The U.S. Bans GMOs, Bee-Killing Pesticides in All Wildlife Refuges

[MohRokTah]

This is good:

The U.S. Bans GMOs, Bee-Killing Pesticides in All Wildlife Refuges

By Todd Woody | Takepart.com July 31, 2014 3:31 PM Takepart.com

The U.S. government is creating a safe place for bees on national wildlife refuges by phasing out the use of genetically modified crops and an agricultural pesticide implicated in the mass die-off of pollinators.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System manages 150 million acres across the country. By January 2016, the agency will ban the use of neonicotinoids, widely used nerve poisons that a growing number of scientific studies have shown are harmful to bees, birds, mammals, and fish. Neonicotinoids, also called neonics, can be sprayed on crops, but most often the seeds are coated with the pesticide so that the poison spreads throughout every part of the plant as it grows, including the pollen and nectar that pollinators like bees and butterflies eat.

“We have determined that prophylactic use, such as seed treatments, of the neonicotinoid pesticides and that can distribute systemically in a plant and can affect a broad spectrum of non-target species is not consistent with Service policy,” James Kurth, chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System, wrote in a July 17 memo.

The move follows a regional wildlife chief’s decision on July 9 to ban neonics in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Hawaii, and the Pacific Island

...

Read the full article at Yahoo.

[loudsue]

1. Monsanto will sue and win.

They are the devil.

[RufusTFirefly]

16. Yes. Or the government will simply cave

And we won't read about it.

[KurtNYC]

23. Watch Vermont. They are going to lose.

Monsanto is losing the GMO labeling battle and the larger battle in the food industry as consumers shift away from their products.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/12/vermont-gmo-idUSL2N0OT20620140612

The snack industry brought the suit and have the burden of proving that GMO foods are no different than hybrids and heirlooms. They loaded their Complaint with talking points and red herrings about feeding the poor (btw GMO yields are NOT higher) but ultimately the law is on the books. Voters demanded the right to know if a product they buy contains GMO-based ingredients. The laws is not about science or feeding the poor, just choice. I see nothing in the lawsuit that cites precedent for denying consumers information about the food they are offered for purchase. Without demonstrating that consumers are not entitled to specifics in food labels, the lawsuit has no chance.

Beyond the law and suit, Whole Foods is going forward with their own, privatized, version -- GMO labeling of all products by 2018. And an unlikely ally has entered in the form of WalMart's push of Wild Oats Organics at the price of conventional. Organic, by definition, is not GMO so WalMart in effect is labeling GMO vs non and giving customers the choice (at equal price for either).

[valerief]

32. Of course, the USDA keeps eroding what organic means. I recall reading

that in different articles in OCA.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Here are some. I did a search in OCA using Organic Standards.
http://www.google.com/custom?domains=www.organicconsumers.org&q=organic+standards&sa=Go&sitesearch=%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.organicconsumers.org%3BFORID%3A1&hl=en

[ladjf]

29. Maybe so but we still need to keep after them. nt

[misterhighwasted]

2. Yes! Ban Neocons

... also called neonics, can be sprayed on crops, but most often the seeds are coated with the pesticide so that the poison spreads throughout every part of the plant as it grows, including the pollen and nectar that pollinators like bees and butterflies eat.

[MrMickeysMom]

12. I believe this is the stuff places like Lowes sprays on their nursery crops at the stores, yes?

I had bad luck with such plants last year. This year, we did our food pantry garden from non-GMO organic seed, and what a difference.

[BrotherIvan]

30. Could you tell us more?

It would be great for people to read/see your experience so they know what to do when planting a garden.

[MrMickeysMom]

35. I couldn't possibly prove that my local Lowes was the culprit, but...

I read (newspaper account, or could have been DU) that many stores with plant nurseries including Lowes used that as a spray.

Every single Lowes zucchini plant I bought for the garden that we tend (to raise produce for local food banks) produced just male blossoms. The occasional female fruit could not thrive. I have to assume that pollination had reached a low. My theory is what the plants may have done to the pollinators. Again, I saw the article after planting. This year, we decided to raise zucchinis from seed, using a reputable source (local tree hugging group held a seed sharing where I obtained "these good seeds" this year. You couldn't get better zucchini this year from our garden. What made the difference in the zuchs?

[BrotherIvan]

37. Very interesting

I had a similar experience with tomatoes a while back. I figured it was how they force sprouted the plants in these very small containers. And the big stores have plants that are meant to be easy to grow and provide flashy fruit but have absolutely zero taste. The heirlooms I got from a local place were infinitely better. We should ask our local gardening celebrity, NRaleighLiberal.

[MrMickeysMom]

38. Yeah, NRL merits being a DU Guru on all things gardening...

I also should join the gardening group actively, but you don't have enough time for these things in life WHEN you garden!

[japple]

34. Neonicotinoids are used to treat the seeds. The seeds are used by growers who produce

plants for big box stores. And it's not just bees that are affected.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/09/neonicotinoids-farmland-birds

[MrMickeysMom]

36. That's what I read, too!

The neonicotinoid insecticides are believed to seriously harm bees and other pollinating insects...

[japple]

41. I wonder about other pollinators like bats?

[MrMickeysMom]

42. I have to say, I didn't know that bat were pollinators!

I always learn here.

[Voice for Peace]

20. I too am in favor of banning neocons.

[jwirr]

3. Hopefully states will do the same with their State parks. This is a beginning.

[lovuian]

4. Honeybee extinction is real

and they have to take action whether they like it or not



and documented studies prove that Neonicotinoids and GMO coated with pesticides kill whole hives

[wisechoice]

5. ban gmo?

Anti science. How dare they do this? We don't want to label food, but wildlife gets to live without gmo?

[misterhighwasted]

7. That's a great argument to further the ban altogether.

Bees, animals, fish & humans. Ban GMO's pesticides altogether

[Zorra]

6. YAY! Waiting for input from the Monsanto delegation. nt

[BrotherIvan]

31. They're over in this post

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025328456

Making sure everyone who is against GMO because of the science is shamed into submission. Giving themselves hi-fives for being so objective and sciencey.

[DocwillCuNow]

8. Ahhhh, but they may as well try and ban the wind..... n/t

[link:http://

|

[justhanginon]

39. Thank you for that clip and link. It sure

took me back to a wonderful much more innocent time in my life. A lot of water over the dam since then but still love that era's music. Donovan was one of my favorites. Again, I thank you.

[DocwillCuNow]

40. Didn't he do Hurdy Gurdy Man??? I liked his style as well, takes me back as well...

[Heather MC]

9. WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US??

I don't live in a wild life preserve, well you wouldn't think I did if you met my children. But dang it that ain't the point. I wish our government would make more grown up decisions

[valerief]

11. Oh, we can all go to hell for all they care. nt

[whereisjustice]

13. if the US Govt. protected you from the poisons of industry, industry would give less money to your

favorite politicians, both Democrat and Republican. Besides, if the Govt. stepped in, then what incentive would you have to work hard, make a lot of money and buy your own gas chromatography equipment for your family?

On the other hand, the constitution clearly states that NSA is allowed to spy on you, for the rest of our own safety of course. Billions and billions of our tax money is available for that.

You simply need help recognizing you are living the American dream!

[Zorra]

21. Welcome to DU!

[whatchamacallit]

10. "Batshit, anti science, government woo!"

Or something like that...

[BrotherIvan]

33. It's just anti-science propaganda!

Those poor little companies, they didn't have enough money to spend on positive PR for their amazing products! All those organic farm meanies had so much money to get out in front and scare whole governments. That's the reason why they can't be labeled! The little people are so stupid and uninformed, they can't be trusted to make their own decisions!!!! Because Science!

--signed, DU Woo Warrior!

[freshwest]

14. I approve! Neonics should be relegated to the same place DDT was. When bees are gone, so will we.

[Duval]

15. It's a beginning, at least. n/t

[Dr Hobbitstein]

17. I support banning neo-nics...

They are a very nasty pesticide.

However, GMO =/= the use of neo-nics.

[Kennah]

18. We're probably on schedule to see them banned completely, by 2150, when it's too late

[840high]

19. Please ban world wide.

[arikara]

22. they should ban it everywhere

but its a start. They obviously know and are admitting there is a problem with it.

[samsingh]

24. this is good

[oldandhappy]

25. I hope this is true. I hope this sticks.

A first step. Please Please Please

[marble falls]

26. FINALLY! A start. This country getting tired of it. My wife and I went through the midwest this ...

summer. We stopped in Missouri, Tiffin and Akron, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky and overnight in Indiana, Illinois. I was very surprised by how anti-Tea and anti-predatory capitalism most people were and how they usually spoke first. With my Texas plates I was surprised.

I think the President has a very good chance of getting his Democratic Congress.

[rickyhall]

27. I doubt Monsanto can effect wildlife refuges

But who's gonna tell the bees?

[In_The_Wind]

28. Bee-Killing Pesticides should be taken off the shelf.

I love my lab but I'm afraid she not very good at pollinating plants.