Demanding Ban on Deadly Pesticides, Advocates Drop Millions of Dead Bees on EPA Doorstep
'What's happening today to pollinators is no different than what happened 50 years ago with the collapse of the bald eagle due to the use of DDT'
Advocating for a ban on toxic pesticides that have led to massive bee die-offs nationwide, a truck filled with millions of dead pollinators trundled across the country on Wednesday afternoon to reach its final destination: the front steps of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"If we stop keeping bees, who's going to pollinate your fruits and vegetables? This can't go on."
--Roger Williams,
Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
The truck's arrival at EPA headquarters heralds a rally in which environmental groups, beekeepers, organic food advocates and others will "deliver over 4 million signatures urging an immediate ban on bee-killing pesticides" to the agency, writes the conservation group Friends of the Earth.
"Bees pollinate most of the world's most common crops, including summer favorites like peaches and watermelon," said Environment America in a press statement. "But over 40 percent of U.S. honeybee hives die each year, costing the farming and beekeeping industry more than $2 billion annually."
As Scott Nash, CEO of Mom's Organic, said in a statement, "What's happening today to pollinators is no different than what happened 50 years ago with the collapse of the osprey, bald eagle, and other bird and aquatic animal populations due to the use of DDT. If we allow the chemical agribusiness industry to continue these short-sighted practices, food costs will increase as food supplies diminish."
"In the five years since I started keeping bees, I've seen many hives killed by pesticides," added James Cook, a Minnesota-based beekeeper who has been driving the truck across the country since last Monday. "If some fundamental things don't change, it's going to be really hard for beekeepers to adapt to the environment around us."
As the crisis continues, studies show that the so-called neonicotinoid class of pesticides, or neonics, are a major contributing factor to bee population decline, as Common Dreams has reported. (Pesticide giants have lobbied heavily against any regulations of their multi-billion dollar industry.)
And despite "a process to assess four types of neonics and their impacts on pollinators" the EPA launched a year ago, and an agency study that in January confirmed the link between one variety of neonics and widespread bee deaths, further agency assessments of what critics describe as bee-toxic pesticides--and in turn, action--are still outstanding.
Yet the bees and their keepers don't have time to lose.
"We have so many losses it's worse than break-even. It is getting harder and harder to keep bees and make a living," said Roger Williams, president of the Central Maryland Beekeepers Association. "And if we stop keeping bees, who's going to pollinate your fruits and vegetables? This can't go on."
Rally participants documented the event on Twitter under the hashtag #keepthehivesalive:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Advocating for a ban on toxic pesticides that have led to massive bee die-offs nationwide, a truck filled with millions of dead pollinators trundled across the country on Wednesday afternoon to reach its final destination: the front steps of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"If we stop keeping bees, who's going to pollinate your fruits and vegetables? This can't go on."
--Roger Williams,
Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
The truck's arrival at EPA headquarters heralds a rally in which environmental groups, beekeepers, organic food advocates and others will "deliver over 4 million signatures urging an immediate ban on bee-killing pesticides" to the agency, writes the conservation group Friends of the Earth.
"Bees pollinate most of the world's most common crops, including summer favorites like peaches and watermelon," said Environment America in a press statement. "But over 40 percent of U.S. honeybee hives die each year, costing the farming and beekeeping industry more than $2 billion annually."
As Scott Nash, CEO of Mom's Organic, said in a statement, "What's happening today to pollinators is no different than what happened 50 years ago with the collapse of the osprey, bald eagle, and other bird and aquatic animal populations due to the use of DDT. If we allow the chemical agribusiness industry to continue these short-sighted practices, food costs will increase as food supplies diminish."
"In the five years since I started keeping bees, I've seen many hives killed by pesticides," added James Cook, a Minnesota-based beekeeper who has been driving the truck across the country since last Monday. "If some fundamental things don't change, it's going to be really hard for beekeepers to adapt to the environment around us."
As the crisis continues, studies show that the so-called neonicotinoid class of pesticides, or neonics, are a major contributing factor to bee population decline, as Common Dreams has reported. (Pesticide giants have lobbied heavily against any regulations of their multi-billion dollar industry.)
And despite "a process to assess four types of neonics and their impacts on pollinators" the EPA launched a year ago, and an agency study that in January confirmed the link between one variety of neonics and widespread bee deaths, further agency assessments of what critics describe as bee-toxic pesticides--and in turn, action--are still outstanding.
Yet the bees and their keepers don't have time to lose.
"We have so many losses it's worse than break-even. It is getting harder and harder to keep bees and make a living," said Roger Williams, president of the Central Maryland Beekeepers Association. "And if we stop keeping bees, who's going to pollinate your fruits and vegetables? This can't go on."
Rally participants documented the event on Twitter under the hashtag #keepthehivesalive:
Advocating for a ban on toxic pesticides that have led to massive bee die-offs nationwide, a truck filled with millions of dead pollinators trundled across the country on Wednesday afternoon to reach its final destination: the front steps of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C.
"If we stop keeping bees, who's going to pollinate your fruits and vegetables? This can't go on."
--Roger Williams,
Central Maryland Beekeepers Association
The truck's arrival at EPA headquarters heralds a rally in which environmental groups, beekeepers, organic food advocates and others will "deliver over 4 million signatures urging an immediate ban on bee-killing pesticides" to the agency, writes the conservation group Friends of the Earth.
"Bees pollinate most of the world's most common crops, including summer favorites like peaches and watermelon," said Environment America in a press statement. "But over 40 percent of U.S. honeybee hives die each year, costing the farming and beekeeping industry more than $2 billion annually."
As Scott Nash, CEO of Mom's Organic, said in a statement, "What's happening today to pollinators is no different than what happened 50 years ago with the collapse of the osprey, bald eagle, and other bird and aquatic animal populations due to the use of DDT. If we allow the chemical agribusiness industry to continue these short-sighted practices, food costs will increase as food supplies diminish."
"In the five years since I started keeping bees, I've seen many hives killed by pesticides," added James Cook, a Minnesota-based beekeeper who has been driving the truck across the country since last Monday. "If some fundamental things don't change, it's going to be really hard for beekeepers to adapt to the environment around us."
As the crisis continues, studies show that the so-called neonicotinoid class of pesticides, or neonics, are a major contributing factor to bee population decline, as Common Dreams has reported. (Pesticide giants have lobbied heavily against any regulations of their multi-billion dollar industry.)
And despite "a process to assess four types of neonics and their impacts on pollinators" the EPA launched a year ago, and an agency study that in January confirmed the link between one variety of neonics and widespread bee deaths, further agency assessments of what critics describe as bee-toxic pesticides--and in turn, action--are still outstanding.
Yet the bees and their keepers don't have time to lose.
"We have so many losses it's worse than break-even. It is getting harder and harder to keep bees and make a living," said Roger Williams, president of the Central Maryland Beekeepers Association. "And if we stop keeping bees, who's going to pollinate your fruits and vegetables? This can't go on."
Rally participants documented the event on Twitter under the hashtag #keepthehivesalive: