Food Doom... is real

[link to occamstypewriter.org]

[snip]

The neonicotinoids were introduced as insecticides in the 1990’s and had the advantage that they were less toxic to mammals than the chemicals used before. They work by acting as insect neurotoxins but they are also toxic to other organisms including earthworms and butterflies. Unlike other insecticides the neonicotinoids act systemically. They are typically applied as soil or seed treatments and given their water solubility, they distribute throughout the growing plant. This means that insects coming to feed from the treated plant will be exposed to the insecticide. Among these insects, there may be bees gathering nectar or pollen. Imidacloprid, a popular neonicotinoid, is one of the most widely used insecticides in the world, making millions for the agrochemical company Bayer.

There is no doubt that the neonicotinoids can kill bees if not used correctly. There have been several instances of large scale bee deaths following inappropriate or careless use of the chemicals and some countries have introduced partial bans. The key question has been whether the neonicotinoids are harming bees when used as directed by the agrochemical companies who make them. The agrochemical companies say they are safe. Many others, however, fear that there may be unintended effects of the neonicotinoids on bee populations; they are, after all, insecticides and are designed to kill insects. Protocols for testing for unintended effects on bees were developed for insecticides used in single spray application. Although these protocols were used to evaluate the neonicotinoids, they are inappropriate for systemic insecticides that will be present for prolonged periods and they focus only on honeybees. They also fail to assess fully the more subtle effects of insecticides on bee society. Honeybee and bumblebee colonies depend on complex behaviours and there had been a growing concern that neonicotinoids might exert sub-lethal effects on these activities.

The EPA, FDA, etc. are not there to protect us. They're there to protect big business.

[link to www.nytimes.com]

[snip]

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A mysterious malady that has been killing honeybees en masse for several years appears to have expanded drastically in the last year, commercial beekeepers say, wiping out 40 percent or even 50 percent of the hives needed to pollinate many of the nation’s fruits and vegetables.

A conclusive explanation so far has escaped scientists studying the ailment, colony collapse disorder, since it first surfaced around 2005. But beekeepers and some researchers say there is growing evidence that a powerful new class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids, incorporated into the plants themselves, could be an important factor.

How many bees does it take to write a two sentence response on GLP!?

Conspiracy of the year award!

This is true, my friend.
These reports are very ominous.
Our food supply is threatened on many fronts.
The energy crisis has thrown environmental issues to the wayside.
Nobody seems to notice what is happening right under their noses.

All The Bees Are Dying, And We Still Can’t Make It Stop
[link to www.fastcoexist.com]

[snip]

Honeybees pollinate a third of all crop species in the U.S. Why isn’t this considered a national emergency? If it isn’t taken more seriously--and if certain pesticides aren’t banned or restricted--we’ll all have some unpleasantly limited diets.

My pond gets piss filthy outside...

Imidacloprid, a popular neonicotinoid, is one of the most widely used insecticides in the world, making millions for the agrochemical company Bayer.

Do you think they'll fuck with Bayer..?

Do you think Monsanto cares about the bees...?



Monsanto Announces New SoyBee’n Self-Pollinating Soy Bean!
[link to www.nwedible.com]

[snip]

Although some consumer groups have voiced concern about the proliferation of GMO food products, Monsanto and the Soy Lobby have fought any effort to label genetically modified soy. In legal documents, Monsanto stated, “no substantial difference exists between conventional soya seed and SoyBee’n seed. Labeling such as plaintiff suggests would only serve to confuse the buying public and hurt the competitiveness of a U.S. jobs creator.”

Vegetarian and vegan groups have banded together to condemn SoyBee’n technology, arguing that widespread adoptation of the technology will likely mean protein deficiency for that segment of the world’s population who will not consume meat, including bees, on ethical grounds. When asked to comment, Media Rep Carthillman said, “at this time, we estimate that 70% the SoyBee’n product will be fed to cattle anyway, so vegetarians are probably in the clear.”

“Someone better tell those bee allergy people to cut back on soy milk for awhile, though,” she added, laughing.

Food shortages and famine deaths occur where adversaries starve opponents into submission.

Acts of siege warfare include seizing or destroying food stocks, livestock, and other assets in food-producing regions; cutting off marketed supplies of food in these and other regions; and diverting food relief from intended beneficiaries to the military and their supporters. Farming populations are also reduced by direct attacks, terror, enslavement, or forced recruitment and by malnutrition, illness, and death. As farming populations flee, decline, or stop farming out of fear, production falls, spreading food deficits over wider areas. Land-mining and poisoning of wells are additional hostile acts that turn temporary acute food shortages into longer-term insufficiencies; these acts force people to leave and not return, thus interrupting food production and economic activities permanently. Conflict-linked food shortages set the stage for years of food emergencies, even after fighting has officially ceased.

[link to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

[link to www.worldhunger.org]