‘Let’s kill bees!’ says the UK government after Brexit
One-third of the UK’s bees have died out in the last decade – but that’s not enough, according to our Conservative government.
It has authorised the emergency use of a bee-killing pesticide -containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam – in response to demands from farmers who want to save sugar beet crops from virus yellows disease. It has caused yield losses of up to 80 per cent for some growers.
But studies suggest that it weakens bees’ immune systems, harms the development of baby bees’ brains and can leave them unable to fly.
As pollinators, bees are vital, not only to the ecology of the UK but to that of the whole world.
The decision is a violation of a promise made by Michael Gove in 2018, when he stated: “We cannot afford to put our pollinator populations at risk.”
He added: “Unless the evidence base changes again, the government will keep these restrictions in place after we have left the EU.”
Perhaps the Tories think it’s okay to backtrack on this because 11 EU countries have also authorised the use of the pesticide.
But the evidence against it is very strong indeed:
The UK Expert Committee on Pesticides concluded on 24th Nov 2020 that
(1) the application for authorization was using a systematic underestimation of typical sowing rates (and, hence, #neonicotionid emissions into the environment), and …https://t.co/RBbtOqloTy
— Thomas Backhaus (@ThoBaSwe) January 9, 2021
(3) Risks to birds cannot be ruled out and the acceptable concentration in surface waters (the so-called PNEC) may be exceeded.https://t.co/RBbtOqloTy
— Thomas Backhaus (@ThoBaSwe) January 9, 2021
Conclusion: lobbying beats scientific advice and political promises any time of the day.
6/6
— Thomas Backhaus (@ThoBaSwe) January 9, 2021
Who can argue with that, all things considered? Lobbying has beaten scientific advice.
This should have particular relevance to us all as it may be applied to the Covid-19 crisis, also.
On a personal level, I can only agree with the following:
UK government has announced "a bee-killing pesticide so poisonous that it is banned by the EU" may be used in England.
New coal mines and pesticides… the UK's so called "green industrial revolution" is off to a great start.
Very credible indeed.https://t.co/R4o54ZEyvD— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 9, 2021
Credibility is not the Johnson government’s strong suit.
NOTE: If you want to join the call for the government to reconsider, please consider signing the petition here.
Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.
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it should be illegal for government to damage the natural world full stop
This is serious, for two reasons.
1. The pesticide concerned, Thiamethoxam, is one of three insecticides specifically banned by the EU.
2. Is this a signal of what is to come – the government getting rid of “inconvenient” regulations when it suits them, environmental concerns included?