This posting makes an important point re Monsanto and the other chemical producers:
regulatory capture – – by the industry, of the Government agency responsible for regulating the industry.
It has been an issue for at least 20 years. There has been no progress made by us (the insurgents!). This petition names the PMRA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency), that comes under Health Canada. Real culprits for a long time, well-known by many. I tackled it head on, when I was threatened with a lawsuit. Many have challenged, lobbied, and circulated information. All to no avail. With regulatory capture, Big Business and Big Government are making the decisions behind the scenes. The democracy is badly corrupted. The Lord of the Manor is Corporate Profits, with no restrictions.
HOWEVER! the power of social media was in its infancy then. Today, thanks to Friends of the Earth for this campaign. Get on board! We’re on a new round!
Sorry about the following call to action, which is very good. I can’t fix it; I’m out of time for trying. And I can’t find an on-line version (a URL).
I can forward a copy of the email it’s on, with the active links for registering dissent, with the Government. Just send a request (use the Comments at bottom).
Or, contact info for FOE is at the bottom
The Friends of the Earth “issue” page on Bees is at http://foecanada.org/en/issues/the-bee-cause/. But I couldn’t find this particular campaign there.
The bees have a question.
You might want to ask Canadian government decision-makers the same question.
A week ago the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released its report on the three most widely used neonicotinoid pesticides. After reviewing 1500 studies, EFSA concluded, “overall the risk to the three types of bees we have assessed is confirmed.” We expect that the European Union will vote to ban all three in the coming month.
Another important player, The Task Force on Systemic Pesticides – a team of independent scientists brought together by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – has been assessing peer-reviewed science on neonics for several years. After two rounds of comprehensive reviews, they say that neonics harm honeybees and many other species, including aquatic insects at the base of the food chain, earthworms and common birds.
Just before Christmas when Canadians were all focused on the holidays, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) revealed their conclusions to five years of review conducted along with United States’ authorities. The North American conclusion, despite the documented poisoning of millions of bees, is that major uses of neonicotinoid pesticides are safe and can continue! Uses like coatings for corn, soy and sunflower seeds.
Here’s the question:
The bees are asking: How can Canadian authorities spend five years reviewing virtually the same scientific evidence as the Europeans and come up with a totally different conclusion?
Perhaps, the Ontario Beekeepers Association put it best: “Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) opted against bees in favour of pesticide manufacturers”.
Since the bees cannot ask the PMRA to explain – you and I have to do it for them.
Beatrice Olivastri, CEO
Friends of the Earth Canada
613 724 8690
beatrice@foecanada.org
John Bennett
Senior Policy Advisor
Friends of the Earth Canada