Yes On 522 Director Note: Neonics can kill bees

Friends of the Earth:

Dear Jack, A first-of-its-kind report has just found bee-killing pesticides in more than half of the “bee-friendly” home garden plants sold at stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s -- with no warning to consumers. Since our campaign to pass labeling of GMOs in Washington State just wrapped up I’ve been spending more time out in my garden. As you might imagine I was shocked to learn that I may have unknowingly filled my backyard with hidden bee-poisons. Help us put Home Depot's CEO Frank Blake and Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock on notice. Write to them now, insisting that they stop selling plants laced with bee-killing pesticidesimmediately and pull all bee-killing poisons from their shelves. The report, which was done by Friends of the Earth, shows this problem is widespread and that many unsuspecting home gardeners are purchasing plants pre-treated with pesticides proven to kill bees. The toxins in question are the world’s most popular pesticides, neonicotinoids (or neonics), implicated as a key factor in escalating global bee die-offs. From 50,000 bumble bees found dead in a Target parking lot in Portland to beekeepers across the country losing up to 90 percent of their bees last winter, stories of bee die-offs are emerging from around the world. We must act now to stop this global disaster or risk losing the more than 2/3 of our food crops that are pollinated by bees, from apples to almonds to watermelons. Friends of the Earth was a tremendous asset to our campaign to label GMO’s and I hope you’ll join them by taking action right away. Neonics can kill bees outright and, even at low doses, can weaken their immune systems and impair critical brain functions, making it hard for them to find their food and return to the hive. Neonics also remain in the plants and the soil of our gardens for months or even years, continuing to poison bees. Europe has already banned bee-harming pesticides, and top retailers in the U.K. are refusing to sell them. Now Home Depot's and Lowe’s CEOs need to make the same commitment here. We can protect bees in our own back yards right now by rejecting neonics and demanding that Frank Blake and Robert Niblock pull these poisons from the shelves at Home Depot and Lowe’s. From our table to yours, Delana Jones P.S. Click here to write to Home Depot's CEO Frank Blake and Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock insisting that they stop selling plants laced with bee-killing pesticides immediately and pull all bee-killing poisons from their shelves.