Demand a ban on bee-killing neonics in our wildlife sanctuaries!

Baby bumblebees are in danger! Young bumblebees are losing their ability to navigate and forage for food due to exposure to neonic pesticides. One place bees are exposed to these pesticides is in wildlife refuges -- even refuges aren't protected from toxic pesticide use.

Congress could soon vote on banning these pesticides from refuges. But our legislators will only act if they feel pressure from constituents like you!

Dear Representative {user_data~Rep Last Name},

Bees and other pollinator populations are declining at alarming rates. As a concerned constituent, I urge you to demand a floor vote on  H.R. 2854 the Protect our Refuges Act, introduced by Representative Velazquez, to help protect pollinators and our refuges from toxic pesticides like neonics. This bill would prohibit the use of systemic neonicotinoid insecticides that threaten pollinators on wildlife refuges.

The science is clear that neonicotinoids are a massive threat to pollinators and other beneficial insects.  Following the science on their harm to bees, the European Union has banned the three most common neonicotinoids and Canada has passed critical restrictions. It is time for the U.S. to follow the science and take action to protect pollinators.

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.

In recent years, beekeepers have lost an average of 40 percent of their hives with some beekeepers losing 100 percent of their operations. 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. And over the last twenty years, monarch butterfly populations have declined by nearly 90 percent.

A recent peer-reviewed study found that U.S. agriculture has become 48 times more toxic to insect life in the past two decades. Neonicotinoids account for 92 percent of this increase because they are considerably more toxic to insects and far more persistent in the environment than other commonly used insecticides. Bees need a safe haven now, more than ever.

Another recent ground-breaking study estimates that over 40 percent of insect species face extinction in the coming decades and that insects are declining at a rate of extinction eight times faster than other organisms.  This comprehensive global meta-analysis concluded that if no action is taken and current rates of insect decline continue, we could face “catastrophic ecosystem collapse” which will have a devastating impact on our food system. The authors of this study found 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-analysis, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services published a report warning that the declining state of the world’s biodiversity threatens our food security, nutrition, health, livelihood, and environment.

While the European Union has taken action to protect pollinators by banning neonicotinoids, the U.S. government has not only failed to act, it has greenlighted additional use of neonicotinoids. This year, the EPA approved a four-year emergency exemption for use 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 a critical habitat to protect from neonicotinoids.

In the face of federal inaction, Maryland, Connecticut and Minnesota have all placed restrictions on neonicotinoid use. In addition, 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 committed to eliminate use of neonicotinoids on garden plants and/or products.

The Protect our Refuges  Act of 2019 is critically necessary to protect pollinators and other beneficial insects.

It is vitally important that you bring H.R. 2854, the Protect our Refuges Act of 2019 to a house floor vote and advocate for its passage. The reasonable steps in this bill will help protect the health of people, pollinators, and the planet.

Thank you for considering my opinion,
{user_data~First name} {user_data~Last name}
{user_data~City}, {user_data~State} {user_data~Postcode}

First name

Last name

Email address

Address line 1

City

State

Zip Code

What is your cell phone number?

Alerts about ways you can take action

Friends of the Earth Action Activists

By submitting this form, you are signing up to receive updates and alerts from Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Action. You may unsubscribe at any time.

By providing your mobile number and submitting this form, you are signing up to receive texts, calls, and voice mails from Friends of the Earth and Friends of the Earth Action. For texts: Msg & data rates may apply. Text STOP to 91990 to stop receiving messages. Text HELP to 91990 for more information. Terms & conditions.