HoneyBees Are Dying Off, But Luckily There’s Hope — And You Can Help!

Here at the Rainforest Site, we have become increasingly concerned with the sharp decline in honey bee populations due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). We have posted about what may be causing CCD, and our sister site, the Hunger Site, has also tackled the topic (since humans rely so heavily on bees for our food supply), though the cause of this mysterious disorder is still unknown.

Last week, however, President Barrack Obama released a memorandum that outlines an executive plan to start a Pollinator Health Task Force, which will work with several governmental departments to develop a National Pollinator Health Strategy that will seek to pinpoint and eliminate any and all factors that contribute to the decay of honeybee and other pollinator populations.

This is a huge step in the fight to protect these precious creatures, and we can only hope that the U.S. government continues to take this issue seriously, and that it may inspire other nations to follow suit.

Although there are many potential causes for CCD, one major factor appears to be the use of dangerous-but-legal pesticides, notably those derived from tobacco. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been tasked by President Obama to reassess its stance on the use of these pesticides, called neonicotinoids — however, the EPA has historically ignored the dangers of these chemicals in favor of protecting corporate interests.

We can’t compete with the amount of money that neonicotinoid-producing companies dump into the pockets of EPA regulators, but we can raise our voice to make our stance on dangerous pesticides known! Currently on the Rainforest Site, we have three petitions aimed at the EPA that call on the agency to ban neonicotinoids and similar pesticides.

Sign Here to push for a ban on neonicotinoids.

And Take Action Here to stop the use of the dangerous chemical clothianidin.

And to round it out, Sign the Petition to stop the bee-killing pesticide sulfoxaflor.

Every signature will count toward stopping the ongoing slaughter of Earth’s honeybees!