Here we are, a decade into the colony collapse disease syndrome in
which these new pesticides are clearly indicated and are in fact the
only new factor plausibly introduced and the lobby keeps grinding.
This is one of those situations were it is proper to halt usage and
demand compelling evidence for renewal before the ban is lifted. Of
course it is not fair. How about putting up a billion dollar plus
bond to cover damages while it is all sorted out?
This is serious as are other plausible pesticide related
environmental issues such as amphibian decline.
In the meantime we see agriculture preparing to transition fully back
to a full organic regime although that will certainly take two
generations. Long term we will be fine, but in the short term we are
conducting egregious commercial biological experiments that are
naturally risky.
I really do not think this sector can be regulated properly.
EU urges two-year
ban on 'disturbing' bee insecticides
by Staff Writers
Brussels (AFP) Jan 31, 2013
The EU urged national
governments on Thursday to ban pesticides deemed dangerous to bees by
scientific experts in a bid to prevent a disastrous collapse in
colony numbers for an insect considered vital to the integrity of the
human food chain.
European Commission
spokesman Frederic Vincent said the European Union executive had
proposed a "two-year ban" on the use of three so-called
neonicotinoid insecticides used in maize, rapeseed, sunflower and
cotton cultivation.
Sources told AFP that
major EU states Germany, Britain and Spain, amongst others,
nonetheless indicated serious reservations about the plans.
A decisive meeting is
set for February 25, Vincent added.
The elements in doubt
-- clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam -- are present in
chemicals produced by pharmaceutical giants Bayer, Syngenta and
Cruiser OSR.
The insecticides were
said by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) earlier this month
to pose "disturbing" risks, with bees and other pollinating
insects hugely important for food production, especially of fruit.
EFSA said the
so-called neonicotinoid insecticides in question attack the central
nervous system of insects, causing paralysis and death.
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