Neonicotinoids and Nature
We don’t need neonicotinoids!
Neonicotinoids are a class of neuroactive insecticides chemically similar to nicotine. They assist with pest control on more than 140 crop varieties. Sounds beneficial, right?
At first glance, neonicotinoids seem like the right answer to gain a higher crop yield and manage food shortages. Take another look, and neonicotinoids could devastate nature.
In parts of Europe, governments know the detrimental harm neonicotinoids have on wildlife yet still permit widespread usage across the country. Neonicotinoids harm many species, with the most adverse effects on bees.
Bees are crucial to our planet and are already an endangered species. Without bees, many plant and animal species would die out. Without bees, ⅓ of the world food wouldn't exist, and ½ the world's oil, fiber, and raw materials wouldn't survive. We can also thank them for medicine, clean water, and oxygen. Every year, these little pollinators contribute over $217 billion to the global economy. Paradoxically, introducing neonicotinoids in agriculture can increase yields in the short term and lead to falling crop yields later.
The Queen Bee is responsible for all bee life. Her eggs are the foundation of the entire colony. Neonicotinoids impact the Queen bumble bee's reproductivity health, impairing her ability to lay eggs. They also reduce bumble bees' ability to 'buzz,' collect pollen, and survive, plummeting bee pollination in 70% of the world's agriculture.
Unfortunately, neonicotinoids make their way deep into a plant's pollen and nectar which bees collect. According to The Journal of Experimental Biology Erica Zhang and James C. Nieh, "Neonicotinoid insecticides can impair bee learning and memory by 87% and 85%." Memory and similar cognitive features play a crucial role in colony fitness because they facilitate foraging. Moreover, it is not solely bees that these insecticides impact.
We need bees.
There is a link between neonicotinoids and the decline in the butterfly population in the UK. Neonicotinoids also have a known effect on aquatic life, which are already at serious risk due to overfishing. Also, birds and large mammals have been impaired from eating food treated with neonicotinoids. Knowing the vast damage neonicotinoids can cause, what can you and your government do?
The UK Governments Decision
Requirements in the United Kingdom follow a three-step usage case of neonicotinoids with:
Emergency authorization
The case for the need
Limited and controlled use
Still, introducing such a harmful chemical into ecosystems must be managed with more care. While the European Union banned neonicotinoids, the UK's withdrawal enabled policy changes like neonicotinoid usage. The UK government has allowed companies to use two neonicotinoid pesticides for 120 days on 5% of England's oilseed rape crop. This is only the beginning, so how can you help?
It's simple! Use your voice to prevent the use of neonicotinoids and other harmful chemicals by signing the United Kingdom petition on neonicotinoids below. Eventually, the global community can eliminate these dangerous chemicals from use with your help.
Detailed Source Overview
Hey there! Below you can find the sources we used to research bees and how they are affected by climate change. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these sources.
Our Sources
"Ban Lifted on Controversial ‘Neonic’ Pesticide." BBC News, 23 July 2015, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33641646.
Claydon, Sam. "About Neonicotinoids - Pesticide Action Network UK." Pesticide Action Network UK, 25 Jan. 2021, https://www.pan-uk.org/about_neonicotinoids/.
"Neonicotinoids | Www.Gardenorganic.Org.Uk." Www.Gardenorganic.Org.Uk, https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/neonicotinoids. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.
Scholar, Find. "The Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid Impairs Honey Bee Aversive Learning of Simulated Predation." Journal of Experimental Biology, 1 Oct. 2015, https://jeb.biologists.org/content/218/20/3199.
"Understanding Neonicotinoids." Home, https://xerces.org/pesticides/understanding-neonicotinoids. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.