Sunday, January 23, 2011

Of blogs and bees

I really think if you've found your way here, you most likely understand how I feel about nature and how it's our responsibility to be good stewards of all we've been blessed with here on earth. You've also probably noticed how important I think creating sustainable food economies is (I hope~ that's sort of the point).

The producers of the documentary FRESH the Movie have asked bloggers to help spread an important message about the plight of bees, which are disappearing at alarming rates. Not only do they make amazing honey, bees are also essential to the pollination of plants and our ability to grow food to feed ourselves. For those of us that homestead, they are a key element in the link between us and our self-sufficiency. Please take a minute to read the below and, if you are able, follow the link below to sign the petition.

From ana Sofia joanes, FRESH the Movie:

"Bees are mysteriously dying across the country, and it’s putting our entire food system in danger.

The death of bees is catastrophic. Bees don’t just make honey; they are responsible for pollinating a full third of our food supply. These tiny creatures are vital to life on earth - if we let them die we are looking at a world without fruit, vegetables, cotton, nuts and oils. Our entire food chain is in peril, and it is up to us to do something about it.

It’s become clear that small group of pesticides is at the root of the death of bees. We need to get the EPA to ban these poisons to save our food and bring back our bees.

We are partnering with the great film Vanishing of the Bees to protest this dangerous pesticide. Sign our petition to the EPA and its director Lisa Jackson to ban these bee-killing pesticides now, and watch a short video to learn more.

The death of bees is real. A recent study shows that already 96% of the four main bee species of the U.S. has been wiped out by the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder. [1]

Mounting evidence suggests that one widely used class of pesticides may be a critical factor in the mass casualties. One of these pesticides, clothianidin, is produced by German company Bayer Crop Science and has been widely used in the US since 2003.

This isn’t your usual pesticide - it’s applied to the seeds of plants themselves. It remains in the plant as it grows, and comes out through the plants' pollen and nectar - honeybees' favorite food. The poison attacks the nervous system of bees and other insects, killing them off while having little effect on other animals.

Already France, Italy, Slovenia and Germany have banned this pesticide from use on their crops - and their bee populations have bounced back. [2] Now that we know the danger this poison presents to our entire food system, the US needs to ban the poison, too.

Tell the EPA: ban the bee-killing poisons that threaten our food. Click here to sign our petition. We’ll deliver your signature to Administrator Lisa Jackson and other EPA decision makers.

These poisons aren’t new to the EPA. Unfortunately, the EPA knew of the dangers to bees, and yet approved the pesticides anyway.

A leaked memo, brought to light by beekeeper Tom Theobald, shows that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been well aware of the dangers of this pesticide to the bee population - their own scientists called it “highly toxic” and “a major risk concern to non target insects [honey bees].” [3]

Yet just last year, despite this clear evidence at its disposal, the EPA approved this dangerous chemical for continued use. But now it’s out in the open.

The EPA needs to immediately move to ban this pesticide so our country’s bees can come back to live. It’s so essential for our food safety and security. Sign our petition to the EPA now.

http://action.freshthemovie.com/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5213

Our food chain is becoming more and more delicate as the chemical companies assault our crops with pesticides. The researchers who are tasked with assessing the impacts of these chemicals are in the pockets of the companies who produce the chemicals. We need to speak loudly against this pesticide and move closer to a world that is safe for not only us, but the tiny hive workers who keep the whole system running.

With hope,

FRESH & Vanishing of the Bees

[1] Researchers Find "Alarming" Decline in Bumblebees
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=12545468

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

[3]EPA Leaked memo
http://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/Memo_Nov2010_Clothianidin.pdf"
The above text is © 2008 FRESH the movie - New thinking on what we’re eating.

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