Bee declines: MPs attack government for opposing pesticide ban
This article profiles another forceful strand of policy from an increasingly assertive Defra. One which I feel is increasingly unprepared to compromise in the face of public sentiment. It tells us:
Where have all the bees gone? The decline of many species of bee and other pollinating insects such as butterflies, moths and hoverflies have raised concerns about the impacts on food supplies, gardens and the countryside. In response, and back in June, the Government launched an “urgent and comprehensive” review of why bees were declining and what could be done to help them. The review is dividing opinion, with debates about whether the scientific evidence is there to support a ban on pesticides gathering pace.
The EU clearly thinks the scientific case has been made and placed a 2-year moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides from December; yet the Government maintains that the evidence does not point to risks to pollinators that would justify these Europe-wide proposed restrictions. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has responded; calling on the Government to accept the case put forward by the European Commission and to apply the precautionary principle. Why are the bees dying, can they be saved, or are we heading for a world without bees?
On a lighter note – I went on a bee keeping course last year. I hesitated before getting any bees in view of the really hard work involved in keeping them well. In the meantime Mrs A filled the void by buying a caravan and I now have no spare time whatever!!!