"We are witnessing a threat to the productivity of our natural and farmed environment," said Jean-Marc Bonmatin of France's National Centre for Scientific Research (NCSR), co-author of the report. After studying over 800 reports gathered over 20 years, scientists found "clear evidence of harm" "sufficient to trigger regulatory action".
Bayer, one of the largest producers of neonics, has been under enormous pressure to reign in the killer pesticide. Instead, Bayer has launched a lawsuit at the EU in an attempt to overturn neonic regulations. These new studies could not be any clearer that the time for waiting is over.
The latest study says these pesticides, absorbed by plants, are also harming other insect pollinators, fish and birds as they leach into soil and water. The most affected species were terrestrial invertebrates such as earthworms, which are crucial soil-enrichers, said the NCSR in a press statement. Bees and butterflies were next, followed by water-born insects, then birds, and finally fish and amphibians. The effects are working their way up the food chain.
"The combination of their widescale use and inherent properties, has resulted in widespread contamination of agricultural soils, freshwater resources, wetlands, non-target vegetation, estuarine and coastal marine systems." This four-year assessment was carried out by The Task Force on Systemic Pesticides, which advises the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world's watchdog on species loss.
But with these mounting studies finding neonicotinoids responsible, the big pesticide companies are starting to engage in tactics they learned from Big Tobacco by pumping out their own research to cast the blame on mites, climate change -- anything other than their own toxic products. We can't afford pesticide companies to subvert science and threaten our global ecosystems.
Neonicotinoids are particularly pernicious pesticides that seeps into every part of the plant.They damages the brains of insects that land to feed on plants -- whether they eat the fruit or just the pollen -- and then wash out into the surrounding soil where they wipe out most of the surrounding life.
Millions of tons of pesticides are dumped onto our crops, into our rivers, and carried throughout our ecosystems around the world. This is a clear example of "more" not meaning "better".
The more toxins we dump, the more the real pests they are designed to kill grow resistant, and the more the animals we rely on to maintain a clean, healthy planet are endangered. In the old story, the solution to any farming problem is more -- more machines, more fertilizer, more pesticides. This constant push for more is endangering the natural world, pushing nature out of balance. We're here to tell a new Story, one where we focus on making things better, and cultivating a healthy, safe environment. Please join today in helping us tell this story and fight for a cleaner planet.
Thank you for all you do!
Claiborne Deming, on behalf of The Story of Stuff team
No comments:
Post a Comment