To the editor:
I appreciated your article “Catch the latest buzz” (July 14).
Bees are vital to both our food system and national economy; they help pollinate nearly one in every three bites of food we eat, and insect pollination is valued at $20 billion to $30 billion annually. Therefore, the high rates of decline of both honey and native bees are quite alarming.
We must do all we can to end their extreme die-offs, and we must start by banning neonicotinoids. As the article stated, numerous factors are linked to bee decline. However, studies have shown that neonicotinoids, a class of dangerous pesticides 6,000 times more toxic than DDT, are a key contributor. With the same chemical properties as nicotine, neonicotinoids are neurotoxins that can kill bees off directly, in addition to disorienting them and making it harder for them to pollinate. While it is certainly worthwhile to research bee populations with the aim of pinpointing some of the causes of their decline, we must, in the meantime, address a factor we know at least plays a role.
The EPA is currently reviewing neonicotinoids, so we must call on them to commit to speeding up their testing and eventually ban these toxic chemicals altogether. Failure to ban these bee-killing pesticides will have disastrous effects – after all, no bees means no food.
Cashen Conroy
Environment New Hampshire
Concord