An epidemic is wiping out the honey bee population in North America. Here in Californians, we have a special responsibility to respond to this threat: Our state’s agricultural production accounts for more food than any other state in the nation – and that means our local economies depend on the health of honey bees.
Take action now: Tell U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to stop the use of bee-killing pesticides and save the honey bees! http://ecovote.org/SaveTheBees »
Our nation’s number one food security guards, honey bees, are dying off by the thousands. These little guys may sound easy to dismiss, but honey bees are directly responsible for pollinating more than one third of the United States’ entire food supply. Nearly 100 varieties of fruits depend on them for pollination, including produce like almonds, cranberries, avocados, and apples. They also help to generate more than $15 billion in agricultural production in the U.S each year!
This epidemic isn’t a natural phenomenon – these bees are dying as a result of exposure to certain types of pesticides. Send your message to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack now!
Honey bees are dying at rates unprecedented in history, and the USDA has already acknowledged the threat by warning that it is no longer confident in our ability to “meet the pollination demands of U.S. agricultural crops.” Rather than expand the number of crops that can be sprayed with highly toxic and systemic insecticides like sulfoxaflor, the federal government must take immediate steps to help bees recover.
As citizens concerned about our nation’s health and food security, we must speak out to stop bee-killing pesticides like sulfoxaflor. Urge the USDA to prevent chemical giant Dow AgroScience from following through on their plans to expand the use of sulfoxaflor, and don’t let the spray reach our corn, alfalfa, oats, and several other significant and widely grown crops.
Thank you for speaking out today to help save honey bees and protect our nation’s food supply.
