Prince Edward County took a step that all communities can take. They passed a resolution asking the federal and provincial governments to declare a moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides as soon as possible pending further study. While they are very clear that agriculture is the foundation of their municipality, they also state the
The news for honey bees is grim. Again. The Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) delivered their national report on winter-kill of honey bees. Ontario’s loss at 58 %, a jaw-dropping number, is homogenized into the average for the country at 25% – still considered high when compared to the “acceptable” winter losses considered to
Last week, I applauded Ontario’s Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal for his decision to restrict the use of neoniotinoids on farmers’ fields. To be clear, I would prefer an outright ban, but this is an important and pragmatic step to substantially reduce use of these bee-killing pesticides and shows leadership on the North American stage. According
If Ontario’s newly minted Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Glen Murray, needed a road map for priority action, it was delivered with pizzaz yesterday by the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Gord Miller. The Commissioner is required under the Environmental Bill of Rights to prepare an independent annual report on Ontario’s progress on reducing greenhouse
Congratulations to Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal – he’s fast out of the gate on the Government’s election promise to restrict use of neonicotinoids. Friends of the Earth is pleased to see Ontario move on neonics. The Minister is planning a licensing system to be in place by Fall 2014 that limits the blanket use of
On March 17, 2014, Friends of the Earth Canada sent letters to the four biggest garden centre retailers in Canada, asking them to: Commit to not sell nursery bedding plants and vegetable plants pre-treated with neonicotinoids Institute a corporate policy that bans use of neonics on and in their facilities and throughout their supply chain,
Guest Post: Heather Menzies Walking the land of my ancestors helped me remember that we live in nature, even as we turn on the tap for a drink of water in a high-rise apartment, or hang a planter full of marigolds and salvia in the backyard of our suburban home. Walking the land that they
Did you enjoy your garden in bloom over the Canada Day holiday? Did you plant your garden to provide habitat for bees and other pollinators? Now you might look at those blooms with new eyes. Friends of the Earth tested nursery plants in 18 cities in North America and found Neonicotinoid pesticides (neonic) in more
New study shows that more than half of “bee-friendly” home garden plants sold at garden centres in Canada contain bee-killing pesticides! Gardeners Beware 2014, released by Friends of the Earth Canada, Friends of the Earth U.S. and the Pesticide Research Institute (PRI) has found that more than half of garden plants sampled in the U.S and Canada contain levels of neonicotinoid
It’s an article of faith that a few caring people can change the world. That you or I can make a difference. But when it comes to gardening, we’re being hoodwinked. By now, we’re all familiar with the havoc wreaked upon bees and other pollinators by a class of pesticide called neonicotinoids. We know the
