Tell the EPA to ban bee-killing pesticides!

Beekeepers are bracing for another winter of record bee die-offs -- largely thanks to bee-killing pesticides. The EPA has the power to stop the bees’ decline -- but it’s sitting on its hands. We need your help to push the EPA to act!

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Dear Mr. Keigwin,

Bees and other pollinators are declining at alarming rates. I urge you to ban neonicotinoids to help protect pollinators, our environment and our food supply.

In light of a recent ground-breaking global meta-study that estimates over 40% of insect species are declining at a rate of extinction eight times faster than other animals, it is more imperative than ever to preserve pollinators and their habitats. This comprehensive global meta-study concluded that if no action is taken and current rates of insect decline continue, we could lose most insect species over the next century, causing “catastrophic ecological collapse” as well as collapse of our food system. The authors of this study noted that this rapid decline of insects is part of one of the largest extinction events in Earth’s history and is driven by intensive agriculture coupled with the overuse of synthetic pesticides like neonicotinoids. On the heels of this meta-study, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published a report warning that the state of the world’s biodiversity threatens our food security, nutrition, health, livelihood and environment.

Pollinators are essential to a diverse and abundant food supply. Bees and other pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat. They contribute as much as $577 billion in global food production and nearly $24 billion in the U.S. alone. Without them we would run short of many of our healthiest foods such as apples, almonds and blueberries.

The U.N. estimates 40 percent of invertebrate pollinator species, including bees and butterflies, are on the brink of extinction. In recent years, beekeepers have lost an average of 40 percent of their hives with some beekeepers losing 100 percent of their operations. Over the last twenty years, monarch butterfly populations have declined by nearly 90 percent. Native bees are dying at alarming rates too. In March 2017, the rusty patched bumble bee was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act after having declined 87 percent in recent years. While this is an important step forward, all pollinator species need your help.

A large and growing number of studies have pinpointed neonicotinoids as a leading factor of bee declines. These pesticides are widely used in agriculture, applied on 140 crops as well as in gardens and landscapes. Just last month, the current administration approved a four-year emergency exemption of the pesticide sulfoxaflor on 13.9 million acres of land across 11 southern states. This decision grossly misuses the emergency exception clause of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. Eight species of bumblebees and monarch butterfly migration routes overlap with this area, making it critical that synthetic pesticides be banned as soon as possible. Acute exposure to these pesticides can directly kill bees and make them more vulnerable to pests, pathogens and other stressors while impairing their foraging and feeding abilities, reproduction and memory.

The science clearly demonstrates that these pesticides contribute to bee declines. In January 2017, the EPA released its aquatic and non-pollinator risk assessment of neonicotinoids, which found that most usages of neonicotinoids on currently registered crops are toxic to freshwater invertebrates exceeded levels of concern. Further, the EPA released a preliminary assessment of on-field exposures to the neonicotinoid pesticide thiamethoxam, which found that all uses of the pesticide — foliar, soil and seed applications — resulted in exposures that surpassed the level of concern for acute and chronic risk to adult bees. However, the agency has taken no steps to restrict the use of these products.

A new study found pesticides have caused a build-up of toxicity in the environment over time. U.S. agriculture is now 48 times more toxic to insect life than it was 25 years ago, and neonicotinoids account for the vast majority of that explosion in toxicity. Another study found neonicotinoids in about three-quarters of samples from 10 major Great Lakes tributaries and suggests the Great Lakes’ fish, birds, and entire ecosystem might be at risk. Recently the U.S. Geological Survey found neonicotinoid pesticides in tap water, and that their byproducts and metabolites may be more toxic than original compounds. This is alarming because neonicotinoids are the most widely-used insecticide in the world. In addition to our tap water, studies found residues of these pesticides on our food. Exposure to neonicotinoids through even trace consumption has been linked to endocrine disruption and may affect the developing fetus and child, possibly leading to changes in behavior and attention, including an association with autism spectrum disorder.

There are other solutions to controlling pests on agricultural fields, which would not jeopardize our ecosystems, food system and public health. Saving America’s Pollinator Act of 2019 would help address this issue. In response to mounting evidence and growing consumer demand, the European Union banned neonicotinoids and Canada placed extensive restrictions on their use. Maryland, Connecticut and Minnesota have all placed restrictions on their use. In addition to these states, more than 100 municipalities and universities in the U.S. have restricted use of neonicotinoids. Further, more than 140 retailers including the two largest home improvement retailers in the world, Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as Walmart, True Value, Kroger, Ace Hardware, Costco, Whole Foods and BJ’s Wholesale Club have eliminated neonicotinoids on garden plants and/or products.

It is vitally important that we ban neonicotinoids to protect pollinators and our food system.

Sincerely,
{user_data~First name} {user_data~Last name}

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