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Post by ZandraJoi on Aug 19, 2020 9:15:56 GMT -5
www.naturalnews.com/2020-08-13-ecological-disaster-headed-for-humanity-overuse-of-pesticides.html"Scientific evidence continues to mount indicating that humanity is on the brink of an ecological disaster thanks to the overuse of pesticides. A new report by environmentalist Dr. Rosemary Mason entitled, “Why Does Bayer Crop Science Control Chemicals in Brexit Britain?” discusses how Bayer has been holding secret meetings with members of the British government to discuss which agrochemicals will be used there after Britain frees itself of EU restrictions. The paper outlines the cozy relationship between agrochemical and pharmaceutical interests and the government – a relationship that is coming at the expense of public health. She says that the loose regulations governing pesticide use are responsible for the steady rise in new cancer cases and deaths in the UK, and she believes that public health experts are focusing too much on the role of lifestyle choices like obesity and illness while ignoring the significant contribution of pesticide overuse. It is not just humans who are suffering from pesticide use. Insects and bees are also at risk, and the effects could be devastating. German scientists recently revealed that three quarters of flying insects have disappeared in the last 25 years in protected habitats situated near intensively farmed land. Meanwhile, French scientists revealed a huge drop in bird populations there was traced to the intensive pesticide use on monoculture crops such as corn and wheat. The pesticides, they said, are not poisoning the birds directly; instead, the insects they feed on have disappeared. According to the Pesticide Action Network North America, beekeepers have said their industry is on the brink of collapse, with losses averaging as much as 45 percent per year. Neonicotinoid pesticides, both on their own and in conjunction with other pesticides, have been killing them directly and indirectly. This is significant because a UN report shows that more than 70 of the 100 crops that supply 90 percent of the planet’s food depend on bees for pollination. Rapid declines in these vital pollinators could eventually result in a food system collapse. Another important pollinator suffering at the hands of pesticides is the monarch butterfly, whose populations declined by nearly 90 percent in two decades. Mason also pointed to a recent study showing that bacteria develop antibiotic resistance an incredible 100,000 times faster when they are exposed to herbicides like dicamba and glyphosate. The World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance as “one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.” Complicating matters even further is the fact that once a pesticide is approved, there is little to no follow-up and it can be difficult to rescind that approval even after it has been proven toxic in long-term studies. Will pesticide makers ever be held accountable? Right now, Baum Hedlund Law is representing hundreds of Americans who allege that exposure to the glyphosate herbicide Roundup caused them to develop deadly non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In court hearings for one of the plaintiffs, Dewayne Johnson, a jury heard evidence of how Monsanto covered up the carcinogenicity of Roundup by corrupting public officials, bribing scientists, and using scientific fraud. The evidence was so compelling that the jury awarded him $250 million in punitive damages. Unfortunately, glyphosate accounts for roughly half of the herbicide use in America, and it’s a huge moneymaker. The global glyphosate market is projected to climb to $11.74 billion by the year 2023. One quality that makes this chemical particularly dangerous is its pervasiveness; it is not just on our crops but also in our water, air, food and drinks. While we can minimize our risk to some extent by opting for organic food and other products, this situation cannot be alleviated in any significant way until governments stop looking the other way while pesticides poison the world." My notes: We are careful to not buy anything that is treated with 'cides esp. Neonicotinoids.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Aug 19, 2020 12:47:06 GMT -5
www.naturalnews.com/2020-08-18-neonics-still-in-use-killing-bees-and-birds.html"Deadly pesticides STILL in use: Neonics are killing bees and birds, warn researchers Migration is important in the life of birds. It lets them find good food, a good mate and a good nesting site. Should migration be stalled, birds risk missing all of these benefits that, more often than not, could mean life or death. In a recent breakthrough, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in Canada found that the insecticide imidacloprid has crippling effects on the health of migrating birds. The researchers suspect that pesticide-laced seeds in fields might be contributing to the decline in the population of farmland bird species. In particular, the researchers found that feeding white-crowned sparrows small doses of imidacloprid caused them to lose six percent of their weight and 17 percent of their fat stores on average. These sudden changes caused the birds to migrate at a later date than the control sparrows. Margaret Eng, an ecotoxicologist at USask and the lead researcher, explained that this disruption of the birds’ normal migration pattern could have significant consequences for their survival and reproduction in the wild. Their findings appeared online in the journal Science. Neonics linked to bee deaths Imidacloprid belongs to a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids or neonics. The structure of these chemicals resembles that of nicotine. Pesticides featuring neonics are popular choices among farmers in the U.S. and Canada for controlling pests that damage crops. In the past, scientists had linked neonics to sudden and significant population declines in bees. The researchers also noted that more than 70 percent of farmland bird species in the U.S. are exhibiting significant population declines. It is also worth noting that spring bird migration occurs during planting season, and most crops in both the U.S. and Canada are planted with neonics-treated seeds. Experts are worried that birds might suffer repeated exposure to neonics because of the widespread use of imidacloprid across the continent. (Related: Biologists: Pesticide regulations designed to protect bees are failing.) Exposure to popular pesticide generates “anorexic” birds To determine if the consumption of these seeds are affecting local migration patterns of farmland bird species, Eng and her colleagues caught dozens of white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) in Ontario, Canada during their migration period. The researchers kept the birds in cages and provided them with food and water for six hours. The researchers then fed about a dozen of them a small dose of neonics similar to what the birds might ingest from pesticide-laced seeds in the wild. The researchers then fed another group of birds a lower dose of neonics. Eng then put a small radio transmitter on each bird for tracking and released them into a 100,000-square-kilometer site in Ontario after six hours. Within hours, Eng and her colleagues found that birds fed the highest dose of the insecticide experienced sudden weight loss. Prior to their release, the researchers noted that both groups of pesticide-treated birds stopped eating and took in just a third of the food that the untreated birds ate. The group also noticed that the pesticide-treated birds failed to recuperate hours after being released. In fact, half of the birds fed the higher dose of insecticide stuck around the area longer than the untreated birds. Eng speculates that the pesticide-treated birds used the extra time to flush out the pesticides and regain lost fat stores. Birds need to be a certain weight and store a certain amount of fat in order to make it through long migration flights. Therefore, these groundbreaking findings demonstrate that the ingestion of pesticide-treated seeds from fields can be detrimental to migrating birds. Mark Jankowski, a toxicologist from the University of Minnesota who was not involved with the work, said that the research provides a compelling set of observations that demonstrates how even low doses of neonics can have detrimental effects on the health of migrating birds. In 2018, the European Union (EU) had banned the use of neonics because of their harmful effects on bees. But experts are skeptical that the U.S. or Canada will be enforcing a similar ban on neonics because of their widespread use and reported benefits for plants. Read more articles about neonics and other harmful chemicals in pesticides at Pesticides.news." My notes: You would think if there was a slight chance of harming the beneficial insects, the 'cides would be pulled. But that's not profitable.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Oct 3, 2020 10:50:09 GMT -5
www.naturalnews.com/2020-10-01-pesticides-have-made-agriculture-48-times-more-toxic.html"Pesticides have made agriculture 48 times MORE toxic to insects in the past 25 years… what’s it doing to your food? In case you had any doubt how dramatically pesticides are harming our environment, one recent study found that pesticides have made agriculture a remarkable 48 times more toxic to insects over the past quarter century. This incredible decline in such a relatively low amount of time is due in no small part to the contribution of a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, or neonics. These pesticides are found on more than 140 crops, including apples and rice, but they’re most persistent on crops like corn and soybeans because they are used to coat the seeds of such crops. The study looked at how neonics have affected crops in America since their introduction. Researchers have long expressed concern about their effects, particularly on bee populations. They looked at three types of data for their study: the amount of pesticides used in the country, data on the toxins that are found in honeybees, and the persistence of pesticides within the environment. They concluded that neonics were responsible for 92 percent of the increase in toxicity seen between 1992 and 2014. A big part of their danger comes from the fact that they can take years to wear off and they can accumulate as well. They are also systemic, which means they dissolve and are absorbed by the crop. This means it gets into every last part of the plant, and washing won’t do anything to lessen its presence. Neonics attack the nerve cells of insects, and they either kill them directly or compromise their behavior in a way that shortens their lifespan. They were developed after insects started developing immunity to previous pesticides and are incredibly toxic. After neonicotinoids started being used widely in the early 2000s, beekeepers began reporting strange behavior from bees, including trouble navigating and weaker immune systems. It took years of analysis to connect their behavior and mass bee die-offs to the use of systemic pesticides like neonics. One commercial beekeeper explained how mass bee killings occur during corn planting as the dust comes off the seed of the corn and drifts onto nearby flowers, rendering them toxic and capable of killing bees instantly. Last year, a study found that beekeepers lost 40 percent of their honeybee colonies during the previous year. This is hugely concerning when you consider that bees pollinate three quarters of all crops. Neonicotinoids are also killing birds Studies have also shown that neonicotinoid insecticides are behind the serious decline in bird biodiversity that has been observed in the U.S., where the overall bird population has dropped by nearly a third since 1970 and grassland birds have declined by 53 percent. That study, which was carried out by researchers from the University of Illinois, showed the devastating effects these pesticides are having on birds, especially grassland birds. According to their calculations, an increase of 100 kilograms in neonic use per county equated to a 2.2 percent drop in grassland bird concentrations and 1.6 percent drop in insectivorous birds; the same amount of non-neonic pesticide usage was linked to a 0.05 decline in grassland birds and 0.03 percent in insectivorous birds. The scientists report the pesticides are damaging the birds when they consume treated crop seeds and indirectly through the insects they feed upon. Although the European Union has banned some of the most toxic neonics following a scientific risk assessment, the U.S. has not been as quick to take action. The EPA did ban a handful of these pesticides, but many others remain on the market and in wide use, putting birds and honeybess – and in turn, our food supply – at major risk. Sources for this article include: TheGuardian.com AgriNews-Pubs.com " My notes: Different take on pesticides. Anybody for natural cannot be for pesticides & harming the environment & its creatures.
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Lee
Astronomer
Posts: 165
Likes: 198
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Post by Lee on Oct 5, 2020 17:43:15 GMT -5
Pesticides are horrible and I try my best to avoid!
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Post by ZandraJoi on Oct 22, 2020 12:20:38 GMT -5
www.naturalnews.com/2020-10-20-approved-pesticides-in-the-us-harm-bees.html"Two pesticides widely used by farmers in the U.S. are harmful for bees and other useful insects, according to a pair of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin. Their findings revealed that the pesticides sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone have harmful effects similar to those of neonicotinoids, a class of pesticides notorious for causing bee deaths. Moreover, the researchers found that exposure to both pesticides at levels similar to those found in the field has detrimental effects on insects. Meanwhile, at low exposure levels, the pesticides cause significantly harmful effects on bees, reducing their reproductive ability and affecting their functions as foragers. Commenting on their findings, which appeared in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, author Felicity Muth said that it is clear both pesticides endanger bee populations in the United States. Not so bee-friendly alternatives to neonicotinoids Pesticide use is a rampant practice in intensive agriculture. While useful for protecting crops from harmful insects, pesticides can be detrimental for beneficial insects as well, like bees. The most notorious pesticides associated with bee deaths are neonicotinoids. In fact, their neurotoxic effects on bees are so well-known that the European Union (EU) banned the use of neonicotinoids in 2018. However, the U.S. has not followed suit. On the contrary, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ruled to allow at least five neonicotinoid pesticides to remain on the U.S. market. Because of the issues surrounding neonicotinoids use, manufacturers sought to develop pesticides that are safe for beneficial insects like pollinators. For instance, The Dow Chemical Corporation (TDCC), which created the first two EPA-approved pesticide products with sulfoxaflor, marketed their pesticides as “bee-friendly” alternatives to neonicotinoids. But in 2018, Harry Siviter and his colleagues from Royal Holloway, University of London found that, much like neonicotinoids, sulfoxaflor reduced the reproductive success of bumblebees. In 2015, a federal court voided the EPA’s approval of TDCC’s pesticide products that contained sulfoxaflor, following a lawsuit from beekeepers and environmental groups. The court cited the “precariousness of bee populations” and TDCC’s “flawed and limited data” on sulfoxaflor’s effects as grounds for voiding the EPA’s approval. Dangerous exemptions Following the court ruling, the EPA re-approved sulfoxaflor in 2016, this time including a ban on using the pesticide on crops that attract bees, such as cotton and sorghum, until after their blooming period. However, these restrictions are non-existent for flupyradifurone, which has been shown to have the same lethal effects on bees. (Related: Scientists call for global ban on bee-killing pesticides.) Furthermore, the EPA administrator still has the power to grant exceptions in cases of emergency. This means that the administrator can overrule the ban and permit the use of sulfoxaflor on crops that attract bees. There are about 4,000 species of native bees in the United States, all of which are crucial to the environment, said Muth. Therefore, regulators need to first assess the potential effects of pesticides like sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone on bees before approving them for agricultural use. Echoing this sentiment, Siviter and his colleagues also wrote in their 2018 paper that without evidence-based legislation controlling the use of sulfoxaflor, the chemical’s impact on the environment could rival that of neonicotinoids. In addition to reviewing pertinent studies before approving pesticides, ecologists are also calling for the EPA to stop abusing its use of exemptions. “The EPA is far too eager to find loopholes to approve harmful pesticides when it should be focusing on keeping people and wildlife safe from those pesticides,” said Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. Read more articles about sulfoxaflor, neonicotinoids and other harmful pesticides at Pesticides.news. Sources include: Phys.org NewScientist.com CEN.ACS.org Nature.com QZ.com RoyalSocietyPublishing.org BiologicalDiversity.org " My notes: People really have to understand that without bees, we won't have REAL food.
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Post by ellyfant on Oct 22, 2020 13:42:50 GMT -5
I totally agree that pesticides are awful and cause enormous amounts of damage to wildlife and the environment. However, there are some situations where their use is necessary and i'll give you and example. My sister lives in the middle of the countryside, has acres of land and is the greenest person on the planet, but their land has been invaded by Japanese Knotweed which, if left untreated, will penetrate their house and it's foundations and cause it to crumble eventually, so they have no option other than to use the dreaded Glycophosphate.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Oct 26, 2020 20:33:42 GMT -5
ellyfant I totally agree! If people know me by now, they know I'm holistic. However 'cos we have some wetlands on our acreage, we have mosquitoes. Not just a couple, but swarms. We couldn't be outside at all. Natural did not cut it. We spent thousands on cedar, garlic, everything. When we had to call a "chemical" service, I literally cried. We spray ourselves now 2, 3 times in the spring & I have to contend with no beneficial insects. But after that, the mosquitoes seem to be okay & the beneficials come back. It was a hard choice for us.
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Post by Bob on Nov 11, 2021 19:03:39 GMT -5
We use only if have to and only eco-friendly. And try to find the best and eco-friendly ones.
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Post by spg on Nov 12, 2021 8:05:47 GMT -5
Do you know that they killed organic farming to help chemical fertilizers and those who make money out of it.
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Post by ZandraJoi on Nov 14, 2021 9:57:07 GMT -5
Do you know that they killed organic farming to help chemical fertilizers and those who make money out of it. There are still organic farmers fighting out there at least. But yeah, I do know that they can't have their farm next to a GMO one in case of cross contamination. So many organic farmers have went out of business due to GMO seeds spreading onto their land.
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Post by spg on Nov 14, 2021 11:03:40 GMT -5
Not only in the US. They made sure that chemical fertilizers are sold all over the world. They are doing their best to kill natural seeds too.
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