Photo: Wildcat River, Jackson, NH Lois Barber
May - The EPA is currently undertaking a major policy review concerning regulation of harmful chemicals, including two chemicals that threaten bee populations. Bees are essential pollinators that play a vital role in most of our food supply and the health of the environment, yet many species of bees are headed for extinction. There is a vast body of research showing that neonicotinoids can cause irreparable harm to bee populations even at low levels of exposure, including brain damage, paralysis, and death. Chlorpyrifos, a second chemical linked to pollinator harm, is acutely toxic to bees, and to humans as well. Exposure to chlorpyrifos is linked to increased risk of a range of serious health problems in humans, including autism spectrum disorder, attention disorders, and reduced IQ and working memory in children. Both chlorpyrifos and nicotinoids have been banned or restricted in the European Union, Canada and in several US states. Unfortunately, a recent EPA ban on chlorpyrifos was overturned in the courts but can be reinstated with more EPA attention to detail.
ACTION:
Bees cannot wait. Their survival, and the future of our food supply, depend on us acting now to get neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos out of the environment. There are effective alternatives for pest management that are less toxic for bees, farmworkers, children, and rural communities. Contact EPA Administrator Michael Regan and urge the EPA to ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides and take the necessary action to reinstate the EPA ban on chlorpyrifos.
CONTACT:
- Email: [email protected]
- Mail: Michael Regan, Administrator, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20460
Please write a letter-to-the-editor on this important issue.
It is a good way to educate others and build support for needed policies.
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