Hoping to Save Bees, Europe to Vote on Pesticide Ban

[knocker]

PARIS — Will Brussels try to give bees a break?

In a case closely watched on both sides of the Atlantic, European officials plan to vote Friday on a proposal to sharply restrict the use of pesticides that had been implicated in the decline of global bee populations.

The vote in Brussels, by officials from all 27 European Union member states, follows a January report from the European Food Safety Authority recommending that none of the chemicals of a class known as neonicotinoids should be used on crops that are attractive to honeybees, because of the risk the insects would be poisoned.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/business/global/hoping-to-save-bees-europe-to-vote-on-pesticide-ban.html

[Evening thunder]

Very disappointed to see that the Environment minister and UK government are against backing the plans.. but then they never do much to live up to their promise of being the 'greenest government ever'.. often quite the opposite it seems like to me

[knocker]

I agree.

A proposed measure to restrict the use of pesticides that have been implicated in bee die-offs around the world was left in limbo on Friday, after representatives from Britain and Germany, two of the largest E.U. members, abstained from the voting, leaving the committee without the qualified majority needed to either accept or reject it. The qualified majority voting system gives large states greater weight in the voting than smaller states.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/business/global/europe-vote-on-bee-harming-pesticides-is-inconclusive.html

[Gael_Force]

Better news for the bees.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22335520

[4wd]

It isn't clear this pesticide group is causing a problem though.

It's actually a very sophisticated product with beneficially specific activity compared to previous insecticides - which will now be used instead.
As often happens certain groups seem to have become somewhat hysterical about this so can take full blame and responsibility when prematurely banning it has no effect whatsoever - or makes things worse

[SNOW_JOKE]

Very disappointed to see that the Environment minister and UK government are against backing the plans.. but then they never do much to live up to their promise of being the 'greenest government ever'.. often quite the opposite it seems like to me

 

Corporations will be the death of this planet, look for the links between the American banking system and Oil-ties. Capitalist greed has been responsible for some (if not most) of the worlds worst environmental disasters from the MV Braer, GOM disaster, Bhopal, Athabasca Oil Sands, Fukushima, Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez, and the list goes on. Its no secret that Monsato wants to capitalise on GM-Crops and the distribution of food. Its even less of a secret about the UK government walking alongside these corporatist scum 'hand in hand'.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_environmental_disasters#Industrial

[4wd]

The anti-capitalists predictably flocking to support the ban, because producing food that isn't unmarketable due to being affected by bugs must be somehow greedy, and shock horror, motivated by profit rather than altruistic desire to feed the world as a sort of charity.

Insecticides will still be needed and now older products with more blunderbus effect will be used instead.

 

[summer blizzard]

Corporations will be the death of this planet, look for the links between the American banking system and Oil-ties. Capitalist greed has been responsible for some (if not most) of the worlds worst environmental disasters from the MV Braer, GOM disaster, Bhopal, Athabasca Oil Sands, Fukushima, Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez, and the list goes on. Its no secret that Monsato wants to capitalise on GM-Crops and the distribution of food. Its even less of a secret about the UK government walking alongside these corporatist scum 'hand in hand'.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_environmental_disasters#Industrial

 

Capitalist greed caused Chenobyl? Fukushima?

[4wd]

I'm at a loss how their minds work, heavy investment in a well targeted new pesticide group deserves this rant? Pathetic.

Corporations will be the death of this planet, look for the links between the American banking system and Oil-ties. Capitalist greed has been responsible for some (if not most) of the worlds worst environmental disasters from the MV Braer, GOM disaster, Bhopal, Athabasca Oil Sands, Fukushima, Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez, and the list goes on. Its no secret that Monsato wants to capitalise on GM-Crops and the distribution of food. Its even less of a secret about the UK government walking alongside these corporatist scum 'hand in hand'.

[Gael_Force]

It isn't clear this pesticide group is causing a problem though.

It's actually a very sophisticated product with beneficially specific activity compared to previous insecticides - which will now be used instead.

As often happens certain groups seem to have become somewhat hysterical about this so can take full blame and responsibility when prematurely banning it has no effect whatsoever - or makes things worse

 

You are right in that the studies are not conclusive - however, the body of evidence is sufficient to at least apply temporary restrictions to see if it makes any difference.

 

Italy - Certain imidacloprid and other neonicotinoid seed treatment uses were suspended temporarily, but foliar uses are allowed. This action was taken based on preliminary monitoring studies in northern and southern regions of Italy showing that bee losses were correlated with the application of seeds treated with these compounds; Italy also based its decision on the known acute toxicity of these compounds to pollinators.

 

 

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/intheworks/ccd-european-ban.html

[Methuselah]

Very disappointed to see that the Environment minister and UK government are against backing the plans.. but then they never do much to live up to their promise of being the 'greenest government ever'.. often quite the opposite it seems like to me

Aye, but our government only ever acts in its own interest...What's a few billion bees, when voting in favour might help UKIP, at the next GE?

 

Anything for a vote...

[Evening thunder]

It isn't clear this pesticide group is causing a problem though.

It's actually a very sophisticated product with beneficially specific activity compared to previous insecticides - which will now be used instead.

As often happens certain groups seem to have become somewhat hysterical about this so can take full blame and responsibility when prematurely banning it has no effect whatsoever - or makes things worse

 

There's quite a lot of evidence to suggest that they are causing a decline in bee populations, in a way that's to be expected since their very job is to kill insects. Or should we just sit back until we are absolutely sure they are the cause, pretending to be safe because 'we are not sure that it definitely is' the cause? That sounds too much like what happens or is happening with some of the other issues facing this planet.

I think you'll find it is a significant proportion of the public that support the restrictions on the use of this group of pesticides, not just 'anti-capitalists', at least for now until there is sound evidence saying they are not the cause (if that actually happens). 

 

Good luck living on this planet without pollinators such as bees (at least in current human numbers).

 

I had heard the UK government would abstain because they said there was not enough evidence to vote either way, but instead it seems they actually voted against (quelle surprise)

[Evening thunder]

Aye, but our government only ever acts in its own interest...What's a few billion bees, when voting in favour might help UKIP, at the next GE?

 

Anything for a vote...

 

Interesting idea, maybe that is a possible factor, I guess it wouldn't be too surprising.

 

(I don't seem to be able to add quotes to my previous posts in the same way as I did before the recent forum skin change)

[Methuselah]

Interesting idea, maybe that is a possible factor, I guess it wouldn't be too surprising.

 

(I don't seem to be able to add quotes to my previous posts in the same way as I did before the recent forum skin change)

I'd better just admit that I do have a rather cynical view of politicians, and not just British ones, either...

 

I don't know how to do that myself, SM...

[pottyprof]

I think there's enough proof to suggest these pesticides are causing some of the problems and it is only since the introduction of these that the bee population took a nose dive.  It could just be a coincidence and a temporary ban is the right move to make.  It may take 2-5 years to see if the bee population grows but it has to be done.

 

These companies that develop insecticides are only trying to find selective versions with a long term view of protecting the environment.  These insecticides may not be the cause as the bees were already showing signs of stress.  The lab reports are inconclusive, which means that bees weren't dying in at least most of the studies which leads me to believe that something else is at play in the general environment.

 

Not everything in the world is a conspiracy......