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Dear Charles,
Bees and other pollinators are in a death spiral — and that spells trouble
for us all.
A whopping 43
percent of the nation's honeybee colonies were lost over the past year — the
second-highest loss ever recorded. And the 4,000-plus species of wild bees
nationwide aren't faring much better.
Scientists pin much of the blame on the torrent of bee-toxic pesticides,
called neonics, that giant agrochemical corporations like Bayer — backed by
the might of their Washington lobbying machine — have been allowed to
unleash, virtually unchecked.
One out of every three bites of food — fruits, vegetables, and nuts — depends
on bees and other pollinators. This
devastating decline in bees could mean increased food prices, reduced access
to healthier foods, and food scarcity that will hit low-income communities
and communities of color especially hard.
But there's hope
yet: President Biden has promised to restore science to its
rightful role in protecting our environment and health. And if you follow the science on
toxic, bee-killing neonic pesticides — it is clear they must be banned.
The EPA is currently reviewing the dangers of neonic pesticides, and they won't be required to
review these bee-toxic chemicals again for another 15 years. That means we must do everything
we can NOW to get the EPA to ban bee-killing uses of neonics — and that
starts with your signature right now.
Sign the petition and send your message to new EPA
Administrator Michael Regan urging him to take swift, decisive action to ban
bee-killing uses of neonic pesticides.
NRDC has been leading the charge to win life-saving protections for bees and
other pollinators. And the Biden administration's commitment to environmental
protection has brought a welcome wave of relief and optimism. Now, we need to build a
groundswell of public pressure — and courtroom action — to put an end to Big
Ag's outsized influence in Washington once and for all.
During this terrible pandemic, when many families have been struggling to put
food on the table, it is more important than ever to protect the future of
our food supply. It's time for the EPA to do its part by protecting these
critical pollinators and standing up for people over pesticide industry
profits.
This may be our best — and last! — chance to protect
our bees and other pollinators, and we need all hands on deck: Charles, will
you join us? Your signature today can mean a more secure food
supply and healthier ecosystems in the future — so please sign now!
NRDC is no stranger to using the courts to protect pollinators. Earlier this year, we scored a
major legal victory against the Trump administration
requiring the EPA to start analyzing the effects of imidacloprid, one of the
most widely used neonics on endangered and threatened species.
Now we are counting on the new administration to stop this runaway pesticide
use that's killing our bees and is a threat to the future of our food
supplies. And NRDC is ready to use all the tools at our disposal — from
generating a massive public outcry to racing to court, and everything
in-between — to help make sure that happens.
Charles, quickly send a message to the EPA and join the
fight against Big Ag to put an end to rampant neonic use!
The months ahead could decide the long-term fate of bees and other struggling
pollinators. There's
too much at risk for us to do nothing:
- Fewer bees = less food. There are now barely enough bees available each year
to pollinate key food crops. And that's only thanks to the tireless
efforts of beekeepers to replace lost hives ...
- The deluge of neonics is a leading cause of bee
deaths. Acute exposure to neonics
can kill bees directly and chronic exposure weakens these critical
pollinators — making it harder for them to forage for food, find their
way back to their hive, combat parasites and disease, and survive winter
...
- Exposure to neonics is risky business for our health. Federally funded research suggests there may be
links between neonic exposure and malformations of the developing heart
and brain ...
- Scientists have been ringing alarm bells. Drastic declines in pollinators like honeybees, wild
bees, butterflies, and songbirds have been linked to rampant neonic use.
As pollinator populations have plummeted, neonic sales have soared and are now the most
heavily used class of insecticides in the United States ...
No more.
The survival of bees, people's health, and the future of our food supply are
on the line.
Please, Charles, join us in urging Biden's EPA chief to
make banning neonics a top priority for the new administration. Together we
can send a message that is too loud to ignore!
Thank you for standing with us.
Sincerely,
 
Mitch Bernard
President, NRDC
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