Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Document Shows It Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees - Polidicks

[quote]The world honey bee population has plunged in recent years, worrying beekeepers and farmers who know how critical bee pollination is for many crops. A number of theories have popped up as to why the North American honey bee population has declined--electromagnetic radiation, malnutrition, and climate change have all been pinpointed. Now a leaked EPA document reveals that the agency allowed the widespread use of a bee-toxic pesticide, despite warnings from EPA scientists. The document, which was leaked to a Colorado beekeeper, shows that the EPA has ignored warnings about the use of clothianidin, a pesticide produced by Bayer that mainly is used to pre-treat corn seeds. The pesticide scooped up $262 million in sales in 2009 by farmers, who also use the substance on canola, soy, sugar beets, sunflowers, and wheat, according to Grist. The leaked document (PDF) was put out in response to Bayer's request to approve use of the pesticide on cotton and mustard. The document invalidates a prior Bayer study that justified the registration of clothianidin on the basis of its safety to honeybees: Clothianidin’s major risk concern is to nontarget insects (that is, honey bees). Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid insecticide that is both persistent and systemic. Acute toxicity studies to honey bees show that clothianidin is highly toxic on both a contact and an oral basis. Although EFED does not conduct RQ based risk assessments on non-target insects, information from standard tests and field studies, as well as incident reports involving other neonicotinoids insecticides (e.g., imidacloprid) suggest the potential for long-term toxic risk to honey bees and other beneficial insects. The entire 101-page memo is damning (and worth a read). But the opinion of EPA scientists apparently isn't enough for the agency, which is allowing clothianidin to keep its registration. Suspicions about clothianidin aren't new; the EPA's Environmental Fate and Effects Division (EFAD) first expressed concern when the pesticide was introduced, in 2003, about the "possibility of toxic exposure to nontarget pollinators [e.g., honeybees] through the translocation of clothianidin residues that result from seed treatment." Clothianidin was still allowed on the market while Bayer worked on a botched toxicity study [PDF], in which test and control fields were planted as close as 968 feet apart. Clothianidin has already been banned by Germany, France, Italy, and Slovenia for its toxic effects. So why won't the EPA follow? The answer probably has something to do with the American affinity for corn products. But without honey bees, our entire food supply is in trouble.[/quote] [url]http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide[/url]

Huh, strange this hasn't cropped up before. Actually, that explains the constantly rising price of Honey.

Why don't we genetically modify swans to produce honey?

So it's the probable cause of [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder[/url] ?

[quote=doomshot]So it's the probable cause of [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_collapse_disorder[/url] ? [/quote] Seems like it [quote=Coffee]Why don't we genetically modify swans to produce honey? [/quote] PETA would bitch endlessly about it, despite some people being horridly allergic to bees (And wasps, and hornets, and other things that sting and inject some form of Venom)

[QUOTE=StarToad;26716612]Huh, strange this hasn't cropped up before. Actually, that explains the constantly rising price of Honey.[/QUOTE] Nah, it has cropped up before. Chemicals were top of the suspect list for colony collapse disorder, but after years of study, they haven't found a single chemical, or even group of chemicals, to be responsible for the deaths. It's theorized to be a huge range of minor disruptions which combine and cause a weaking of the bee's defense systems. EDIT: Well except for that one military research group. They released a paper a while back claiming to have figured it out. Damned if I can remember what they concluded though.

[QUOTE=Coffee;26716630]Why don't we genetically modify swans to produce honey?[/QUOTE] Honey is just a bonus to having bees around. No bees mean no pollination for the vast majority of flowering plants.

[quote=GunFox]Nah, it has cropped up before. Chemicals were top of the suspect list for colony collapse disorder, but after years of study, they haven't found a single chemical, or even group of chemicals, to be responsible for the deaths. It's theorized to be a huge range of minor disruptions which combine and cause a weaking of the bee's defense systems.[/quote] Ah, I see. I never knew about this until this article came out, so it's news to me.

Not the bees! [img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zrwsIyflg1M/Sq_iUdydB3I/AAAAAAAAAio/lUEYdsCC-WE/s400/61774_david-tennant-specs.jpg[/img] [QUOTE=Canuhearme?;26716754]Honey is just a bonus to having bees around. No bees mean no pollination for the vast majority of flowering plants.[/QUOTE] Other animals pollinate plants too, it's not like there's not going to be any pollination.

Nic Cage will be pleased.

[QUOTE=StarToad;26716776]Ah, I see. I never knew about this until this article came out, so it's news to me.[/QUOTE] Yeah it really has people afraid. Bees play an important role in the ecosystem.

Jesus christ. This is more important than most people think.

[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;26716804]Other animals pollinate plants too, it's not like there's not going to be any pollination.[/QUOTE] I don't think you understand the importance of bees. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crop_plants_pollinated_by_bees[/url]

I don't beelieve this. Why can't the EPA just bee-hive? There'll be a swarm of protesters.

[QUOTE=Billiam;26717460]I don't think you understand the importance of bees. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crop_plants_pollinated_by_bees[/url][/QUOTE] He said that only bees pollinate, which is simply untrue. I am not saying bees are unimportant.