Is there any reason these beekeepers can't sue Bayer and the EPA for the side effects of the pesticides? Couldn't such a suit call for an injunction preventing its use pending the results of the lawsuit?
Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
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Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#12[deleted]
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#13The story appears to be misleading (and to a lesser degree so does the original article).
"The document, which was leaked to a Colorado beekeeper, shows that the EPA has ignored warnings about the use of clothianidin, a pesticide produced by Bayer that mainly is used to pre-treat corn seeds. The pesticide scooped up $262 million in sales in 2009 by farmers, who also use the substance on canola, soy, sugar beets, sunflowers, and wheat, according to Grist."
The document is dated November 2nd, 2010, and relates to an application by Bayer to use clothianidin on mustard and cotton seeds. So it wasn't something that the EPA ignored before the pesticides use in the past few years.
The document also implies that clothianidin could be safe if used properly. It only recommends a label warning:
"EFED expects adverse effects to bees if clothianidin is allowed to drift from seed planting equipment. Because of this and the uncertainty surrounding the exposure and potential toxicity through contaminated pollen and nectar, EFED is recommending bee precautionary labeling."
That said, it's not as if the EPA did not know about the threat to honeybees long before the writing of this report. In 2008, Bayer compensated beekeepers in Germany for losses related to the use of the pesticide. Bayer's position is that the pesticide is safe to bees if used properly, and that it's the only way to contain the corn rootworm which causes 1 billion USD worth of damage in North America and 1/2 billion euro worth in Europe. It seems to me that if the EPA is not going to ban clothianidin, then there needs to be aggressive enforcement of appropriate application methods, and a suspension of the pesticides use until that is possible.
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#14There is corporate "ethos" and "greed is good" etc... But what I find disturbing is that these wankers (corporate and government) are stupid/greedy enough to fuck over honeybees. The same honeybees that are providing us with 1 in 3 meals every single friggin day! Maybe big-pharma is confident that it can feed the humanity - but I see it as an incredibly shortsighted strategy that WILL cause us our lives - before glob…
"The same honeybees that are providing us with 1 in 3 meals every single friggin day!" citation needed
Citation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702377/figure/f...
In old days every farmer in our village had a beehive - the honey and pollination services were both much appreciated. My father has always taught me that killing a bee is a horrible crime.
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#15I don't understand how politicians are allowed to campaign with corporate money.
because the SCOTUS believes money = free speech.
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
"The same honeybees that are providing us with 1 in 3 meals every single friggin day!" citation needed
Citation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702377/figure/f... In old days every farmer in our village had a beehive - the honey and pollination services were both much appreciated. My father has always taught me that killing a bee is a horrible crime.
Forget old days - in modern days there are entire businesses dedicated to renting out and delivering mass quantities of beehives to pollinate fields for farmers.
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
"The same honeybees that are providing us with 1 in 3 meals every single friggin day!" citation needed
Citation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702377/figure/f... In old days every farmer in our village had a beehive - the honey and pollination services were both much appreciated. My father has always taught me that killing a bee is a horrible crime.
This describes the important of pollinators, but honey bees are not the only pollinators. I don't see enough evidence supporting the case that honey bees exclusively are responsible for pollinating 1/3 of all food, nor that the absence of honey bees would reduce food production by the same amount (which seem to be the positions you have put forth).
Can you support those claims?
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#18I don't understand how politicians are allowed to campaign with corporate money.
(I know this is naive, but) Corporations are made of people. All that money belongs to someone. So if those people decide to give that money to politicians, why does that make problems?
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
Citation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702377/figure/f... In old days every farmer in our village had a beehive - the honey and pollination services were both much appreciated. My father has always taught me that killing a bee is a horrible crime.
Forget old days - in modern days there are entire businesses dedicated to renting out and delivering mass quantities of beehives to pollinate fields for farmers.
The technology and industry has changed indeed. I wanted to emphasize how man used to treat bee as a companion - nowadays however we seem to disregard its share in getting us to where we are. We used to fight to keep them alive.
Re: Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Citation: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1702377/figure/f... In old days every farmer in our village had a beehive - the honey and pollination services were both much appreciated. My father has always taught me that killing a bee is a horrible crime.
This describes the important of pollinators, but honey bees are not the only pollinators. I don't see enough evidence supporting the case that honey bees exclusively are responsible for pollinating 1/3 of all food, nor that the absence of honey bees would reduce food production by the same amount (which seem to be the positions you have put forth). Can you support those claims?
Can you support a contra position? That bees are not significant pollinators? Please do not forget other Apidae family members - they probably don't benefit from pesticides either.
Oh... Another reference: http://www.pnas.org/content/99/26/16812.full - you can check references [6,7] yourself.
Edit: I apologize - since I did limit my rant to honeybees initially.