Sometime in the next three days, you may find yourself face to face with a bumble bee, a witch, a skeleton or some other spooky Halloween creature that’s asking you and your employer to do your part to save the bees. In the lead-up to Halloween 2014, Friends of the Earth and millions of its
In a move for transparency, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has made public her mandate letters to the ministers of her cabinet. In this blog post, we are cherry picking points from her letters related to pollinator health. Among her opening statements she says, “The people of Ontario have entrusted their government to be a force for good,” and
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
For Immediate Release, Dec 10, 2013 OTTAWA – Liberal Environment Critic John McKay rose in the House of Commons this morning to call for an Emergency debate on the “unusually high” number of bee deaths in Canada in recent years. “This issue is pressing as bees are responsible for the pollination of flowering Canadian crops,”
Friends of the Earth Canada is hosting Professor Dave Goulson in Toronto, Ontario, November 12-14.
For immediate release (OTTAWA, CANADA, September 23, 2013) Friends of the Earth Canada has filed a notice of objection to Health Canada’s decision under the Pest Control Products Act to renew conditional registration of a bee-toxic pesticide, clothianidin, despite lack of due diligence by the applicant companies. Health Canada’s agency dealing with pesticides is recommending
Friends of the Earth Canada has received a brown envelope delivery of data showing neonicotinoid residue analysis for 2013 compared to 2012. Dated August 27, 2013, it shows residue in dead bees, affected bees, their pollen, honey, water, soil and vegetation. If this is the update for 2013, the bee carnage continues. “If this is
The Bee Cause calls for a ban on bee harmful pesticides and practices while proposing and delivering practical ways to help bees and wild pollinators. Bees are very important in Canada with estimates of $1.7 billion value for their pollination services and $146 million of honey produced annually. Bees are under many stresses in Canada. For example,
