globalbriefs


News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.


Protecting Pollinators Maryland Bans Bee-Killing Pesticides


Maryland is the first state in the nation to pass strict restrictions on pesticides thought to be responsible for significant reductions in bee populations with enactment of its Polli- nator Protection Act. Maryland lost more than 60 percent of its hives in 2015, each contain- ing up to 20,000 honeybees, making it one of the states with the highest recorded declines. The national average is about 42 percent, yet across the country, farmers and gardeners are


still using pesticides linked to colony collapse disorder. Globally, more than one-third of the world’s food supply could be at risk if these and other pollina- tors are lost.


Neonicotinoids are one potent class of systemic pesticides introduced to agriculture in the 1990s that have been linked to bees’ demise. In recent years, pesticides such as Knockout Ready-to-Use Grub Killer, Ortho Bug B Gon, and All-In-One Rose & Flower Care have been made available to consumers and beekeepers have noticed a corresponding increase in bee deaths. The Maryland law bans the use of neonicotinoids by everyday consumers that


have been spraying home gardens and trees with these deadly pesticides. Farmers and professional gardeners are exempt from the law. A similar law is awaiting the governor’s signature in Connecticut. Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not officially recognized the well-researched link, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing it.


Source: BeyondPesticides.org


Airline Air Recirculating Jet Air Linked to Illness


Aerotoxic syndrome is the medical term for the illness caused by exposure to contaminated air in jet aircraft, and it’s causing that ail- ment, plus the permanent disability and even death of airline employees and passengers. Whistleblowers have been met with ridicule and termination. The problem has been called the “asbestos of the airline industry” by critics. French scientist Jean-Cristophe Balouet, Ph.D., who discovered the syndrome in 1999, thinks it may have already affected 250,000 pilots, cabin crew and passengers worldwide. In 1963, aircraft moved from


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drawing fresh air into the cabin to “bleeding” part of it from the engines. The synthetic oil used by jets contains organophosphates used in pesticides and nerve gas, and was banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for residential use in 2001 because of known toxicity. The byproducts of these carcinogenic organophosphates can also include aldehydes and carbon monoxide. Airplane seals wear out and


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there are no chemical sensors onboard aircraft to detect fumes— only noses to detect the “dirty sock” odor. The Aerotoxic Association continues to push for air quality detectors on all planes and the Cabin Air Quality Act sponsored by Califor- nia Senator Dianne Feinstein. For more information, visit


Aerotoxic.org.


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