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Where have all the bees gone?
In case you haven't kept up with the loss of our nation's bee colonies, also known as colony collapse disorder, here is some information (quotes from Sabine Vollmer, News & Observer, 8/22/08) about the not-so-sweet situation.
"A Bayer CropScience pesticide (Chlothianidine) is at the center of a legal battle for research data that could help explain what's killing U.S. honeybees in large numbers.
The lawsuit, filed (August 18) in a Washington, D.C., federal court, accuses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of hiding the honeybee data."
It seems that the problem is not just limited to the United States
"Chlothianidine is made to coat corn, sugar beets and sorghum seeds and protect them from pests. But the chemical has the potential to be very toxic for bees. Three months ago, German regulators banned chlothianidine and related chemicals after the family of pesticides was blamed for the destruction of about 11,000 bee colonies earlier this year."
A sobering statistic, for why this is such an important issue:
"The phenomenon, also known as colony collapse disorder, threatens a significant portion of the U.S. food supply. About one out of every three mouthfuls in the U.S. diet stems from crops pollinated by bees."
To read more about this issue, check out the links below and let us know what you think.
Pesticide data may tell why bees die, published in the News & Observer on 8/22/08.
Bayer on defensive in bee deaths, published on 8/26/08.
Bayer points to lack of data in bee deaths, published on 8/28/08.
Re: Where have all the bees gone?
First of all, why is the EPA so slow to respond? Secondly, if France and Germany have BOTH seen these harmful effects, then the US version of their regulatory organizations (EPA) is either 1. Uneducated or 2. Corrupt (and it would be hard to believe they were uneducated since there are some very smart people working for them). Finally, I can understand Bayer's slow response because it would cut a significant portion of their revenues... I can understand, but certainly not excuse. That is the price you pay to do business on a large scale. Principles should always guide first, NOT revenues. Unfortunately, for many, revenues become the primary focus and slowly erode those guiding principles. That's why we need a responsive and effective EPA, to ensure that everyone plays by the rules. The EPA should threaten 100% of their revenues in order to help Bayer shift their focus to the issue and deal with it immediately. It seems so common sense.