Public Comments needed on deadly Bayer-Monsanto merger

Farmers are scared of it. Bees could be decimated by it. And anyone who eats — that's all of us — should be mobilizing to stop it.

I'm talking about a merger between Bayer and Monsanto, two of the biggest global agribusiness giants, that would create the world's largest seed and chemical corporation... and possible disaster for pollinators, farmers, people, and our planet.

Tell the Department of Justice to reject this toxic mega-merger now.

What makes this Bayer-Monsanto merger so dangerous?

One out of every three bites of food we take depends on bees and other pollinators. Yet bee populations are in a free fall that's only getting worse — beekeepers reported losing over 40% of their honeybee colonies last year, up from an already alarming 33% the year before.

Yet Bayer and Monsanto keep flooding the environment with neonic pesticides that are deadly to bees.

A Bayer-Monsanto merger would cement in place the chemical-intensive farming practices that threaten pollinators and imperil our global food supply, while likely increasing costs and limiting planting options for farmers.

The Department of Justice has proposed a settlement that would allow these two chemical titans to merge. While the department still has the power to stop the merger, it's unlikely to change course without massive public pressure from people like you and me.

The DOJ is inviting comments from the public on its proposed settlement plan for the merger — but only until August 13.

Take action before the DOJ's public comment period ends and help protect honeybees and our food supply!

NRDC and activists like you have been dedicated to saving the bees for years.

We've petitioned and sued the EPA to crack down on the use of neonics, and almost 100,000 of you have written to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos calling on him to stop selling bee-toxic pesticides.

And we've seen progress: With help from NRDC members and activists, we went to court and compelled the Trump administration to provide federal endangered species protection to the rusty patched bumble bee.

And major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, and True Value have already announced they are taking steps to phase out neonic products or neonic-treated plants (or both).

But right now, the stakes couldn't be higher — and the need for action couldn't be more urgent.

We must ensure that this toxic merger never moves forward — for the sake of pollinators, people, and the health of our planet.

Tell the Department of Justice that you oppose the Bayer-Monsanto merger and will fight it at all costs.

- Rhea Suh, President, NRDC

Tell the EPA: Ban bee-killing pesticides

The petition to the Environmental Protection Agency reads: "Toxic neonicotinoid pesticides are killing off honeybee populations at an alarming rate. The European Union recently recognized this and agreed to ban the use of neonicotinoids. Join them and immediately ban bee-killing pesticides to prevent further widespread bee colony collapse." Add your name:

The European Union has finally listened to scientists and banned all outdoor use of neonicotinoids – the pesticides linked to the widespread collapse of bee populations.1 This is a major victory for our environment and food systems, but the United States continues to ignore the evidence and uses these toxic chemicals in huge amounts. It is past time that the EPA bans bee-killing pesticides once and for all. Tell the EPA: Ban all bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. Click here to sign the petition. New large-scale studies have confirmed the role of neonicotinoids – the most widely used pesticides in the world – in the dramatic decline of honeybee populations.2 The studies show that these toxic nerve agents not only harm individual bees, but also are linked to the slow collapse of colonies. Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in the production of many nuts, fruits and vegetables in our diets. Pollinators enable an astounding 35 percent of global food production and contribute more than $24 billion annually to the U.S. economy.2 But the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States has declined from 6 million in the 1940s to less than 3 million today – jeopardizing our food supply and domestic agriculture industry.3 And the outlook for bees is getting worse. More than 700 bee species in the United States are declining, and nearly one in four is at increasing risk of extinction.4 The European Union has finally taken action to protect bees and food systems, but that doesn't help the bees here in the United States. We need the EPA to join the European Union and ban these pesticides – now. Tell the EPA: Ban all bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/ban-neonics?t=7&akid=28451%2E3130208%2Eqgoqr4 - Brandy Doyle, CREDO Action Add your name: References: Damian Carrington, "EU agrees total ban on bee-harming pesticides," The Guardian, April 27, 2018. Roni Dengler, "Neonicotinoid pesticides are slowly killing bees," PBS News Hour, June 29, 2017. Office of the Press Secretary, "Fact Sheet: The Economic Challenge Posed by Declining Pollinator Populations," The President Barack Obama White House Archives, June 20, 2014. Ron Smith, "Bee colony losses down in 2016 for U.S. beekeepers," Southwest Farm Press, May 25, 2017. Kelsey Kopec & Lori Ann Burd, "Pollinators in peril: A systematic status review of North American and Hawaiian native bees," Center for Biological Diversity, February 2017.

Urge Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to help save bees by removing neonic products and neonic-treated plants from Amazon's website

Honeybee populations are plummeting at alarming rates, and it's got beekeepers, scientists, and anybody concerned about the future of our food supply very worried.

In fact, beekeepers reported losing over 33% of their honeybee colonies between April 2016 and March 2017.

One big culprit: the skyrocketing use of toxic neonicotinoid "neonic" pesticides.

And eCommerce giant Amazon is one of many retailers that sell neonic pesticide products and neonic-treated plants.

But as the largest online retailer in the U.S., Amazon can use its influence to make a big difference in the fight to save bees.

Urge Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to help save bees by removing neonic products and neonic-treated plants from Amazon's website!

NRDC and over 30 environmental and public health groups and businesses sent a letter to Bezos urging him to phase out neonics — now we need you to speak up, too.

High doses of neonics can kill bees directly, and research has shown that even in much smaller doses, neonics can impair the navigation, reproduction, ability to forage, and overall functionality of these pollinators. Exposure to neonics can also make bees more susceptible to viruses, parasites, and other diseases.

Please make your voice heard at Amazon's headquarters in defense of bees.

NRDC and activists like you have been dedicated to saving the bees for years.We've mounted an all-out campaign of public protest urging Bayer to stop killing bees, and petitioned and sued the EPA to crack down on the use of neonics.

And we've seen progress recently: With help from members and activists like you, NRDC went to court and compelled the Trump administration to restore federal endangered species protection to the rusty patched bumble bee.

And major retailers like Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, and True Value have already announced they are taking steps to phase out neonic products or neonic-treated plants (or both). Now it's time for Amazon to follow suit.

It's never been a more crucial time for businesses like Amazon to lead the way and help protect bees and other pollinators from harmful pesticides.

Please send your message to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos now — for the sake of pollinator survival.

-Rhea Suh, President, NRDC

Make sure you’re not buying products that contain bee-harming pesticides here.

Sign the petition: No mass spraying of toxic, bee-killing pesticides

Sign the petition to the Environmental Protection Agency: "Numerous studies, including research conducted by your own agency, show that the neonicotinoid pesticide thiamethoxam poses a significant risk to pollinators, including fragile bee populations. Deny Syngenta's application to expand its use of this toxic pesticide." Add your name:

There is a massive new threat to fragile bee populations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the power to stop it. Syngenta, the Swiss-based agro-chemical rival to Monsanto, is seeking government approval to spray its bee-killing pesticide thiamethoxam on more than 165 million acres of American crop land.1 If the Scott Pruitt-led EPA under Donald Trump’s regime approves the company's application to apply massive amounts of this toxic pesticide on popular crops like wheat, barley, rice, alfalfa and potato, we could see even more dramatic and rapid declines of bee colonies. We must urge the EPA to deny Syngenta's application immediately. Tell the EPA: No mass spraying of toxic, bee-killing pesticides. Click here to sign the petition. In recent years, bee populations have plummeted significantly due in large part to the expanded use of bee-killing pesticides. More than 700 North American bee species are at risk for extinction, and in 2016-2017 alone, beekeepers lost 33 percent of their bees, yet the EPA has failed to take significant steps to limit pesticide use.2,3 In fact, just before Donald Trump took office, the EPA publicly acknowledged that neonic pesticides pose a significant risk to honeybees but backed away from a proposed rule to limit their use.4 Incredibly, this proposal by Syngenta to significantly ramp up its use of this toxic chemical on crop land fell on the very same day the EPA released a stunning new report detailing the dangers neonicotinoids such as thiamethoxam pose to animal life, including birds of all sizes.5 This most recent EPA study comes on the heels of numerous studies detailing the risks neonics also pose to invertebrate aquatic life. As Lori Ann Burd, director of the Center for Biological Diversity's environmental health program, put it: "If the EPA grants Syngenta's wish, it will spur catastrophic declines of aquatic invertebrates and pollinator populations that are already in serious trouble."6 Activism to protect bee populations works. Hundreds of thousands of CREDO members have mobilized in recent years to pressure the EPA to restrict expansion of Monsanto's bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. But with Trump occupying the White House and Pruitt leading the EPA, we need to double down our efforts to keep these toxic pesticides from dramatically worsening the bee crisis. Tell the EPA: No mass spraying of toxic, bee-killing pesticides. Click the link below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/epa_bees_2018?t=7&akid=26926%2E3130208%2Em15Ppq - Josh Nelson, CREDO Action #SAVETHEBEES Add your name: Grace Guarnieri, "EPA Might Let Bee-Killing Pesticide Be Sprayed On 165M Acres of Farmland," Newsweek, Dec. 21, 2017. Justin Worland, "More than 700 North American Bee Species Are Headed Toward Extinction," TIME, March 2, 2017. University of Maryland, "American beekeepers lost 33 percent of bees in 2016-17," May 25, 2017. Center for Biological Diversity, "Same Day: EPA Acknowledges Proven Dangers of Bee-killing Pesticides But Refuses to Restrict Them," Jan. 12, 2017. Center for Biological Diversity, "EPA Considers Allowing Bee-Killing Pesticide to Be Sprayed on 165 Million Acres of U.S. Farmland," Dec. 19. 2017. Ibid.

Monday is the last day for public comments to EPA on banning bee-killing neonic pesticides

It's in our hands....

The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: neonics kill bees. Then why is Big Agra’s ignoring the science and still using this bee-killing pesticide? Bees are key pollinators that support the world’s ecosystems and agriculture, by killing them Big Agra is putting us all at risk.

This Monday, July 24th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the last day for public comments on two of the most widely used neonics, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. This is a historic opportunity to show the EPA that we’re paying attention and won’t let Big Agra destroy our ecosystem.

These substances are responsible for the rapid decline in bee populations globally. It’s time we banned them and put the environment before profit and greed -- make your voice heard now and tell the EPA to finally ban bee-killing neonics.

The EPA's consultation closes on the 24th of July -- make our voices heard now and tell the EPA to finally ban bee-killing neonics.

The EPA first allowed neonic clothianidin on the market in 2003 under “conditional registration” -- which means the agency green-lit this pesticide without knowing all the facts about its potential harms.

Now the data is in and it’s undisputable -- clothianidin and thiamethoxam harm and kill bees. Thanks in part to neonics use, 2008 to 2013 saw a massive 23 percent decline in bee populations. We can’t afford for the EPA to wait any longer.

We are making headway in saving the bees in the US. In May, Walmart announced that it will take steps to stop selling bee-killing neonics. And just last month, we delivered over 110,000 SumOfUs member signatures to Kroger's annual shareholder meeting. Now, we need to build on that momentum and tell the EPA that these neonics have no place in our food chain, our ecosystem, and our environment.

Submit a public comment asking the EPA to ban these bee-killing neonic pesticides now to protect our planet for future generations!

- SumOfUs

More information:

Neonicotinoids can harm some bees, The Economist, July 1st, 2017.
A common neonicotinoid pesticide, thiamethoxam, impairs honey bee flight ability, Nature.com, April 26th, 2017.