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Posted by Artful Dodger on September 9, 2008, 7:48 pm
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> http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/4343/1/1?TopicID=3D1
>
> headline:
>
> EPA Withholds Pesticide Information While Bees Die
>
> A conservation organization has sued the U.S. Environmental Protection
> Agency (EPA) for failing to release information about a pesticide
> linked to dramatic declines in honeybee populations. The pesticide was
> approved on the condition that the manufacturer study the effects of
> the chemical on the bee species. The EPA has received the studies but
> refuses to release them to the public, even though a Freedom of
> Information Act (FOIA) request was filed.
>
> The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which made the FOIA
> request, sued EPA on Aug. 18 for withholding the information. The
> pesticide, known as clothianidin and sold under the brand name Poncho,
> is in a class of chemicals linked to collapses of thousands of bee
> colonies.
> Honeybees have been declining for several years in the United States,
> including a die-off of 36 percent between September 2007 and March
> 2008. The problem is referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD),
> and it is characterized by the disappearance of all adult worker bees
> in a hive while the queen and immature bees and honey remain. The
> result is the destruction of the entire hive. Exact causes are
> unknown. Recent evidence suggests certain pesticides may be
> contributing to the rapid decline in bee populations.
>
> The collapse of managed bee colonies could be disastrous for US
> agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the
> production of one-third of the nation's food is dependent on
> pollination by honeybees. Pollination is responsible for $15 billion
> in added crop value, particularly for specialty crops such as almonds
> and other nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables.
>
> Clothianidin is a neonicotinoid, a chemical that attacks the nervous
> system of insects, leading to paralysis and death, among other
> effects. The use of clothianidin is currently suspended in France and
> Germany because of links between use of the chemical and collapses of
> honeybee colonies.
>
> Since 1999, France has suspended use of similar pesticides in the same
> class of chemicals. For instance, another neonicotinoid, IMD, has been
> the subject of numerous controversies in Europe because of its
> connection to CCD. French research has found that exposure to even
> tiny amounts of IMD can disorient bees, which could explain the
> failure of the insects to return to colonies after flying off on
> foraging trips. Bayer CropScience, the manufacturer, has repeatedly
> suggested that other non-manmade causes are behind CCD. Sales of IMD
> were =80556 million in 2007 (about U.S. $784 million), making it the
> company's top seller among pesticides.
>
> An EPA fact sheet from 2003 states clothianidin is potentially toxic
> to honeybees, as well as other pollinators, through residues in nectar
> and pollen. Bayer maintains that clothianidin does not pose long-term
> risks to bees.
>
> NRDC scientists sought the clothianidin studies for several reasons.
> First, they want to discover what information the studies contain
> about the neurotoxin's effects on bees. Secondly, there are concerns
> surrounding the quality of the study and the standards by which it was
> designed. NRDC hopes to learn what EPA required of the company and
> whether the company's response meets those requirements. Finally, they
> want to learn what else the agency considered and examine how EPA
> evaluated the information when it decided to leave the pesticide on
> the market.
>
> Little research has been conducted examining the effects of sublethal
> dose exposures on bees. It is possible the industry studies contain
> new information in this area. Existing research, as well as much
> anecdotal evidence, has convinced French and German agricultural
> authorities to suspend use of clothianidin until evidence of its
> safety to bees is established. Despite having the same facts before
> them, the EPA has not taken similar precautions.
>
> Instead, the EPA has repeatedly used "emergency exemption provisions"
> under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
> to approve use of clothianidin in five states. The agency has also
> used the emergency provisions to approve use of IMD 163 times in 26
> states. These emergency exemptions are intended to allow unregistered
> use of pesticides for a limited time if EPA determines that an
> emergency condition exists. The Sierra Club is urging EPA to suspend
> use of neonicotinoids until sublethal doses are shown to be safe for
> bees. ... (cont)
What else do you expect from the Environmental Pollution Agency?
The Bush Administration routinely appoints, as titular heads of
important
agencies like the EPA, FCC, SCE, and all the rest of the alphabet
soup,
saboteurs who do exactly the opposite of the oath they took.
his has been studied by reputable authors who have published the
results,
but are the voters listening? Or do they plan to play the race card,
fail to
elect a smart and well-informed candidate, but instead opt for four
-- or eight -- more
years of the same. Maybe worse, if we end up with a crazed
female Jesus freak instead of the current male one.
>
> http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200809/s2352955.htm
>
> Bee dysentery concern in Tasmania
> Tuesday, 02/09/2008
> A new strain of a serious bee disease has just been identified in
> Tasmania.
> The island state already has the European strain of nosema, but this
> week the more serious Asian strain was confirmed.
> It's also been found in mainland Australia.
> President of the Tasmanian Beekeepers Association, Julian Woolfhagen,
> says the disease can cause whole hives to collapse in the space of a
> week, and it's unlikely beekeepers can get rid of it.
> "It's impossible, I think at this stage. It may well have been here
> for some period of time, in which case it may well have gotten into
> the feral bee population."
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