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Studies Link Pesticides To Bee Colony Collapse Disorder
T Murphy writes "Neonicotinoid pesticides, designed to attack insects such as beetles and aphids, have been shown to harm bees' ability to navigate back to the hive. While initially assumed safe in low enough, non-fatal doses for bees, two papers have shown that may not be the case. Although the studies don't directly study the Colony Collapse Disorder, the scientists believe these pesticides are likely a contributing factor."
Considering the importance of bees to agriculture, I think the potential of any link between pesticides and colony collapses warrants both extreme concern and funding.
But hey, maybe you're looking forward to do the day we eat nothing but algal cultures or soylent green.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Considering the importance of bees to agriculture, I think the potential of any link between pesticides and colony collapses warrants both extreme concern and funding.
But hey, maybe you're looking forward to do the day we eat nothing but algal cultures or soylent green.
I'm looking forward to the day when we use logic and reason instead of emotion and fear to get science funding and sway public opinion.
Where the heck do you get "likely a contributing factor" == "everyone panic now! And give us more money."? This is how science works. These scientists are only publishing what their results will support and are not overstating the results. Other scientists will verify this work. Others (and possibly the same ones) will extend it if their conclusions have been shown to have validity.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Following France and Germany, last year the Italian Agriculture Ministry suspended the use of a class of pesticides, nicotine-based neonicotinoids, as a "precautionary measure." The compelling results - restored bee populations - prompted the government to uphold the ban. Yesterday, copies of the film 'Nicotine Bees' were delivered to the US Congress explaining the pesticide's connection to Colony Collapse Disorder. Despite the evidence, why does CCD remain a 'mystery' in the US?
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/nicotine-bees-population-restored-with-neonicotinoids-ban.html
It looks like there are still more studies needed if we really want to understand what is going on here.
The treated bees were about two to three times more likely to die while away from their nests, and the researchers said this was probably because the pesticide interfered with the bees' homing systems, so they couldn't find their way home.
That seems like quite the leap in logic, but I don't have the actual study in front of me. That pesticide harms bees sounds like a REALLY obvious conclusion, I kinda like bees and what they do for us.
Considering the importance of bees to agriculture, I think the potential of any link between pesticides and colony collapses warrants both extreme concern and funding.
Well, I don't think you read the article. There's a complicated situation here. It's not that the toxin is killing the bees directly but:
“So far, they mostly require manufacturers to ensure that doses encountered on the field do not kill bees, but they basically ignore the consequences of doses that do not kill them but may cause behavioral difficulties,”
So we have this situation where we believe a non-lethal dosage of this pesticide ruins the bee's ability to navigate back home which is a very serious problem. The real issue is that there's no way to quantify this and study it prior to releasing or approving a pesticide. So you have this situation where these folks are saying "we want to use technology to better our productivity in agriculture" and then you are levying unfathomable responsibility on the corporate giants who are developing said technologies. It's not as black and white as you make it out to be. I mean, how do you know that the pesticide doesn't make the bee a murderous backstabber in the colony years down the road?
I'm hesitant to comment on anything like this anymore, it got pretty ugly last time I asked follow up questions.
My work here is dung.
No problem, corn is wind pollinated so we'll still be able to live off of corn chips and high fructose corn syrup!
Several studies in the last year have indicated the same thing.
The evidence is stacking up pretty heavily at this point.
Nobody has panicked - these studies have been ongoing for the last couple years since the hypothesis was formed.
But, yes, there is some urgency in nailing it down before it starts affecting crop output.
> We have a hypothesis so we want people to panic and give us funding so we can actually see if there is a direct relationship
> between Colony Collapse Disorder
If you have been following the colony collapse story, you would already know that many entomologists suspect neonicotinoids as a possible part of the problem. Since pollination is a huge deal for agriculture, a lot of people really want to know the answer to CCD so it's not necessary to conjure up weird hypotheses to get funding. If you read any of the articles, you would also know that respected entomologists reviewing the papers thought they were well done.
I'm looking forward to the day when we use logic and reason instead of emotion and fear to get science funding and sway public opinion.
I am not sure if you are including this situation in your thinking. The logical move is to find alternative pesticides that do not harm the bees. Bees pollinate our crops in most areas of the world. We need them.
The food was modified by the owner (corporation) to produce the pesticide internally.
Wrong. It's a systemic insecticide, not related to GMO. You seem to be confusing this with BT.
Anyway, it's possible this is one of many factors involved in Colony Collapse. The scientists seemed careful to not repeat the "drinking 12 bottles of Hair Dye causes cancer in Canadian mice" study.
Stop making shit up.
People who make shit like that up should be banned from the internet for a month.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
The food was modified by the owner (corporation) to produce the pesticide internally.
False. These are water soluble pesticides that are included in the watering of plants and are easily translocated into the plant tissue as it grows. Alternatively they are applied to the soil or doused on seeds.
This is not the same as "roundup ready plants" which are GM plants that are resistant to roundup. You sound confused and appear to be bent on spreading fear about harm to humans who consume these plants.
My work here is dung.
Nothing in either article suggests a link to GMO food, and there has never been a case of a consumer suffering a harmful effect that was linked to pesticide residue on produce.
I am not sure if you are including this situation in your thinking. The logical move is to find alternative pesticides that do not harm the bees. Bees pollinate our crops in most areas of the world. We need them.
The logical move is to actually do a study before announcing that the pesticide is destroying bee colonies. Once we decide to start looking for an alternative to something that isn't proven to be doing harm we take away resources that could be used to find the real problem if it turns out our initial assumption was wrong. While we are all busy looking for a bee friendly pesticide we could be ignoring a fungus or a mite, giving them time to do even more damage.
I'm looking forward to the day when we use logic and reason instead of emotion and fear to get science funding and sway public opinion.
There are several Utopian cults who promise what you seek, it is delivered right after the Kool-Aid is served.
>>>People who make shit like that up should be banned from the internet for a month.
Read the first amendment.
Or the enumeration of rights in your State constitution.
Nobody's speech may be censored.
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
The logical move would be to read and understand the research before making things up. The scientists have said these classes of pesticides might be the cause and more study is warranted. If they are right the next move is what to do which may include limiting the usage of these pesticides or their methods of dispersal.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Have a source, or are you going to continue to make stuff up?
And before you tell me to do my own research, you brought it up, you defend it.
I dont even know if you're right, or wrong. But your claiming we cant trust all major news sites about a story that could impact every human on the face of the planet is a major red flag.
Not to mention Neonicotinoid being sprayed on seeds is not 'GMO'. Its standard pesticide. So...yeah, balls in your court champ.
RoundUp, last I checked, was an herbicide, not a pesticide.
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. -edward abbey
Hey, there, snarkopotamous. Did I say to stop all current agricultural practices RIGHT THE FUCK NOW so we can all step as one into the bright utopian future?
No, I did not.
It's this type of blatant refusal to address issues coherently and the related knee-jerk argumentativeness that keeps progress from being made.
Fun fact: a hell of a lot of those 7billion people who are alive today are very slowly and painfully starving because the system that IS in place doesn't adequately meet their needs anyway.
Also, cheap food is typically less nutritious, as well. What do I propose we do? Anything at all. But people like you try to reframe the discussion, so I suppose we'll just sit on our hands and do nothing, year after year. Which is what we are doing anyway.
Ho hum.
Huh? Herbicide is a subset of pesticide. It kills pesty weeds, with a weed being a plant growing where it is unwanted.
And for safety, glyphosate is usually considered safe though there are reports of a couple of 100 ml causing death. The real danger is in the surfactants used to help the glyphosate penetrate the waxy cell covering. These aren't covered by the FDA as they aren't an active ingredient.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate#Effects
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundup_(herbicide)#Toxicity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism