Dear friends,

<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897408805&v=8125>

Bees are dying off worldwide and our entire food chain is in peril. Scientists
blame toxic pesticides and four European governments have already banned them.
If we get the US and the EU to join the ban, other governments across the
world could follow, and save bees from extinction. Sign the petition and
forward this urgent appeal:

Sign the petition <https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897408805&v=8125>
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897408805&v=8125>

Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is in
danger. Bees don’t just make honey, they are a giant, humble workforce,
pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.

Multiple scientific studies blame one group of toxic pesticides for their rapid
demise, and bee populations have soared in four European countries that have
banned these products. But powerful chemical companies are lobbying hard to keep
selling this poison. Our best chance to save bees now is to *push the US and EU
to join the ban* — their action is critical and will have a ripple effect on
the rest of the world.

*We have no time to lose* — the debate is raging about what to do. This is not
just about saving bumble bees, this is about survival. Let ƒ ¢ ¢â€š ¬ ¢â€ž ¢s build a giant
global buzz calling for the EU and US to outlaw these killer chemicals and save
our bees and our food. *Sign the emergency petition now, and send it on to
everyone* and we ƒ ¢ ¢â€š ¬ ¢â€ž ¢ll deliver it to key decision makers:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897408805&v=8125>

*Bees are vital to life on earth* — every year pollinating plants and crops
with an*estimated $40bn value*, over one third of the food supply in many
countries. *Without immediate action to save bees we could end up with no fruit,
no vegetables, no nuts, no oils and no cotton*.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee populations
— *some bee species are now extinct and others are at just 4% of their previous
numbers.* Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the
decline may be due to a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss
and toxic chemicals. But new leading independent research has produced *strong
evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides*. France, Italy, Slovenia and even
Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these
bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison across the world

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the
scale of this problem. If we can get European and US decision-makers to take
action, others will follow. It won’t be easy. A leaked document shows that
the US Environmental Protection Agency knew about the pesticide’s dangers, but
ignored them. The document says Bayer’s “highly toxic” product is a “major
risk concern to non target insects [honey bees]”.

We need to make *our voices heard to counter Bayer ƒ ¢ ¢â€š ¬ ¢â€ž ¢s very strong influence on
policy makers and scientists* in both the US and the EU where they fund the
studies and sit on policy bodies. The real experts — the beekeepers and farmers
— want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have solid,
independent studies that show they are safe. Let’s support them now. *Sign the
petition below, then forward this email: *

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897408805&v=8125>

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research run by
the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their pockets. Banning
this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for ourselves and the other
species we care about and depend on.

With hope,

Alex, Alice, Iain, David and all at Avaaz

MORE INFORMATION

Bee decline could be down to chemical cocktail interfering with brains
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/22/chemicals-bees-decline-major-study?INTCMP=SRCH

Bee briefing
http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RXLEm9WXrHk%3D&tabid=439 <http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=RXLEm9WXrHk%3D&tabid=439>

$15 Billion Bee Murder Mystery Deepens
http://www.businessinsider.com/colony-collapse-disorder-still-unsolved-lead-researcher-had-connections-to-bayer-2010-10

Nicotine Bees Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/nicotine-bees-population-restored-with-neonicotinoids-ban.php

EPA memo reveals concern that pesticide causes bee deaths
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/green/detail?entry_id=79910

Beekeepers want government to pull pesticide
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/beekeepers-want-government-to-pull-pesticide-1107701.html

British Beekeepers’ Association to stop endorsing bee-killing pesticides
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/16/beekeepers-end-pesticide-endorsement?INTCMP=SRCH

Pesticide industry involvement in EU risk assessment puts survival of bees at stake
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agribusiness/news/2010/11/16/pesticide-industry-future-bees

————–

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