Demand Action to Save Bees From Highly Toxic Pesticides
Bee populations are plummeting. And scientists are pointing to toxic bee-killing pesticides known as neonicotinoids as a cause.
We're fighting in court and partnering with other groups to demand action now to save bees, but we need your help.
Join us and 4 million Americans to tell President Obama to suspend the use of toxic bee-killing pesticides now!
These pesticides make the whole plant poisonous to insects, including the nectar and pollen, which bees eat. At miniscule doses the pesticides can kill bees outright, but even at doses that may not kill immediately, they impair bees' ability to breed, forage, fight disease, and survive the winter.
Nearly one-third of our crops—including many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds—depend on bees for pollination.
We cannot delay action any longer.
Take action today and help us ensure that these pesticides do not become the final straw for bees.
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to urge you to ban neonicotinoids and save bees now! Bees are facing many challenges, including habitat loss, pathogens, and pesticide exposure. A mounting body of scientific evidence points to one class of systemic insecticides--neonicotinoids--as a key factor in bee declines.
[Your comment will be added here]
A new meta-analysis of 800 peer-reviewed studies, released by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Task Force on Systemic Pesticides--an international group of independent scientists--is calling for action to restrict the use of neonics.
This class of insecticides can kill bees outright, and even at sublethal doses can impair bees' brain function and suppress their immune systems-- making them more susceptible to diseases, pests, and other stressors. This problem is urgent. Beekeepers report continuing unsustainable losses, and many have gone out of business. The EPA's plan to complete its review of neonicotinoids by 2016 to 2019 is not an acceptable timetable for beekeepers or for our food security.
As the new interagency Pollinator Health Task Force finalizes strategies to best safeguard bee populations, we urge you to listen to the growing body of science that tells us we need to ban this class of pesticides. Neonicontinoids are a key part of the problem and need to be tackled head-on.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
