The Empty Honeycomb

The Empty Honeycomb. Part one in a series of articles about the honeybee crisis by Deniza Gertsberg for the GMO Journal.

Percy Schmeiser on the Organic View

June Stoyer interviews Percy Schmeiser, the Canadian farmer who went head to head with Monsanto over the contamination of his canola and was the first farmer to win in court. He is a powerful voice on the problems we all face with GM crops. This bears directly on the health of beekeeping because GM crops and systemic pesticides go hand in hand. Schmeiser did an earlier interview with Organic View on his legal battles and it is well worth a listen for those of you trying to get your minds around the issue. You can find it in the Organic View archives.

Iowa Biologists Worry over Decreasing Bee Population

I picked this story up on the internet this morning. Iowa is undoubtedly one of the states most contaminated by systemic pesticides and it’s a wonder that they have any insects left at all. The honeybee population in Iowa plummeted from 70 thousand colonies in 1993 to 24 thousand colonies in 2008. The first systemic pesticide, imidacloprid, was introduced in 1994. Either intentionally or unintentionally, professor Hendrix is overlooking what is likely the most important cause of these declines.

We are perpetrating the same kind of environmental contamination right here in Boulder County with systemic pesticides, and their effect is a cause of the dismal season the bees had this year.

Plant more flowers to bring back the bees? While we’re at it, why don’t we plant more buffalo grass to bring back the buffalo?  

Dan Rather says “Bee Aware”

Dan Rather, host of Dan Rather Reports, on the bee crisis for Huffington Post…

Sources within the EPA tell us that agency scientists have been voicing concern over the neonicotinoids since they first came up for registration over 15 years ago with special concern raised over impact to honey bees. Our sources also told us, however, that scientists can’t even suggest a connection between pesticides and colony losses for fear of being ostracized and excluded from meetings. – Dan Rather

You can read the whole article here.

Watch the full length version of “Bee Aware”

Here’s the full length version of “Bee Aware: Dan Rather Reports on bees and neonicotionoids.”

Bee Aware from Greg Stanley on Vimeo.

My hope is that it will re-energize the public discourse and lead to more interviews and the opportunity to expand on some of the points raised in the program.

“Bee Aware” on Dan Rather Reports

Some of you may know that, “Bee Aware,” a report by Dan Rather on bees and pesticides has been in the works since last April. It will finally air Tuesday, September 20 at 6:00PM Colorado time. It will be on HDNet. HDNet is an independent subscription station and is not carried by all cable providers so do a little checking beforehand to see if you receive it or if you need to hunt up a friend who does.

This could be a blockbuster. Try to watch. The environmental implications of this issue go far beyond the bees. You can watch the trailer below.

Chuck Benbrook in Longmont, Colorado

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Chuck Benbrook speak in Longmont, Colorado on Wednesday, August 17th.

Chuck Benbrook is one of the leading thinkers on the new technologies we are confronting and has been from the beginning. In the 90’s, when Bt corn was first being debated, I drove all the way out to Yuma to hear him speak, and to have him right here is a rare opportunity. In my opinion it is especially important that conventional farmers hear what Dr. Benbrook has to say so they can weigh the pros and cons for themselves, so if you number some of the conventional farmers among your friends, encourage them to attend.

The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Plaza Hotel Conference Center, 1850 Industrial Circle in Longmont.

The room holds 300 people. Spread the word.

Should public land be used to plant GM crops?

June Stoyer of the Organic View has posted an article I wrote for yesterday’s Fence Post, Come Sit Down Here Beside Me Said the Spider to the Fly. It is on the GMO issue. So far the comments have been generallly positive. When we start getting negative ones we’ll know that we are getting close to a nerve.

Senior managers from Bayer investigated in Turin, Italy

Things are heating up in Europe over pesticides. These are the same products which continue to be such a mystery to the EPA. This from Graham White this afternoon.

Please see this article from Italy’s national newspaper LaStampa. A Turin magistrate has had senior managers from Bayer and Syngenta charged with spreading chemicals (Clothianidin) that kill bees – on the grounds that this threatens the national economy of Italy. He has already ruled that they are ‘culpable’ – i.e. they have to answer the charges. If they are convicted they would face one to five years imprisonment. The issue has arisen because Clothianidin was banned for use on planting maize seed back in 2008 – but the ban expires on October 31st. Italian beekeepers are mobilising to get the ban renewed and extended. I think they will succeed. At the same time – America has planted 92 million acres of Clothianidin treated corn in just one year – 2010.

Cheers,

Graham