FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: Your Signature Is Needed: Ladybugs are running out of luck this Friday the 13th

 

 

It's Friday the 13th—a day often associated with bad luck. On the other hand, ladybird beetles (better known as ladybugs) are cherished symbols of good luck. Easily recognized by their round shape, vivid red wings, and striking black spots, these beloved little icons aren’t just cute emblems of luck: they’re vital pollinators and natural pest controllers. But if you haven’t seen many lucky ladybugs in a while, it’s not necessarily a reflection of your fortune — it's a warning about the troubling decline of our planet’s insect populations. Sadly, the very luck that these little critters represent is running out. Across North America, native ladybug species that were once common have become increasingly rare, declining by at least 80% in the last two decades alone. A major threat to the survival of these vulnerable creatures is the widespread use of neonics. When ladybugs come into contact with these toxic insecticides, it can KILL THEM directly, weaken their immune systems, slow their growth, and reduce their ability to reproduce. Neonics even pose severe health risks to people. They’ve been associated with damage to infants’ developing brains, hormone disruption, and neurological issues like memory loss. But despite mounting evidence of the dangers of these potent chemicals, the Environmental Protection Agency has yet to take action against toxic neonics. Tony, it’s going to take more than luck to SAVE our precious ladybugs from EXTINCTION, so we’re calling on 1,313 activists like you to sign our petition by 11:59 P.M. TONIGHT in defense of our pollinators, people, and the planet. Can we count on you to step up today and join us in demanding a federal BAN on neonics immediately? Add your name now >> SIGN THE PETITION Along with ladybugs, butterflies, and even hummingbirds, neonics are largely responsible for driving down critical pollinator populations like bees. We depend on bees and other pollinators for 1 in 3 bites we eat. The loss of these buzzy little insects would have particularly significant impacts on the ecosystems and food supply we humans rely on every single day. For years, experts have been ringing the alarm bells on the devastating ecological consequences of the massive and rapid decline of insects. They are calling this crisis the INSECT APOCALYPSE or “SECOND SILENT SPRING” as a somber warning that the absence of vital pollinators and insects would lead to a quiet and lifeless environment. The European Union has already heeded the cautionary advice of scientists by banning the worst neonics. But here in the states, the EPA has failed to keep us and the planet safe from these potent chemicals. As a result of the federal inaction, Big Ag and Pesticide companies continue to flood our environment with MILLIONS of pounds of these harsh chemicals every year! Please, don’t remain silent as the silent spring threatens to destroy life on Earth as we know it. Your planet is counting on you to speak up today. TAKE ACTION: Tell the EPA to BAN neonics before it’s too late! >> SIGN THE PETITION Thanks for fighting back against toxic pesticides that are threatening our fragile ecosystems. Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA PO Box 7010 Merrifield, VA 22116-7010 1-877-843-8687 Contact us Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect:

Sign The Petition: Help save bees by demanding that the EPA bans toxic neonics

 

WHEN YOU PURCHASE PLANTS FROM RETAILERS, THEY ARE TREATED WITH NEONICS THAT CONTAMINATE YOUR SOIL. IF YOU HAVE NO BEES, THAT'S WHY!

Here is a quick overview of what’s happening to bees: → Neonics are the most commonly used insecticides and have made agriculture nearly 48x more dangerous for bees. Even in minute doses, these chemicals wreak havoc on our pollinators, threatening their very existence. → Bees face the silent threat of neonics lurking in the very flowers they pollinate. These insidious pesticides don't just harm bees by impairing their foraging abilities needed to survive — they can kill them outright. → Vulnerable bees are DYING OUT rapidly, and there is no question that bee-toxic neonics are one of the worst threats that is KILLING THEM. In just the past 20 years, the beloved and once most common American Bumblebee has DECLINED BY 90%. → This year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is poised to make a fateful decision on whether or not to approve these toxic neonic pesticides for another 15 years! If that happens, vulnerable bees may not stand a chance, which could mean disastrous impacts to our ecosystem and food supply.  These toxic chemicals not only harm bees but also jeopardize our planet's delicate ecological balance — so we urgently need your help applying public pressure on the EPA to make the right decision for our pollinators and our planet. Will you take action today to help SAVE BEES and protect our ecosystems from these harmful insecticides before the EPA makes its decision in the coming months? Add your name NOW to BAN TOXIC NEONICS immediately! >>  SIGN THE PETITION When we say that the consequences would be catastrophic if bees were to die out, we aren’t exaggerating, Tony.   Without key pollinators like bees helping to provide us with 75% of our most nutritious crops, our food system would crumble. Nobody wants a world without some of our favorite fruits, veggies, and nuts!  Think about the fact that bees and other pollinators are responsible for 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat. That’s A LOT of thanks that we owe to bees!  You can see firsthand how the EXTINCTION OF VULNERABLE BEES would cause devastating impacts to our ecosystems and food supply — so if we want to protect our planet and life as we know it, then we MUST protect our pollinators.  Right now, that means stopping one of the biggest threats to bees and other pollinators: neonics.  And it’s not just bees and pollinators in danger, but our entire planet and livelihoods are on the line with the EPA’s pending decision this year. Please, we’re counting on your activism to strengthen our efforts while there’s still time left. SIGN NOW: Tell the EPA to prioritize our pollinators and planet above pesticide industry profits and BAN bee-killing neonics immediately! >>  SIGN THE PETITION Thanks for fighting to help save our bees,  Friends of the Earth  Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA PO Box 7010 Merrifield, VA 22116-7010 1-877-843-8687 Contact us Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect:

Sign the Petition: The EPA must ban toxic neonics before it’s too late

 

An “insect apocalypse.” A “second silent spring.” A “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems.”  This isn’t a dystopian novel. This is the future that we face with the loss of bees and other insects.  Neonicotinoids -- the most widely used insecticides in the world -- are a key driver of this crisis. They’ve made agriculture nearly 50 times more toxic to insects. And they are EXTREMELY DEADLY TO BEES. They attack bees’ nervous systems and can harm their ability to navigate, find food, fight pests and diseases, and even reproduce.  But this year, the EPA is set to APPROVE these toxic pesticides for another 15 years. Wild bees can’t wait that long, so they urgently need you to take action before it’s too late. Add your name right now to PROTECT POLLINATORS from TOXIC NEONICS! >>  SIGN THE PETITION Neonics should NOT be in our environment. The EPA itself found that these dangerous chemicals could likely drive MORE THAN 200 endangered plant and animal species to EXTINCTION!  And they impact people, too: Studies have linked neonics to birth defects of the heart and brain. And even scarier, a recent study found neonics in 95% of pregnant women it tested! The serious and widespread harm of neonics is right before our eyes, Tony.  So why is the EPA dragging its feet to ban neonics? Big Pesticide corporations like Bayer-Monsanto are using their massive influence to DECEIVE the public and policymakers about the impacts of their toxic products. They insist there’s no real evidence that neonics are dangerous -- all so they can keep lining their pockets at the expense of pollinators, people, and our planet.  As a result, the public doesn’t even know they should be fighting back. And that’s why your voice is so important today, Tony. We know you won’t stand for greedy corporations putting profit over planet. So please, will you be one of the 37 activists we need in Taunton to sign your name today and fight back against the pesticide industry by URGING the EPA to BAN toxic neonics before the damage is irreversible? >>  SIGN THE PETITION Thank you for standing with us,  Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA 1-877-843-8687 Contact us Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect:

Save The Bees: Sign the petition to tell the EPA to ban toxic neonic pesticides now

 

Neonics are wreaking havoc on our environment, not just endangering vulnerable bee populations, but threatening our ecosystems. These harmful pesticides are potent, persistent, and fatal to bees — threatening to push vulnerable essential pollinators to EXTINCTION! Take action to help BAN toxic neonics now >>  Bees can die from feeding on the pollen and nectar of flowers that contain neonics. When applied as seed treatments, these chemicals are taken up by the whole plant and can even seep into the soil, contaminating subsequent crops and wildflowers. Even in small doses, neonics can severely impair a bee’s ability to forage and navigate back to the hive.  It’s widely recognized that healthy functioning ecosystems are crucial to food production and that future food production could be undermined by damage to biodiversity. That’s exactly the threat that neonics pose to us and our pollinators. Pollinators are responsible for 1 in 3 bites of food we eat, after all!  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to make its consequential decision this year on whether or not to approve these dangerous neonics for another 15 years. Time is of the essence if we’re going to get the EPA to protect vulnerable bees and human health from toxic neonics. Will you add your name to our petition right now to help us demonstrate strong grassroots support for federally banning neonic pesticides? SIGN THE PETITION Wild bees are DYING OUT rapidly, and there is no question that neonics are one of the threats killing them. Take the American bumblebee for example: this beloved and once most common species has DECLINED BY 90% in the past 20 years as neonic use has risen.  If the EPA decides to approve neonics for another 15 years, vulnerable bee populations and many other insects will continue to be assaulted by neonics. The consequences to our ecosystems could be devastating. The good news is that until the EPA announces its official verdict, there’s still a chance we can persuade the agency to do the right thing and BAN bee-killing neonics — NOT approve them!  But we need YOUR help to build enough public pressure and push the agency to do the right thing for our pollinators and our planet. TAKE ACTION: Sign now to tell the EPA to BAN TOXIC NEONICS immediately! >> SIGN THE PETITION Thanks for fighting to save our bees,  Friends of the Earth  Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA PO Box 7010 Merrifield, VA 22116-7010 1-877-843-8687 Contact us Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect:

Center for Food Safety: One Tiny Seed Causing Big Problems

 

Just one tiny pesticide coated seed can fatally poison over 80,000 bees.    These deadly seeds now blanket the U.S., quietly causing mass die-offs of bee populations. It’s shocking, but pesticide giants have been free to sell these toxic seeds with little regulation thanks to a government loophole.   Our lawsuit is the best chance we have to change that, but it isn’t going to be easy. Mega-corporations like Monsanto-Bayer and Corteva got the greenlight to intervene in our case, allowing them to send their army of attorneys to help the government try to beat us in court.   Our attorneys are days away from filing the most critical brief in the entire case…and now we’ll face responses from the entire pesticide industry. We know we can win, but we need your support more than ever — can you urgently rush a donation to keep our legal team going?

It’s hard to exaggerate the deadly impact pesticide coated seeds have had on our planet. Neonicotinoids travel up a plant's circulatory system as it grows, into the leaves, pollen, and nectar. Pollinators then ingest the poison, causing paralysis or even death. And that’s not even all of it – the vast majority of the pesticide coating comes off the seed after planting, contaminating our soil, wildflowers, and water!   Despite all this, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has never regulated pesticide coated seeds as pesticides under federal law. Companies like Monsanto have taken full advantage of this massive loophole: 95% of corn seeds in the U.S. now come coated with neonics!   That’s why it's no surprise that the pesticide lobby has petitioned to intervene in our case – so that they can throw their massive resources behind the government’s case to ensure that they can continue selling this poison and protect their profits!   We’ve seen this happen in prior cases. Imagine 12+ industry attorneys filing into court, whispering to the government attorneys, sparing no expense to drag this out and beat us!   We’re days away from filing for the most important phase of the case – the summary judgment — and our team is working around the clock. But our job is even harder now that we’re up against the mighty pesticide lobby in addition to the government.   We’re not giving up – but we can’t do this alone. Will you help us win? If you've saved payment information to your FastAction profile, your donation will go through as soon as you click on a link.

I'll donate $3.00 to fuel the fight against coated seeds! I'll donate $6.00 to fuel the fight against coated seeds! I'll donate $9.00 to fuel the fight against coated seeds! I'll donate $14.00 to fuel the fight against coated seeds! I'll donate $18.00 to fuel the fight against coated seeds! I'll donate another amount to fuel the fight against coated seeds!

Onwards, together. Amy van Saun Senior Attorney Center for Food Safety

Center for Food Safety 303 Sacramento St Floor 2 San Francisco, CA 94111 United States