Avaaz Bee Petition

[Rose Titchiner]

Hi All

I got sent the following message from Avaaz.org today for their Bee
Petition:

Dear friends,
Bees are dying off worldwide and our entire food chain is in peril.
Scientists blame toxic pesticides and four European governments have
already banned them. If we get the US and the EU to join the ban,
other governments across the world could follow, and save bees from
extinction. Sign the petition and forward this urgent appeal:

Sign the petition
Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is
in danger. Bees don't just make honey, they are a giant, humble
workforce, pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.

Multiple scientific studies blame one group of toxic pesticides for
their rapid demise, and bee populations have soared in four European
countries that have banned these chemicals. But powerful chemical
companies are lobbying hard to keep selling this poison. Our best
chance to save bees now is to push the US and EU to join the ban --
their action is critical and will have a ripple effect on the rest of
the world.

We have no time to lose -- the debate is raging about what to do. This
is not just about saving bumble bees, this is about survival. Let’s
build a giant global buzz calling for the EU and US to outlaw these
killer chemicals and save our bees and our food. Sign the emergency
petition now, and send it on to everyone and we’ll deliver it to key
decision makers:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl

Bees are vital to life on earth -- every year pollinating plants and
crops with an estimated $40bn value, over one third of the food supply
in many countries. Without immediate action to save bees we could end
up with no fruit, no vegetables, no nuts, no oils and no cotton.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee
populations -- some bee species are now extinct and others are at just
4% of their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for
answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of
factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals. But new
leading independent research has produced strong evidence blaming
neonicotinoid pesticides. France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany,
where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these
bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison across the
world

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have
confirmed the scale of this problem. If we can get European and US
decision-makers to take action, others will follow. It won’t be easy.
A leaked document shows that the US Environmental Protection Agency
knew about the pesticide’s dangers, but ignored them. The document
says Bayer’s "highly toxic" product is a "major risk concern to non
target insects [honey bees]".

We need to make our voices heard to counter Bayer’s very strong
influence on policy makers and scientists in both the US and the EU
where they fund the studies and sit on policy bodies. The real experts
-- the beekeepers and farmers -- want these deadly pesticides
prohibited until and unless we have solid, independent studies that
show they are safe. Let's support them now. Sign the petition below,
then forward this email:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of
research run by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in
their pockets. Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world
safe for ourselves and the other species we care about and depend on.

With hope,

Alex, Alice, Iain, David and all at Avaaz

MORE INFORMATION

Bee decline could be down to chemical cocktail interfering with brains
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/22/chemicals-bees-decline-major-study?INTCMP=SRCH

Bee briefing
http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RXLEm9WXrHk%3D&tabid=439

$15 Billion Bee Murder Mystery Deepens
http://www.businessinsider.com/colony-collapse-disorder-still-unsolved-lead-researcher-had-connections-to-bayer-2010-10

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

EPA memo reveals concern that pesticide causes bee deaths
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=79910

Beekeepers want government to pull pesticide
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/beekeepers-want-government-to-pull-pesticide-1107701.html

British Beekeepers' Association to stop endorsing bee-killing
pesticides http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/16/beekeepers-end-pesticide-endorsement?INTCMP=SRCH

Pesticide industry involvement in EU risk assessment puts survival of
bees at stake
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agribusiness/news/2010/11/16/pesticide-industry-future-bees
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