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muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:12 AM Jun 2014

Petition to stop a UK exemption for EU-banned neonicotinoid insecticides

On Tuesday, David Cameron and his cabinet are going to decide whether to allow banned bee killing pesticides to be used on fields across the UK. Unbelievably, a mega pesticide company called Syngenta has just made an emergency appeal after their product was banned across Europe last year due to the risk it poses to our bees.

We’ve not got long to act. But if enough of us make a huge fuss right now, we could persuade David Cameron to throw out Syngenta’s request and uphold the ban.

Can you sign a petition to David Cameron right now demanding that he protects our bees?
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Now Syngenta are trying to wriggle out of the ban, even though yesterday, scientists from across the world said there’s ‘conclusive’ evidence that Syngenta’s products are killing our bees. And just last week, Barack Obama called for a wholesale review of the pesticides.

http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2014/06/26/david-cameron-save-our-bees/

Syngenta seeks ‘emergency’ exemption to use banned insecticide on UK crops

If approved, up to one-third of UK oilseed rape crops could be treated with neonicotinoids despite a European ban

The agro-chemical company’s neonicotinoid pesticide was given a three-year ban by the European Union in 2013 due to research linking it to serious harm in bees.

The news of Syngenta’s application comes a day after an international scientific review concluded there was “clear evidence of [neonicotinoid] harm sufficient to trigger regulatory action”. Neonicotinoids are the world’s most widely used insecticide and the panel said contamination was so pervasive it threatened global food production.

“Syngenta has made this emergency use application on behalf of UK farmers for a limited use of neonicotinoid seed treatment in two specific contexts where alternative approaches are not effective and a danger to production exists,” said a company spokesman. He noted that the application was supported by the government’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), which confirmed the criteria for authorisation had been met. “Given this assessment we urge the government to support farmers and allow limited use this season.”

Syngenta argues that seed treatments with neonicotinoids are needed to protect rape sown by mid-August from aphid damage and crops in areas where flea beetle pressure is historically high. It says there are no available alternatives. The exemption would allow up to 186,000 hectares of oilseed rape – 30% of the total crop area – to be planted with seeds treated with the insecticide. Bayer, another major neonicotinoid manufacturer, is not applying for an exemption.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/25/syngenta-exemption-neonicotinoid-insecticide-ban-oilseed-rape

Insecticides put world food supplies at risk, say scientists

The world’s most widely used insecticides have contaminated the environment across the planet so pervasively that global food production is at risk, according to a comprehensive scientific assessment of the chemicals’ impacts.

The researchers compare their impact with that reported in Silent Spring, the landmark 1962 book by Rachel Carson that revealed the decimation of birds and insects by the blanket use of DDT and other pesticides and led to the modern environmental movement.

Billions of dollars’ worth of the potent and long-lasting neurotoxins are sold every year but regulations have failed to prevent the poisoning of almost all habitats, the international team of scientists concluded in the most detailed study yet. As a result, they say, creatures essential to global food production – from bees to earthworms – are likely to be suffering grave harm and the chemicals must be phased out.

The new assessment analysed the risks associated with neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides on which farmers spend $2.6bn (£1.53bn) a year. Neonicotinoids are applied routinely rather than in response to pest attacks but the scientists highlight the “striking” lack of evidence that this leads to increased crop yields.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/24/insecticides-world-food-supplies-risk

Allowing the use on a large part of agriculture defeats the point of the ban - imposed over a year ago, so this sudden "oh no, we need it after all" looks bogus. Please sign the petition.

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Petition to stop a UK exemption for EU-banned neonicotinoid insecticides (Original Post) muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 OP
Done. LeftishBrit Jun 2014 #1
Syngenta withdraws neonicotinoid emergency use application muriel_volestrangler Jul 2014 #2

muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
2. Syngenta withdraws neonicotinoid emergency use application
Fri Jul 4, 2014, 10:22 AM
Jul 2014
SYNGENTA has withdrawn an an application for the emergency use of its neonicotinoid seed treatment on winter oilseed rape in the UK, after failing to gain Government approval in time to put the derogation in place.

The company applied for what would effectively have been a derogation from the EU ban on neonicotinoids earlier this year. It would have allowed UK farmers to plant 180,600 hectares of its Cruiser OSR this autumn, under strict conditions.

Defra’s Advisory Committee on Pesticides confirmed back in May the criteria for an emergency authorisation had been met. But by the middle of this week the Government, despite Defra Secretary Owen Paterson seemingly being in favour of the derogation, had still not made a decision.
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However, the company has signalled to try again next year.

http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/arable/syngenta-withdraws-neonicotinoid-emergency-use-application/65807.article
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