writeaboutwarming

April 29, 2013 – Today was a good day.   Today the European Commission voted to ban the use of a class of pesticides known as neonicotinoids for two years.   Fifteen countries voted for the ban, which is not enough to constitute a “qualified majority.”   That’s the reason for the ban’s two year duration.   The moratorium applies to all member nations of the European Union, and England, and will begin no later than December 1 of this year.   It does not apply to crops that do not attract bees, or to winter crops.   Because it is the seed that is treated, the sale and use of seeds – primarily of corn, soy and canola - are prohibited.   Furthermore, none of this type of pesticide can be sold to amateur growers. Back in January, the European Food Safety Authority issued a statement regarding the unacceptability of neonicotinoids because of the danger they pose to bees.   Research has found that these pesticides impair bees’ ability to navigate, f...

November 23, 2009 – Pesticide use has increased in the United States. Yes, that’s right, I said increased. We’re spraying more poison on our food. Small amounts of that poison enter our bodies when we eat those foods. Small amounts of that poison enter our children’s bodies when they eat those foods. The best news of all? The poisons are getting stronger. Before going further, allow me to relate what I suspect was a case of coming to grips with this very Frankenstein in my own front yard. This year’s crop of dandelions was nearly unprecedented. (One might say they grew like weeds ….) Since we try to treat our yard for them as infrequently as possible, we had a bumper crop. Our yard was a sea of yellow. Then a neighbor came calling, claiming to be speaking on behalf of other neighbors. The short and the long of it was the dandelions had to go. Our front yard isn’t small – nearly half an acre. There could be no question of digging the dandelions up anywhere near as fast as the neighb...