I
received this email about a petition from Avaaz.com, (a 21-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people
shape global decision-making) and thought I would share it. "Avaaz"
means "voice" or "song" in many languages. Avaaz members
live in every nation of the world; the team is spread across 18 countries on 6
continents and operating in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest
campaigns here, or follow them on Facebook
or Twitter.
Blessings!
Ronell
x
Dear friends,
Quietly, globally, billions of bees are dying,
threatening our crops and food. But in days the European Union could move to
ban the most poisonous pesticides, and pave the way to a global ban that
would save bees from extinction.
Four EU countries have begun banning these poisons, and some bee
populations are already recovering. The official European food safety watchdog
has already stated that certain pesticides are fatally harming bees. Now legal
experts and European politicians are calling for an immediate ban. But Bayer
and other giant pesticide producers are lobbying hard to keep them on the
market. If we build a huge swarm of public outrage now, we can push European
Agriculture ministers to put our health and our environment before the profit
of a few.
We know our voices count! Last year, our 1.2
million strong petition forced US authorities to open a formal consultation on
pesticides -- now if we reach 3 million, we can persuade the EU to get rid
of these crazy poisons and pave the way for a ban worldwide. Sign the
urgent petition and send this to everyone -- Avaaz and bee keepers will
deliver our message to the meeting in Brussels:
Bees don't just make honey, they are vital to
life on earth, every year pollinating 90% of plants and crops -- with an
estimated $40bn value and over one-third of the food supply in many countries.
Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favourite fruits,
vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.
Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing
global decline in bee populations -- some bee species are already extinct
and some US species are at just 4% of their previous numbers. Scientists
have been scrambling for answers and now the European Food Safety Authority is
saying that toxic chemicals called neonicotinoid pesticides could be
responsible for the bee deaths. France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany,
where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned one of these
bee-killing pesticides. But Bayer continues to export its poison across the
world.
Now the issue is coming to a boil. EU
parliamentarians and the European Commission are stepping up their pressure on
key governments to push new legislation to ban the deadly pesticides, and we
can offer them the public support they need to counter the powerful pesticide
lobby. Sign the urgent petition to European decision makers, then forward
this email widely:
Our world is beset with threats to what makes it
habitable, and to what fills it with wonder. The Avaaz community comes together
to defend both -- large or small. Whether winning a battle to keep the
International Whaling Commission from sanctioning the murder of these giants,
or saving bees, the tiny creatures upon which so much depends, we will come
together and stand up for the world we all want.
With hope,
Luis, Ari, Alice, Iain, Ricken, David, Alaphia, and
the Avaaz team
SOURCES
Pesticides pose danger to bees (European Voice)
Crop pesticides are 'killing our bees' - says MEP
(Public Service Europe)
Death knell for nerve agent pesticides in move to
save bees (Independent)
Give Bees a Chance! (The Greens European Free
Alliance)
Studies fault Bayer in bee die-off (Christian
Science Monitor)
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