i thought this was important. it's a possible reason for the colony collapse disorder and the bees dying. there's petition to take this drug/chemical off the market... WikiLeaks Uncovers Government Bee Killing Conspiracy http://animals.change.org/blog/view/wik ... conspiracy
I must confess right off that we keep honeybees, and so I"m not exactly disinterested when I comment on this article. The use of pesticides, of which Poncho is one, has placed honeybees and other pollinators in danger for years. As beekeepers we have heard horror stories of crop dusters going over and spraying fields and hives with pesticides. Farmers who don't know about bees will spray their fields when the wind is in the wrong direction, and wipe out colonies. Beekeepers have to be on the alert and also educate those around them on bees' habits and needs. Pesticides can be used safely around bees, it just requires knowing what you are doing and taking care. "Conspiracy" is a bit strong. I would prefer "incompetence". Because the government has okay'd something doesn't mean it knows what it's doing--just that somebody somewhere at some time said "Let's give this a stamp of approval." Not intentional, as in a conspiracy, but inadvertent, as in ignorance. aBy all means sign the petition if you like, it certainly can't hurt. But wouldn't it be better if companies were required to do "outside the shop" studies and tests, and prove the benefits and list any problems? I think I'll go out and play some soothing music to our 120,000 ladies now. Honeybees like Mozart.
excellent post mg! we are considering acquiring a couple of hives from our neighbors. and we are planting a 'bee' garden this year, as well as always planting bee friendly plants throughout our gardens. i didn't like the word conspiracy used either, but i hadn't seen much about this and wanted to get the petition out there. it just seems like our governmental organizations, like the EPA, aren't doing a good enough job. our earth is so prescious and all the units upon it. we should not be taking any chances with losing any of them. i very much like your idea of improving the businesses' research and learning skills. i actually thought that's what they did so the EPA and such would make their chemicals and such allowed?!
I doubt very much if any government has a conspiracy to kill bees. Everyone, even officials, know how important they are to the planet and to our own existance. I think this is a case of sheer ignorance and a lack of research rather than a deliberate act to rid the planet of bees. I've signed the petition and will be passing it on to others so that they can do the same. The more signatures the better.
Signatures won't matter, they never do... These people (the government officials) are always drunk with power. And whenever criticized, they take strong personal offence - And then become ultra stubborn for all time. Marlingardener made an excellent point by saying that companies should be required to do "outside the shop" studies and tests. Unfortunately, some wet behind the ears MBA, who probably has no idea about how the environment is run - Will still be in a position to direct the research. And so to get a promotion, he (or she) will save the company a bundle by ignoring real world testing (which from their point of view, will "delay" the product from reaching the market)... Somewhere in between, the company will also grease a few palms of the lobbyists. And so the whole matter will get swept under the carpet. This is how it has always been. So when I look at it this way, I think calling it a conspiracy - Is indeed appropriate! WikiLeaks however is something which has broken the cycle! Now how can we escape from this? Well, by making people aware. So don't bother writing petitions to the government (as they will only end up in the bin) - Instead simply copy and print out the WikiLeaks' text (with the link, so people can log on and learn more). And then distribute it in your community. Make people aware (which in today's world is very easy), and the companies themselves, who make this poison, will go bankrupt overnight - As awareness will kill the demand for this product. And so that wet behind the ears MBA (which every company has got), will be forced to think up of other ways which will have to satisfy the buyers. It really is as simple as that. WikiLeaks has taken the first step, by bring it to our attention. Now we must tell about it everyone else in our communities!
excellent points s-h! more people need to know about these chemicals, especially the farmers and gardeners who purchase them. knowledge is power!
Petition signed!, During the summer i had visitors from Kansas,USA,i had a conversation with them while on a boat trip,(so no escape),about pesticides in use in the USA,and how we in Ireland can seldom get meat or dairy products from the USA,most countries have banned all meat and dairy products from the USA after testing it proved way below European and most other countries safety levels and the ban is in existence since the 1980's. In Kansas my friends grow wildflower areas free from pesticides so butterflies and other insects can reproduce and survive,huge areas of Kansas are corn growing,and of course are genetically modified,so pesticides are already added,however its not just Kansas,85 percent of corn grown in the USA is genetically modified,and 84 percent of Canadian corn is genetically modified,even field mice who nibble on this corn are affected!,so what is it doing to humans?,the laws in both USA and Canada do not require a company to mark corn or any food as being genetically modified. I love steak!,the meat tastes different in countries i visit,apart from the method of cooking its the grasses and certain plants mixed within the grasses that enhance the flavor,i loved steaks i was served with in the USA,and the people who served them were greatly surprised that in Europe we can not get USA beef since the 80's due to the ban,there are the odd farms who have proved beef has no banned additives and are allowed in France and some countries,but they are scarce.
good post philip! and you're so right about that 80-86 percent of corn being genetically engineered in the states. it's not only the corn, but the soy beans too, 95 percent. they tried to do it to the beet crops (mainly for sugar) but were denied. supposedly 75 to 80 percent of products, including processed foods, sold in our state stores are genetically modified. makes sense with the companies using so much soy and corn in them. also, the meat...they use the same soy and corn for the animals' feed. imo, there just hasn't been enough testing yet to see what it does to the human body, and what testing has been done, in England and Europe, from what i've read, has seen very bad results.
Humans have survived just fine by conventional farming since the last 10,000 years (and have been able to manage pests too). So if you look at it this way, then the only motivator to promote GM grown food - Is greed... And I don't know if it's true or just an urban legend - But I've heard that companies in USA can now have a copyright on their genetically modified crops - And so if any of their crop cross-pollinates with yours (which happens naturally by the way). Then they will drag you to court and milk every penny out of you! So as I had mentioned before, it all boils down to nothing but pure greed... It really is nothing but an underhanded tactic to steal your earnings.
Alright now, Bunkie's words: "there just haasn't been enough testing yet to see what it does to the human body" - Just inspired me to search out something which may be of great interest to us! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... mmies.html It says that Cancer is purely man-made (a probable byproduct of the industrial revolution). As there was simply no sign of Cancer in humans just a few 100 years ago. So yes, it really needs to be looked into - As to what will it effect in the years to come. But since I had mentioned greed being the motivator in my last post. I can therefore conclude that this too will not end nicely for anyone of us. Thankfully for me, there hasn't been any GM crop grown in Pakistan up till now. So I hope it stays that way.
Thank You Bunkie, for this wonderful post and link to 'Change' I belong to 'care2', and yet have heard nothing of this. I love and cherish the bees we have, and signed that (and other) petitions.
