Dear Editors,
The great cover article by Brian Walsh aptly identifies three causes of widespread bee die-offs: pesticides, parasites, and monoculture. (“The Plight of the Honeybee,” Aug. 19) Although the exact toll of each on the bees may not be fully understood, we must not get so mired in the unknown that we fail to acknowledge the known and take action. There is plenty we can do now with the facts we have.
There is strong science on the poisoning of bees by several types of pesticides, neonicotinoids and other new pesticides that chemical companies are rushing to market. The latest, sulfoxaflor, sailed through Environmental Protection Agency approvals. EPA is rubberstamping these pesticides without looking at the science and without requiring labeling that would protect bees. This massive commonsense gap is why my organization has joined with beekeepers nationwide in a lawsuit against EPA. Fixing this is one clear solution.
Greg Loarie, Attorney for Earth Justice, San Francisco, CA