Did you know that every three bites of food you consume is linked to a bee, butterfly, hummingbird, beetle or other pollinator?
Green Century’s partner, Environment America, has drawn attention to the use of harmful pesticides that contribute to the decline of bees and other pollinators during the late-June National Pollinator Week.
Bees and other pollinators face increasing threats, including loss of habitat, a warming climate, disease and the wider use of toxic pesticides known as neonicotinoids. Commonly called “neonics”, this class of insecticides is widely used in gardening and farming.
Neonics are absorbed by the entire plant’s system – from roots to pollen – making them especially harmful to pollinators.
Photo credit: Wally Holden, Unsplash
Neonics are considered a thousand times more toxic to bees than DDT, according to a National Geographic article, and the residue can taint soil, water, and other elements of the environment. In the U.S., neonics are used to coat seeds, including corn, soy, cotton and plants from garden centers. Beekeepers started noticing population declines about the same time as the expansion of neonic use.
Neonics are absorbed by the entire plant’s system – from roots to pollen – making them especially harmful to pollinators.
Neonics are considered a thousand times more toxic to bees than DDT, according to a National Geographic article, and the residue can taint soil, water, and other elements of the environment. In the U.S., neonics are used to coat seeds, including corn, soy, cotton and plants from garden centers. Beekeepers started noticing population declines about the same time as the expansion of neonic use.
Environment America has created a scorecard that ranks each of the 50 states on actions taken to protect vital pollinators from these pesticides.
- Some states, including Vermont with its 350-plus species of wild bees, and New York have curtailed the sale of seeds coated with neonics.
- Twelve states bar the application of neonics by people who don’t possess a pesticide applicator’s permit from purchasing the insecticide. Alphabetically, these states are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
- Minnesota and California have blocked the use of neonics in state wildlife areas and on other public lands, reflecting the belief that these areas should be some of the safest places for bees, butterflies, birds, and other critters.
Photo credit: John Duncan, Unsplash
Environment America is working with state leaders and like-minded organizations to restrict the sale of neonics, curtail sale of neonic-treated seeds, block the use of neonics on state lands, and encourage planting of pollinator friendly plants on roads and on state lands. Green Century is a key supporter of Environment America, with the two organizations aligned in efforts to preserve biodiversity, and working for environmental protections and a healthy planet.