I sent the following note to the PM and other federal Ministers via the Wilderness Committee today. We live in an agricultural belt in which the use of pesticides is pervasive. Farmers are caught in a bind. We should not be poisoning ourselves, bees and other pollinators, nor our water systems with these horrific chemicals that kill like these do. I ask you to please stop the use of neonicotinoid pesticides for use for either agricultural or domestic use in Canada. Other jurisdictions such as the European Union and the State of Oregon have already enacted restrictions and bans on the use of certain types of neonicotinoid pesticides, recognizing the unacceptable risk that they pose to bees and other pollinators. A deadly class of pesticides called neonicotinoids (neonics) is putting bees and pollinators at risk. These pesticides have already been banned in the European Union, and the state of Oregon has also placed restrictions on the use of the substances after a massive die-off in 2013. A new four-year scientific study of 800 peer-reviewed papers on neonics has conclusively shown that these pesticides are a serious risk to bees, butterflies, birds and earthworms. These creatures are the means by which agricultural plants are pollinated. Without them, Canada will lose its volume of sales and its competitive position. I invite you to take urgent and immediate action to stop the use of these chemicals in any use in Canada. A growing body of scientific research has linked increases in bee deaths to these dangerous pesticides, including a September 2013 Health Canada report that said neonicotinoid residues were found in “75% of the dead bee samples,” and in “90% of the comb pollen samples”. I live in Manitoba. There are potentially many health issues associated with these neonicotinoids. The International Task Force also identified possible human health effects of neonics in our food and water. These pesticides may harm the human brain and nervous system, and some are suspected endocrine disrupters linked to harmful effects on reproduction. Due to the serious harm that these pesticides cause to honey bees and native pollinators – and the resulting impacts on crops and wild plants – Health Canada should enact a complete nation-wide ban on all neonicotinoid pesticides. Thank you. Celes Davar
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 18:04:15 +0000
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