May 2015 £3.99

SAVE the

BEES For those o’ independent mind.

HERE is a horrifying statistic: one-third of Scotland’s bee population has been killed off during the last few years.

Now we seem hell-bent on doing it all over again.

In December a ban on nerve agent style pesticides known as neonicotinoids is up for review within the European Union.

But already David Cameron has jumped the gun.

plants; in gardens PROVIDE safe food sources; and BAN the use of neonics on crops in fields where bees forage.

Any ban on pesticides is a devolved mater, and is handled by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) for the UK Government.

When asked to comment, in a bland two-paragraph statement, DEFRA said: “The Government remains commited to ensuring pesticides are available, but only when the regulators are satisfied and the scientific evidence shows they are safe to people and the environment.

“The EU will be reviewing the evidence on the effects of neonicotinoids on pollinators. Until this work is complete, the current restrictions remain in place.”

“Te Government remains committed to ensuring pesticides are available, but only when the regulators are satisfied and the scientific evidence shows they are safe to people and the environment.

:DEFRA

He has liſted the ban on two of these deadly pesticides for 120 days so they can be sprayed on 5 per cent of England’s rape crop.

That may gladden the heart of the National Farmers Union. But it appals the rest of us. It is both cynical and reckless.

There is already widespread evidence that – even at sub-lethal dosages – these pesticides wreak havoc on bee colonies. Indeed, as their components break down, they are even MORE dangerous to pollinators.

The current agricultural ban is already farcically weak. Commercial garden centres and the general public can legally use these killer pesticides.

It is time to outlaw ALL neonicotinoids. Permanently.

The Scotish Government has no control over what pesticides are used here. It’s not a devolved issue. That, too, must change.

We live in a beautiful country. Let’s keep it that way.

So write to your MP and MEP; write to your MSP and local councillor, demanding change. All of us have a duty – both moral and practical – to keep Scotland’s bees safe.

DO IT TODAY August 2015

May 2015 £3.99

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