48 hours to ban bee killers

[ebvt]

Signed

ebvt

[Droopy]

Signed.

Droopy

[Just17]

Thank you all for participating .......  here is the communication I received today

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Dear amazing Avaaz community,

We did it -- Europe just banned bee-killing pesticides!! Mega-corporations like Bayer threw everything they had at this, but people-power, science and good governance came out on top!!

Avaaz bee die in, Germany
Bee "die in" at Bayer's headquarters, Cologne
Vanessa Amaral-Rogers from the specialist conservation organisation Buglife, says:

    “It was a close vote, but thanks to a massive mobilisation by Avaaz members, beekeepers, and others, we won! I have no doubt that the floods of phonecalls and emails to ministers, the actions in London, Brussels and Cologne, and the giant petition with 2.6 million signers made this result possible. Thank you Avaaz, and everyone who worked so hard to save bees!”

Bees pollinate two thirds of all our food -- so when scientists noticed that silently, they were dying at a terrifying rate, Avaaz swung in to action, and we kept on swinging until we won. This week’s victory is the result of two years of flooding ministers with messages, organizing media-grabbing protests with beekeepers, funding opinion polls and much, much more. Here’s how we did it, together:

    Keeping France strong. In January 2011, 1 million people sign our call to France to uphold its ban on deadly neonicotinoid pesticides. Avaaz members and beekeepers meet the French agriculture minister and fill the airwaves, pressing him to face down fierce industry lobbying and keep the ban, sending a strong signal to other European countries.
    


    Bernie in Brussels
    Bernie, the huge inflatable bee, helps deliver our 2.6m strong petition to Brussels
    Tackling industry head on. Bayer has faced Avaaz and allies protesting at its last three annual meetings. The pesticide giant's managers and investors are welcomed by beekeepers, loud buzzing, and massive banners with our 1 million plus call on them to suspend use of neonicotinoids until scientists reviewed their effect on bees. Avaaz even makes a presentation inside the meeting, but Bayer says 'no'.

    Making the science count. In January the European Food Safety Agency finds that three pesticides pose unacceptable risks to bees, and we jump in to ensure Europe's politicians respond to their scientific experts. Our petition quickly grows to 2 million signatures. After many talks with EU decision-makers, Avaaz delivers our call right to the EU HQ in Brussels. Later that same day, the Commission proposes a two-year ban!

    March of beekeepers
    Beekeepers help deliver our massive petition to Downing Street
    Seizing our chance. The battle to save the bees heats up in February and March. Across the EU, Avaaz members are ready to respond as all 27 EU countries decide whether to welcome or block the proposal. When farming giants UK and Germany say they won't vote yes, Avaaz publishes public opinion polls showing huge majorities of Brits and Germans in favour of the ban. Avaaz members also send almost half a million emails to EU Agriculture Ministers. Apparently afraid of dealing with citizens rather than industry lobbyists, UK minister Owen Paterson complains of a “cyber-attack”, which journalists turn into a story in our favour! And then comes Bernie -- our 6 metre bee in Brussels -- a powerful visual way to deliver our petition as negotiations enter the final stages. Journalists flock to Bernie, and we hear we've helped get the Spanish ministry to look harder at the science and shift position . But we didn't get the majority we needed to pass the ban.

    Bernie in The Independent
    Bernie the bee featured in The Independent
    Turning the red light green. In April the bee-saving proposal is sent to an Appeals Committee, giving us a glimmer of hope if we can switch a few more countries' positions. In the final sprint, Avaaz teams up with groups including Environmental Justice Foundation, Friends of the Earth and Pesticides Action Network, plus beekeepers and famous bee-loving fashion designers to organise an action outside the UK Parliament. In Germany, beekeepers launch their own Avaaz petition to their government, signed by over 150,000 Germans in just two days and delivered in Cologne soon after. More phone calls rain down on ministries in different capitals as Avaaz responds to a last-minute wrecking amendment by Hungary, and positions Bernie the bee again in Brussels. Pesticide companies buy adverts in the airport to catch arriving officials, and take to the airwaves suggesting other measures such as planting wild flowers. But their slick messaging machine is ignored, first Bulgaria then -- the big prize -- Germany switch their stances and this week we win, with over half of EU countries voting for the ban!


It’s been a long haul, to get this win, and it wouldn't have been possible without scientists, specialists, sympathetic officials, beekeepers and our campaign partners. We can be proud of what we've helped to accomplish together.

One strong bees advocate, Paul de Zylva, head of the Pesticides and Pollinators Unit at Friends of the Earth said:

    "Thanks to millions of Avaaz members who mobilised online and in the streets. Without a doubt Avaaz's massive petition and creative campaigning helped push this over the edge, complementing our work and that of other NGOs."


It's time to celebrate this breathing space for one of the earth's most precious and important creatures. But the EU ban is only in place for 2 years pending further review. And around the world bees continue to die from the pesticides which weaken and confuse them, as well as from loss of habitat as we plough up and build over the countryside. In Europe and across the world there's lots of work to do to ensure sound science guides our farming and environmental policies. And we're just the community for the job.

With hope and happiness,

Ricken, Iain, Joseph, Emily, Alex, Michelle, Aldine, Julien, Anne, Christoph and the rest of the Avaaz team

PS: Let's keep this going -- chip in to ensure we can launch rapid-fire, multi-tactic campaigns on the issues we all care about: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/bees_victory/?bodPLdb&v=24664

PPS: Many Avaaz campaigns -- like the German beekeeper one this month -- are started by individuals or groups of members. Just click here to see how easy it is to start yours right now: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?rba13

SOURCES

The bees story, and Avaaz's role, have been mentioned in hundreds of articles. Here's a small selection:

EU bans pesticides over bee fears (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/04/29/eu-bans-pesticides-over-bee-fears?videoId=242537247&videoChannel=5

Bee-harming pesticides escape proposed European ban (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/15/bee-harming-pesticides-escape-european-ban

EU says it will push through better bee protections after members disagree over pesticides (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/eu-says-it-will-push-through-better-bee-protections-after-members-disagree-over-pesticides/2013/04/29/eea31ecc-b0d4-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946_story.html

Save the bees: Protesters swarm around Parliament in support of pesticides ban (Mirror)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/save-bees-protesters-swarm-around-1855996

Historic vote to ban neonicotinoid pesticides blamed for huge decline in bees (The Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/historic-vote-to-ban-neonicotinoid-pesticides-blamed-for-huge-decline-in-bees-8591807.html

EU to ban pesticides linked to bee decline (Al Jazeera)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/04/2013429133837540126.html

European Union imposes ban on pesticides linked to bee deaths (RFI)

http://www.english.rfi.fr/environment/20130429-european-union-imposes-ban-pesticides-linked-bee-deaths

EU to ban bee-killing pesticides (EU Observer)
http://euobserver.com/environment/119979

[Vorteggs]

Still we here, in Bulgaria, have a real honey.

But the honey-making people say: Our bees are dying.

Indeed I've never seen a bee for the last three years here in the town.

Since I used to see and be bitten by bees when I was younger.

[Tony]

I subscribbe to Avaaz community, as a lot of us do. Got same info as Just17 has posted; what a great outcome. 
 

“It was a close vote, but thanks to a massive mobilisation by Avaaz members, beekeepers, and others, we won! I have no doubt that the floods of phonecalls and emails to ministers, the actions in London, Brussels and Cologne, and the giant petition with 2.6 million signers made this result possible. Thank you Avaaz, and everyone who worked so hard to save bees!”

No life forms want pesticides, so a bigger win than just for the Bees.

Still we here, in Bulgaria, have a real honey.

But the honey-making people say: Our bees are dying.

Indeed I've never seen a bee for the last three years here in the town.

Since I used to see and be bitten by bees when I was younger.

I know what you are saying Vorteggs.
Yep, I barely see an Insect where I live, I think the Gardener sprays pesticides for sure.

It seems there's regular terrible things Avaaz are trying to thwart, however what great news about the elimination of Pesticides against Bees, I love Honey, and Bees, plus the role they play at fertilising !!

[The Chief]

definitely slowed .......  2.373 million at present

Sure have...  Currently at 2,386,921
I have read that the opposition to their proposed banning of certain chemicals are already mounting.

I can see why.  Pesticides can be extremely useful.  Of course, we should be using them appropriately, but banning them is a really, really bad idea.

[gseaman]

definitely slowed .......  2.373 million at present

Sure have...  Currently at 2,386,921
I have read that the opposition to their proposed banning of certain chemicals are already mounting.

I can see why.  Pesticides can be extremely useful.  Of course, we should be using them appropriately, but banning them is a really, really bad idea.

The arguments for pesticides and many other man-made chemicals (patented) are often fallacious because the don't acknowledge that known non-man-made solutions (non-patentable) exist at all. The petro-chemical industry uses the same tactics of FUD and intentional mis-information as Microsoft and the MPAA, etc.

Galen

[Just17]

definitely slowed .......  2.373 million at present

Sure have...  Currently at 2,386,921
I have read that the opposition to their proposed banning of certain chemicals are already mounting.

I can see why.  Pesticides can be extremely useful.  Of course, we should be using them appropriately, but banning them is a really, really bad idea.

You have solid information that the use of those specific pesticides is, overall, beneficial to every life form? ........  that the 'good' they do far outweighs the 'bad'?

If you have then it flies in the face of the independent scientific reports released in the last year or so particularly, and I would be interested in reading any independent study that has this conclusion.

[Crow]

Those are great news Just17  thank you for sharing.

There are lots of alternative ways of production, only they doesn't give money to big companies.

Something must be done, there are many things that are unhealthy and we eat them everyday without knowing, all in the name of "more production" and "minimum costs".

I hope something is done about the big pacific garbage patch, I remember a comment here telling that the sea can absorb every trash we throw, that's not the case, plastics should be the next objective.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

[Tony]

Mankind has thrived and been around a lot longer time than Pesticides.

That's a statement, I wont reply to any further quotes of my post because my 'reality' finishes right there.

This is an open Forum to a large extent so everyone has a opportunity to express themselves, so go for it.   

[The Chief]

definitely slowed .......  2.373 million at present

Sure have...  Currently at 2,386,921
I have read that the opposition to their proposed banning of certain chemicals are already mounting.

I can see why.  Pesticides can be extremely useful.  Of course, we should be using them appropriately, but banning them is a really, really bad idea.

The arguments for pesticides and many other man-made chemicals (patented) are often fallacious because the don't acknowledge that known non-man-made solutions (non-patentable) exist at all. The petro-chemical industry uses the same tactics of FUD and intentional mis-information as Microsoft and the MPAA, etc.

Galen

As do the enviro terrorists.  How many malaria deaths are they responsible for?  Along with Rachel Carson.

[Crow]

The biggest problem is the cost of research and that money comes from companies and governments, neither of them want to go against production.

There are findings from 20 years ago that showed the problem with pesticides but gradually had been silenced through funds cuts. That happens in every Country, I don't think there is something political to say that research is what companies and governments want them to be.

Sure, there are small efforts but those are not enough.

From (almost) 20 years ago

In 1994

Several xenobiotics such as polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordecone, and methoxychlor, were shown to be estrogenic in animal models; however, their lower estrogenic potency was interpreted
as having none or weaker deleterious effects on humans exposed through the food chain. Occupational exposure to chlordecone, on the other hand, resulted in overt estro-genicity manifested as  oligospermia and sterility (4). Because most organochlorine contaminants bioacummulate and remain preferentially in fat, concern about their long-term effects has been raised in the public health community. Recent reports suggest that these chemicals are interfering with the reproductive success
of wildlife (13). In addition, humans may also be at risk. For example, an epidemiological study
showed a positive correlation between breast cancer and serum levels of DDE, a DDT metabolite (14). This find-ing suggests, but does not prove, that organochlorines may be an important etio-logical
factor on breast cancer, probably because of their estrogenicity. In addition, it has been postulated
that the increased incidence of cryptorchidism, testicular and prostate cancer, as well as the decrease in human semen quality over the last 50 years, may be due to environmental estro-gens (15,16).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1566957/pdf/envhper00392-0044.pdf


I think is from 1993

The deleterious effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment on the reproductive success of wildlife populations have been documented; this is not an isolated problem, and today many wildlife populations are at risk. At present, no coherent policy has been articulated to remedy this problem. This is due in part to the lack of knowledge concerning which of the many chemicals present in the environment are responsible for endocrine-disrupting effects. Regulatory agencies should recognize that the current endpoints of most tests to assess the risk of pesticides and other pollutants (carcinogenicity, acute toxicity, and immediate mutagenicity) have led to the misconception that these chemicals do not pose a threat to the health of wildlife, domestic animals, or
humans. Although the effects of mutagens can be seen immediately in terms of gross abnormalities, the consequences of fetal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals would likely not be recognized until young adulthood, at which time abnormalities, particularly relating to the function of the reproductive system, become apparent. Because endocrine-disrupting chemicals are in most cases neither mutagens nor acute toxicants at ambient concentrations, they may be released without proper caution into the environment. This may be partially remedied by screening for hormone
agonistic and antagonistic activity using hormone-responsive cells in culture; this procedure identifies compounds that are endocrine disruptors because they are hormonally active (and 8 here). Although this procedure cannot rule out chemicals devoid of hormonal activity that may disrupt development through other mechanisms, it can at least rule out compounds like DDT, chlordecone, alkylphenols, and some PCBs, which are estrogen agonists. It is also essential to continue to examine transgenerational
effects in animal studies because some pollutants require metabolism in vivo to exert hormonal effects and because neurobehavioral and other developmental effects cannot be addressed with in vitro models (96,97). Wildlife species have provided the model for maternal transfer of environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals with their resulting suite of effects in offspring; experiments with laboratory animals have confirmed the findings. In humans, the DES model is clear and traceable.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1519860/pdf/envhper00375-0020.pdf

And a revision of a Government founded group that says there are not conclusive research also from 1994  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC344268/

[Crow]

The Chief  those of us who are against pesticides and want a healthy environment are not enviro terrorists.

Besides, there is not malaria in Europe, that I know, may be wrong. But there are a lot of cancer in those Countries affected by Orange agent and other chemical experiments so please, keep it civil.

[Just17]

definitely slowed .......  2.373 million at present

Sure have...  Currently at 2,386,921
I have read that the opposition to their proposed banning of certain chemicals are already mounting.

I can see why.  Pesticides can be extremely useful.  Of course, we should be using them appropriately, but banning them is a really, really bad idea.

The arguments for pesticides and many other man-made chemicals (patented) are often fallacious because the don't acknowledge that known non-man-made solutions (non-patentable) exist at all. The petro-chemical industry uses the same tactics of FUD and intentional mis-information as Microsoft and the MPAA, etc.

Galen

As do the enviro terrorists.  How many malaria deaths are they responsible for?  Along with Rachel Carson.

Maybe you should look to why those substances were banned from general use .....  and even more importantly who did the banning ......  from the little I know of Rachel Carson she was never in a position to cause my government to ban anything ..... 

Also, you keep citing malaria .....  In 2006 the WHO reversed a longstanding policy against DDT by recommending that it be used as an indoor pesticide in regions where malaria is a major problem.  Under very specific controls so that damage to humans is minimised.
Resistance has greatly reduced DDT's effectiveness. WHO guidelines require that absence of resistance must be confirmed before using the chemical.

[gseaman]

[snip][/snip]

I know someone with extreme chemical sensitivities, so I've become much more aware of what we are exposed to daily, in our food, water, air, fabrics, etc.

Two examples:
*1/2 and 1/2 borax and sugar eliminates most ants, cockroaches and many crawling insects - natural and harmless to humans and the environment (except for the specific pests )
*orange oil and water will kill bees and wasps as effectively as any toxic compounds - natural and harmless to humans and the environment
*hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach
*vinegar and baking soda instead of drain-o

I have many more examples of substitutions for the toxins that we consume intentionally!

Galen