Tom's Corner

For those of you trying to stay informed on the pesticide questions, here is a good article that appeared recently in the Sacramento Bee, Dying Bees Raise Alarm for Humans. Following the article is the first comment, and it is powerful. For those of you who have been following and/or involved, this is required reading. Some of you may want to comment yourselves.

Here is a great video on Miles McGaughey and his family and their beekeeping operation. Short, but full of information. The photography is very good and there is an exceptional shot of a queen laying an egg. Miles says this is the same queen that was in the Stock Show observation hive last January.

Boulder BeeKeepers from Lauren Peterson on Vimeo.

It was announced yesterday that the EPA has given unconditional approval to the systemic pesticide sulfoxaflor.

Most recently the controversy was over the EPA’s proposal to grant sulfoxaflor a conditional registration with many unanswered questions as to its environmental safety, just as it had done with the neonicotinoid clothianidin. Apparently the EPA has elected to avoid critcism over a conditional registration and has simply granted full registration. Might as well be hung for a pig as a pork chop.

After you have read this short story, here is a link to an interview we did on The Organic View Radio Show recently with Dr. Susan Kegley regarding sulfoxaflor, even more timely now in light of the EPA’s action. 

Frankly, I find the EPA baffling.

This is an excellent interview, an hour long but well worth the time. Percy Schmeiser gives some great insights into the arguments and the consequences of the conflict over the new technologies of genetically engineered crops and systemic pesticides.

For those of you trying to understand what is going on, this is some of the homework.