Obama just unveiled a big new plan to save the honeybees

[lovemydog]

by Brad Plumer on May 19, 2015

So, in its new plan, the White House has set a goal of bringing winter honeybee colony losses back down to an "acceptable" level of 15 percent within a decade. To do that, the plan calls for more funding for strategies to stave off the Varroa mite and other invasive pests, as well as research into improving bee nutrition and understanding the impacts of pesticides.

Crucially, the federal government will also take steps to restore some 7 million acres of wild habitat for bees and other pollinators over the next five years. That will partly be done via new management on federal lands. But the government is also encouraging people to plant pollinator-friendly plants in their backyards. The hope is that if bees have healthier diets, they'll be more resilient against all the other stresses they're facing.

Outside experts lauded this aspect of the White House plan. "I think the emphasis on increasing pollinator-friendly habitat is great — we need a safe, nutritious place for bees to go," says vanEngelsdorp. "Increased investment in research to make sure policy is data-based is good. Having clear goals by which to measure success is also a good thing."

Separately, the White House also set goals for boosting populations of the monarch butterfly, which has seen a precipitous decline in recent years. One reason for that? The rise of herbicide-intensive farming in the Midwest seems to be wiping out milkweed, the main food for monarch caterpillars. This new plan sets a goal of boosting winter monarch numbers to 220 million butterflies by 2020 (last year, the winter population was at just 33 million).

more here:

http://www.vox.com/2015/5/19/8625183/honeybees-obama

[randys1]

1. And every teaparty moron reading this will be stunned that while abortions continue, Obama

is wasting time on bees.

Not one of said morons will know how our very existence is so tied to their existence.

If they have heard of the link, they will say it is a liberal plot like climate change.

stupid bigots

[lovemydog]

2. Haha, so true.

I've become pretty fascinated lately with bees. Someone near where I live is trying his best to farm them. Or whatever the correct term is for that. I've had some of the honey. It's really good.

[madokie]

51. My brother and his friend have about 20 hives now

started with one a couple three years ago. Many of them they've got from people calling them to tell them there is a swarm at their place and would they Please come get them. I love HONEY. yessiree

[lovemydog]

78. Oh, that's great madokie.

My buddy, similar thing. He's gotten lots of bees from people calling & saying get the bees out of the old house & stuff like that.

[madokie]

79. They have an apparatus that connects to a shop vac

that sucks the bees into a box where it doesn't hurt the bees and it lets them get them out of some places that would be almost impossible otherwise. When the bees are in a swarm they are pretty docile and most times they will be on a limb or something similar and they simply put a container under them and then cut the limb off and the whole swarm drops into the container under them and then place a cover over the top and they got the bees, queen and all. Its a pretty simple setup and works well without harming the bees at all. Bees are pretty neat when it comes right down to it. Life savers actually, our lives.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

7. That's exactly how stupid they are. Stupid fucking morons. nt

[BlancheSplanchnik]

10. I'm very happy PBO is doing this, and you're absolutely right.

Fucking dumbshit morans. No idea of cause and effect. They don't look any farther than their immediate self-gratification urges lead them.

I'd be fine with letting them go their own way, but fux spews has a moran insemination program running for the past however many years. (How long has that biohazard been on?)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. This is important news, and I am glad to hear it.

Without bees in large numbers, their important work of pollination would not get done, and there would be major crop losses.

[shenmue]

5. Yes

A relief to me as well.

[cyberswede]

4. RE: Monarch butterflies...

In my state, they're encouraging people to plant milkweed.

http://www.radioiowa.com/2015/05/15/fsa-urges-iowans-to-plant-milkweed-to-help-monarchs/

[progressoid]

9. I remember seeing so much milkweed as a kid.

Hope to see it (and the Monarchs) come back again.

[Dont call me Shirley]

17. The fluffy pods were so much fun to play with!

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/67289.html&h=333&w=500&tbnid=0QosGa8LYX0yZM:&zoom=1&docid=rBzWf0bB3DXhlM&hl=en-US&ei=zaNbVdj-A8iCyQT2poDQCg&tbm=isch&ved=0CFEQMygiMCI

[freshwest]

27. Oh, wow! That one is beautiful.Used to live in the 'flyway' near Mexico. Love 'em. n/t

[Greybnk48]

40. We have a large patch of milkweed in our front yard.

This is the fourth year. Someone reported us to the city about a year or so ago and someone came to our house about the complaint. He told us to make it look like a tended garden and no one could do anything about it. We ringed it with bullet bricks and keep it looking as neat as possible. If I can ever figure out how to post a picture on DU with my Mac I will this summer. I was very happy our city is on board with the milkweed movement.

[cyberswede]

42. Great!

I'd love to see a photo!

[NJCher]

57. I'm planting it in NJ

I got my seeds here:

https://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkweed-seeds.htm

My little seedlings are about 3" high!

I really need milkweed here, as I feed birds and there are lot of bluejays around.

Cher

[cyberswede]

58. Sweet!

I'll check out that site.

[jwirr]

66. I am in NE MN and wonder if a company in Florida would have seeds that would even grow in our

climate? Also do the needs of bees and butterflies over lap? I have a two foot wide strip of grass beside our garage and am thinking of making it into a garden just for them.

[roody]

76. I bought some milkweed plants at the farmers market. nt

[cyberswede]

77. Awesome! Good idea to look there.

[Politicalboi]

6. I remember years ago

Driving on I 40 going to Laughlin NV and hitting so many butterflies on the way to and from. By the time you got home, your car was covered in dead bugs. Now, that is a rarity. We need friendlier highways that help divert birds and bugs from the highway. Maybe sound generated to keep even cats and dogs off them too.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. yes!! this too!!!

And greenway bridges.....

Anything to preserve natural land, flora and fauna.

More trees!! Fewer people!!!

[freshwest]

28. Wonder if hood spoilers would direct the wind up so they'd miss the windshield? n/t

[red dog 1]

60. Do they still make those?

The last time I saw one was back in the 1950s.
My Dad had one on his '52 Buick.
They sure did keep the bugs & insects from hitting the windshield while driving down a freeway or driving fast on an open stretch of road

[freshwest]

62. That I don't know. It might be an after-market product now.

I see some new vehicles with spoilers built in on the rear, and if they are for looks or for have a functional purpose, I don't know. I believe they were part of muscle cars because they were expected to go very fast and were helpful in preventing loss of control or speed. I just wonder if someone could put the idea in the heads of some automotive producers to use them to save butterflies, bees, etc. I understand somecould care less about conservation but might want to prevent their auto being covered with bug guts.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Very important and a good step forward.

nt

[True Blue Door]

12. Obama's just shilling for Big Honey.

How much did they pay you off to do this, Mr. Obummer?

[freshwest]

29. Tell it, TBD! BTW, where are our checks? LOL. n/t

[Cha]

37. Exactly.. "Obama is republican lite"/"trojan horse".. how dare he help the bees and every other

Progressive thing he's done in his years in Office.

"Shilling for Big Honey".. lOLOLOL

[cui bono]

43. You mean like fighting hard for the TPP? Allowing shell to drill in the Arctic?

Pushing a conservative health plan? Putting Wall Street in the White House? Appointing Monsanto people to the EPA?

Are those the progressive things you're talking about?

[Cha]

44. I mean like every progressive thing he's done since he's been in office.. How dare he?!

[cui bono]

45. Every one? How many are there?

[Cha]

47. How dare he?! "Changed HUD rules to prohibit gender and sexual orientation

based discrimination in housing"

http://www.keennewsservice.com/2010/07/07/hud-clarifies-lgbt-housing-discrimination-protections/

How dare President Obama help the bees and Every other Progressive thing he's done since he's been if Office?!

The White House OSTP retweeted
Dept. of Agriculture @USDA
· 15h 15 hours ago
Announcing new steps to promote #pollinatorhealth http://ow.ly/N8GXP


http://theobamadiary.com/2015/05/19/a-tweet-or-two-288/

[cui bono]

55. So that's two. Less than I listed that were conservative.

Why do you not ask "how dare he" when it comes to his conservative and moderate Republican policies?

[Cha]

67. How dare the President?! "Obama Asks F.C.C. to Adopt Tough Net Neutrality Rules"

Last edited Wed May 20, 2015, 07:11 PM - Edit history (1)

"WASHINGTON — In his most direct effort yet to influence the debate about the Internet’s future, President Obama said on Monday that a free and open Internet was as critical to Americans’ lives as electricity and telephone service and should be regulated like those utilities to protect consumers."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/technology/obama-net-neutrality-fcc.html

How dare President ask the F.C.C. for a Free and Open Internet.. and Every Other Progressive thing he's Done while his time in Office?!!!

Obama is creating a 1,500-mile “butterfly corridor” to help Monarchs get from Mexico to Minnesota


US president Barack Obama, a friend to bees and other pollinating insects in peril, has unveiled his national strategy (pdf) to mitigate honey bee loss, increase the Monarch butterfly population, and restore the habitats of both insects, whose health is essential to our food supply. The program will depend heavily on federal agencies and will also involve Mexico and Canada, since bees and butterflies know nothing of state laws and don’t really care about borders.

http://qz.com/407893/obama-is-creating-a-1500-mile-butterfly-corridor-to-help-monarchs-get-from-mexico-to-minnesota/

[cui bono]

75. That was a good one! I like that very much.

I just read something where the tech industry says the TPP is going to allow the giants in the field control the internet though.

And they express concern for keeping the internet open and accessible.

“The future of the internet is simply too important to be decided behind closed doors,” said Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future. “The Fast Track/Trade Promotion Authority process actively silences the voices of internet users, startups, and small tech companies while giving the biggest players even more power to set policy that benefits a few select companies while undermining the health of the entire web.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12807710

[True Blue Door]

59. It's just a sinister conspiracy to get on the bees' good side

and then he plans to invade with an army of wasps.

If he doesn't, we'll come up with some other reason why the measure was insidious.

He must not be given credit! If he gets credit for anything, the world will end!

[Cha]

68. "He must not be given credit! If he gets credit for anything, the world will end!" Exactly!

[Jefferson23]

13. That is a relief..7 million acres restored. n/t

[Cha]

48. Isn't it, Jefferson!

The White House OSTP retweeted
Dept. of Agriculture @USDA
· 15h 15 hours ago
Announcing new steps to promote #pollinatorhealth http://ow.ly/N8GXP


http://theobamadiary.com/2015/05/19/a-tweet-or-two-288/

[tridim]

14. Thank you Obama for saving my raw honey.

Yes, I know his plan is much bigger than that, but I need my raw honey before bed.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. "...and understanding the impacts of pesticides."

But not herbicides.

[deathrind]

16. This is nice...but

...so much for other species I guess.

In reference to proposed changes to the ESA.

[Omaha Steve]

18. K&R!

[Dont call me Shirley]

19. This is good news!

PS...ban gmos and their food, Round Up

[TimeToEvolve]

20. and here is an even better idea to protect the bees........

sink the TPP and stop further destruction of nature and other life supporting systems that bees need!

[proverbialwisdom]

21. Is "the rise of herbicide-intensive farming in the Midwest" code for GMO corn crops?

http://robynobrien.com/a-perfect-storm-global-concerns-around-monsantos-glyphosate-mount/

A Perfect Storm: Global Concerns Mount Around Monsanto’s Glyphosate
May 14, 2015
By Robyn O'Brien

...According to National Geographic, “introduced commercially by Monsanto in 1974, glyphosate kills weeds by blocking proteins essential to plant growth…more than 1.4 billion pounds (are) applied per year (globally). 
Its use skyrocketed after seeds were genetically engineered to tolerate the chemical…. Between 1987 and 2012, annual U.S. farm use grew from less than 11 million pounds to nearly 300 million pounds.

<>

1. Last month, an international agency declared glyphosate, the primary ingredient in the popular product Roundup, a “probable human carcinogen.” 




2. Glyphosate is not included in the U.S. government’s testing of food for pesticide residues or the monitoring of chemicals in human blood and tissues.

<>

Link from https://twitter.com/foodawakenings

[red dog 1]

25. Thanks for those links

I, for one, would like to know why Glyphosate, "a probable human carcinogen".."is not included in the U.S. government's testing of food for pesticide residues or the monitoring of chemicals in human blood and tissues"?

Earlier today on DU was this AP article:
"To fight Bee Decline, Obama Proposes More Land To Feed bees"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141097771

From the AP article:
"Environmental activists, who wanted a ban on a much criticized class of pesticide, said the Obama administration's bee strategy falls way short of what's needed to save the hives."

[freshwest]

30. Probably doen't fit measuremet of ppb, or something. I'm agin it all, myself. Unnecessary, IMO. n/t

[bigwillq]

22. Cool.

K and R

[Skittles]

23. it is great this issue is being addressed

yes INDEED

[tanyev]

24. Aha! The real reason for Jade Helm!

They're going to take over Texas and give it to the bees!!!1!

Well, I for one welcome our new apian overlords.

[freshwest]

31. "Make it so!" n/t

[red dog 1]

26. K&R...Thanks for posting

I am glad the President is finally doing something about this extremely important issue.

From the OP:
"The plan calls for more strategies to stave off the Varroa mite and other invasive pests, as well as research into improving bee nutrition and understanding the impacts of pesticides."

"understanding the impacts of pesticides,"?

I wonder why Glyphoatate, a "probable human carcinogen" is not included in the U.S. government's testing of food for pesticide residues or the monitoring of chemicals in human blood and tissues."

What exactly do they need to "understand" about Glyphostate that they don't already know?

It's a "probable human carcinogen" for God's sake, .what more is there to "understand?" about it?

[Botany]

32. know it, learn it, and love it

[lovemydog]

33. Ooh, great excuse to post Tupelo Honey.

[Cha]

36. LOVE THAT SONG! Mahalo, lmd!

[lovemydog]

49. Me too Cha!

Mahalo my friend.

'You can't stop us on the road to freedom. You can't stop us 'cause our eyes can see.'

[Hekate]

34. Excellent news. Our area is a major stopover for Monarchs, but they are disappearing...

It's awful. Our lives may not depend on butterflies the way they do on bees, but harm to both is a symptom of serious sickness in the ecosystem.

I am so grateful our POTUS gets that.

[Cha]

35. Damn that "trojan horse".. how dare he try to save the honeybees!! that's not all trojany enough.

Thanks Trojan Horse!

"Separately, the White House also set goals for boosting populations of the monarch butterfly, which has seen a precipitous decline in recent years." DUer hue will love this!.. as do we all.

Mahalo lovemydog!

[JoePhilly]

52. "Obama is a tool of Big Honey!!"

[sheshe2]

38. KnR!

The losses are worrying, since honeybees pollinate some $15 billion worth of crops in the United States each year, including apples, berries, cantaloupes, cucumbers, and almonds. So far, beekeepers have managed to adapt to honeybee losses by working furiously to rebuild their colonies in the spring and summer — at considerable cost. But if the losses keep mounting, the worry goes, this situation could become unsustainable.

Damn good Op. Love you, lovemydog.

Amazing, isn't it, a President that cares about us and our future.

[lovemydog]

50. Thank you sheshe2.

You know I love ya too my friend.

I'm fascinated with this honeybee situation. I have a friend who cultivates them, and I'm learning more about it. If you get a chance to visit a hive, check it out. It's really amazing.

[G_j]

39. very thankful for this

I hope the plan is successful.

[Cha]

41. White House Tweet Pic Announcing USDA New Steps to Promote Pollinator Health..

Last edited Wed May 20, 2015, 01:38 AM - Edit history (1)

The White House OSTP retweeted
Dept. of Agriculture @USDA
· 15h 15 hours ago
Announcing new steps to promote #pollinatorhealth http://ow.ly/N8GXP


http://theobamadiary.com/2015/05/19/a-tweet-or-two-288/

[cui bono]

46. This is good news.

So why did he allow Shell to drill in the Arctic? Why is he pushing the TPP?

Why so inconsistent?

[lovemydog]

54. Those are great questions cui bono.

I think a President has to balance competing interests and determine which battles are worth fighting and which may be used for compromising. Regarding drilling in the Arctic, the competing interest is for our country to establish good paying jobs and for us to become less energy dependent on other countries. Regarding the TPP, it's an interest to develop trade deals that will provide our country with more revenue and strengthen the job market. Maybe not with union jobs, but with other jobs, along with strengthening working conditions and environmental regulations among our partners overseas.

I'm still not in favor of either of those two things. For me, the environmental concerns outweigh allowing Shell to drill in the Arctic. Regarding the TPP I'm against it until I've read it. But I try and understand the competing interests involved.

[yellowcanine]

53. Good to save honey bees but the real problem is with native bees and other native pollinators.

And the main problem is habitat loss, particularly loss of native flowering plant diversity. This is also a problem for honey bees. They do not do as well on monocultures of agricultural crops as they do when they have a diversity of pollen and nectar sources. More tightly regulating the use of neonicotinoid insecticides will also help but it is not a silver bullet for either native bees or honey bees.

[Fearless]

61. So what are they actually going to do?

[lovemydog]

64. from the article:

So in its new plan, the White House has set a goal of bringing winter honeybee colony losses back down to an "acceptable" level of 15 percent within a decade. To do that, the plan calls for more funding for strategies to stave off the Varroa mite and other invasive pests, as well as research into improving bee nutrition and understanding the impacts of pesticides. The White House is requesting $82 million from Congress to carry this out.

[Scurrilous]

63. K & R

[d_legendary1]

65. I thought Monsanto was killing these bees off

with their pesticide ridden plants.

[Cha]

69. Why do you think we have to save them?

[d_legendary1]

80. Except they're not looking at Franken Fruits

They're looking at everything else except those.

[Cha]

70. Obama is creating a 1,500-mile “butterfly corridor” to help Monarchs get from Mexico to Minnesota

US president Barack Obama, a friend to bees and other pollinating insects in peril, has unveiled his national strategy (pdf) to mitigate honey bee loss, increase the Monarch butterfly population, and restore the habitats of both insects, whose health is essential to our food supply. The program will depend heavily on federal agencies and will also involve Mexico and Canada, since bees and butterflies know nothing of state laws and don’t really care about borders.

http://qz.com/407893/obama-is-creating-a-1500-mile-butterfly-corridor-to-help-monarchs-get-from-mexico-to-minnesota/

Mahalo lovemydog

[lovemydog]

71. Hola mi amiga!

When I looked at that photo at first I thought it was a hang-glider. Then I realized it's a beautiful Monarch butterfly. Amazing. I love nature. I love bees. And butterflies too. LOL, they 'know nothing of state laws and don't really care about borders.' Ain't that the truth.

[Cha]

72. Buenos Dias, Amigo! From Mexico to Minnesota. Ole!

Me too, on all counts! lol from the link..


That’s a key path or “flyway” for Monarch butterflies, who winter in Mexico before making a multi-generational migration, laying eggs and dying in the southern US, and leaving new, young butterflies to finish the journey north.

[lovemydog]

73. That's amazing. Thanks Cha!

You rocka & rolla!

[Cha]

74. U2!

[lovemydog]

81. Bees pollinate most everything we eat, so they are vital to our survival.

Here's some more interesting things about bees.