Summary:
Pesticides, or neonicotinoids, might be the reason why bee colonies around the world are dying. The European Commission suggested a continent-wide plan to strictly control the use of the three of the most commonly-used pesticides to protect bee’s health. In the late 1990s, the uses of pesticides are applied to plants or its seeds to protect them from insects, such as maize and soya beans. However, with continuous research shows that bees exposed to pesticides from plant’s pollen or nectar can cause harm to them. In January, the European Food Authority in Parma, Italy stated that three neonicotinods: clothiandin, imidacloprd and thiamethoxam should not be used in plants or crops that might attract bees.
The European Commission then suggested a two-year restriction in using pesticides. There are some exceptions though such as crops in green houses or an open air fields after flowering. In March, the European member did not achieve the support for the plans. More votes are against it but the European system requires a qualified majority. An appeals committee reached a standoff of votes, 5 member states voting for, 8 against, and 4 abstentions. It is implied that under Europeans rules, that European Commission can decide to proceed to their plan. Environmental groups were pleased with the decisions, stating a success for the precautionary principle. Other researchers stated that the two-year ban is not clearly effective to show that the pesticides were harming the bees. Many researchers said that the two year ban did not go far, that the pesticides can be used in the crops and creating a wider reduction of pesticide use. |
Reflection:After reading this article, I agree in some researchers that the two year ban is not enough evidence to support the pesticides are harming the bees. We need to look clearly into this problem because some time in the future, it might happen again but much worse so we need to find an answer to the problem. Honey bees are a major part of an ecosystem and they gave us honey that are sometimes a healing product for any injuries. Honey are only made from honey bees, if the colonies of bees were gone then who is going to make honey?
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