If you’ve been reading up on environmental news for any length of time, you know the declining bee population is a pretty hot topic, and seldom do we hear good news about it. Fortunately, the European Commission has now changed things up a bit with a vote approving the ban of pesticides that are believed to be partly responsible for bee colony collapse disorder.
Presented last month, the proposal sought to ban neonicotinoid pesticides such as Iothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiametoxam. At the time, only 13 countries were in favor, nine against it, and five were absent. An appeals committee decided to address the bill on Monday, voting in favor of banning use of these pesticides on corn, sunflowers, and rapeseed for two years.
The decision didn’t come without some heated debate, either. Both environmentalists and lobbyists from the other side fought strong and hard, particularly farmers and chemical producers who say there is not enough data to support the claim that these products affect the bee population. The concern for food production has also come up, but in the end the environmental voice won and the next two years will hopefully provide insight on the accuracy of these claims.
Even if we come to find out that these chemicals have not had an impact on the bee population… do you REALLY want them sprayed on your food? I long for the day where the majority starts to care about health and safety research over profit.
Image CC licensed by John Johnston
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