Bee Health and Pesticides - Advocacy Views and Examples

"Bee-ware of Neonics," is an article re-printed in the Utne Reader, by Nicole Rivard, a writer for Action Line, an international animal advocacy non-profit.  I had been aware of the concerning declines in bee populations in the US, and the problems attributed to pesticides documented in Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, but this article introduced me to the problems with a group of insecticides known as neonicotinoids.  The use of this insecticide has been associated with bee deaths.  The article is written by an animal advocate, so she doesn't spare industry, but she does list a variety of organizations and actions that have successfully reduced the use of neonics: Beyond Toxics, Eugene, Oregon banned neonics, Vermont Law School & the BEE Protective Campaign banned neonics, and beesafeboulder.com allows Boulder, CO residents to pledge not to use neonics.