Dear 5849376, Big news in the fight to save bee populations from pesticides: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced that it won't approve any new or expanded uses of bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides while it continues to study the threats they pose to honey bees and other pollinators.1 This is a huge development in our fight to save our vital pollinators from pesticides. But it doesn't change the fact that EPA has been approving the use of these pesticides for decades, and that they're in widespread use on corn, soybeans and other crops throughout the country right now. With the momentum on our side, this is a crucial moment to pressure EPA to do what's truly necessary to save our pollinators and ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides once and for all. Tell the EPA: Ban the use of bee-killing pesticides entirely. Click here to sign the petition. Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in our food production system by enabling the production of many of the nuts, fruits and vegetables in our diets. In total, pollinators make possible an astounding 35 percent of global food production and contribute more than $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy. But the number of managed honey bee colonies in the United States has declined from 6 million in the 1940s to just 2.5 million today – jeopardizing our food supply and domestic agriculture industry.2 Around the country, cities are taking matters into their own hands by banning the use of bee-killing pesticides. Following the lead of Seattle, Washington; Eugene, Oregon; and Shorewood, Minnesota, Portland, Oregon just became the most recent city to take this smart step to protect our pollinators.3 It is important for cities to do what they can, but the rapid collapse of bee populations is a global problem that requires action at a larger scale. Now we need the EPA to take the last and final step by banning the use of bee-killing pesticides nationwide, permanently and entirely. Sign the petition: Tell the EPA to completely ban the use of bee-killing pesticides. Click here to sign the petition. Thanks for fighting to save our pollinators. Josh Nelson, Campaign Manager CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: 1. "U.S. to halt expanded use of some insecticides amid honey bee decline," Reuters, April 3, 2015. 2. "Fact Sheet: The Economic Challenge Posed by Declining Pollinator Populations," The White House, June 20, 2014. 3. "Portland, Oregon Says No to Bee-Killing Neonic Pesticides," Sustainable Business, April 3, 2015. |