I was just in my yard doing some weeding and noticed my huge lavender bush was bee-less. Normally this bush is humming w honey bees. 😦 UPDATE 05/10/17- see below
I hope they have not succumb to the following…. it’s sad. Earth day coming people April 22. 2017. Get active. “Think Global, Act Local” Patrick Geedes
CEHx
FROM THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH–WAY TO GO GUYS!!!!
Bee safe!
May 10, 2017
A Win for the Bees
Judge’s ruling is a victory for the environment and our health
Yesterday, a federal judge delivered a tremendous victory for bees, beekeepers, and CEH and our partners. In a ruling on our lawsuit challenging the approval of bee-killing pesticides, known as neonicotinoids (neonics), the judge found that the Environmental Protection Agency should have reviewed the impact of neonics on endangered species before granting approval.
The EPA must now revisit its approval of 59 of these pesticides. CEH is a co-petitioner with the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and other groups on a 2012 legal petition to EPA on these pesticides. With the judge’s ruling, the agency also must now fully respond to the concerns our groups’ raised in that petition, including the pesticides’ effects on bees.
In addition to protecting bees, the victory in this lawsuit will have major implications for healthier farming and safer environments nationwide. Neonics are by far the most widely used insecticides in the country, and new research shows that these chemicals are harmful to the environment and other pollinators. A 2017 review noted that the latest science reveals “that they pose significant risks to many non-target organisms, not just bees.” A 2017 review of the human health risks from neonics noted that people are widely exposed to these pesticides when we eat fruit and vegetables, yet there has been inadequate testing to show they are safe to eat.
CEH has been working for years to end the threat to bees from neonicotinoids. In 2012, we explained how GMO crops contributed to the increased use of neonicotinoids, and our podcast featured an interview with the Harvard scientist who connected these pesticides with collapsing bee colonies.
