |
Todd Woody |
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2013-05-01 |
Plos One |
Macro-Invertebrate Decline in Surface Water Polluted with Imidacloprid |
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2013-04-30 |
AVAAZ.org |
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2013-04-30 |
CBC News |
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2013-04-29 |
BBC News Europe |
clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiametoxam |
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2013-04-08 |
Green Party of Canada |
Elizabeth May |
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2013-04-03 |
Dan Rather Reports |
Documenting extremely large hive losses |
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2013-02-28 |
Associated Press |
Seth Borenstein |
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2013-02-21 |
National Geographic |
Ed Yong |
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2013-02-14 |
SaveOurEnvironment.org |
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently release study based on a risk assessment of neonicotinoids – concludes unacceptably high risk to bees |
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2013-01-31 |
SumOfUs.org |
Petition to Bayer to take neonicotinoid pesticide off market |
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2013-01-29 |
AVAAZ.org |
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2013-01-26 |
Wikipedia |
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2012-04-06 |
Christian Science Monitor |
Josephine Marcott |
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2012-01-11 |
Purdue University |
Researchers: Honeybee deaths linked to seed insecticide exposure |
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2012 |
Viooz.co |
Markus Imhoof |
For Other Information:
Return to AWARE-Ontario.ca Home Page
List of Ontario’s Issues
Disclaimer: This information has been compiled through private amateur research for the purpose of allowing the reader to make an informed and educated decision. However, while the information is believed to be reliable, accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
https://awareontario.nfshost.com/AWARE-Ontario/News%20Pollinators_Bees.htm
#SaveTheBees #BeeAg #OntAg @TaskForceSP
APPENDIX B
DSF e-mail 24-Jun-2014
To:
"Hon.
Rona Ambrose" <rona.ambrose@parl.gc.ca>
"Min. Mary Polak" <env.minister@gov.bc.ca>
"Min. Robin Campbell" <esrd.minister@gov.ab.ca>
"Min. Scott Moe" <smoe@mla.legassembly.sk.ca>
"Min. Gord Mackintosh" <minconws@leg.gov.mb.ca>
"Min. Glen Murray" <gmurray.mpp@liberal.ola.org>
"Min. Randy Delorey" <min_env@gov.ns.ca>
"Min. Danny Soucy" <danny.soucy@gnb.ca
"Min. Terry French" <terryfrench@gov.nl.ca>
"Min. Janice Sherry" <jasherry@gov.pe.ca>
"Min. Currie Dixon" <currie.dixon@gov.yk.ca>
"Min. J. Michael Miltenberger" <michael_miltenberger@gov.nt.ca>
"Min. Johnny Mike" <info@gov.nu.ca>
"Min. David Heurtel" <dheurtel@assnat.qc.ca>
Subject
It’s time to ban bee-killing pesticides
Body
Dear Ministers: I am writing to bring to your attention the findings of a significant new study on neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”). On June 25, the International Task Force on Systemic Pesticides – an international group of independent scientists – released the results of a comprehensive analysis of 800 peer-reviewed studies on neonics – a massive, four-year undertaking. This unprecedented scientific assessment confirms harmful effects of neonics on bees and highlights serious risks to many other beneficial species, including butterflies, earthworms and birds. The authors of the study conclude: “…there is clear evidence of harm sufficient to trigger regulatory action.” I am also concerned about possible human health effects of neonics in our food and water. These pesticides may harm the human brain and nervous system. Some are suspected endocrine disrupters linked to harmful effects on reproduction. Last year, Europe announced a moratorium on the use of three neonics on bee-attracting crops. Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency has confirmed that neonics used on corn seed is a contributing factor to bee die-offs in Ontario and Quebec. However, these pesticides remain in widespread use. You can change that. Federal and provincial governments should ban the use and sale of neonics without further delay. Please do your part.