* Reminder*
Seed Swap Event: Transition Town Clitheroe and Clitheroe Garden Club will both have stalls at Clitheroe Library 10am till 3pm on Saturday 27th April.
Please bring along any seeds or plants you may have to spare and share!
Also, Helen Rimmer from Friends of the Earth will be giving a talk at 11am about their campaign to save Bees.
B&Q and Wickes are banning products containing pesticides linked to the decline in bee populations. Photograph: Haraz Ghanbari/AP
The retailers will remove products containing neonicotinoids, which are linked to the decline in the bee population
Two of the UK’s biggest home improvement retailers have pledged to remove products from their shelves containing pesticides linked to the decline in the bee population.
B&Q and Wickes, two of the best known names in garden centres and DIY, said on Tuesday they would remove products containing neonicotinoids. These chemicals, commonly used as pesticides, have been suspected for years of harming bees, but were identified this year as having a devastating effect on the pollinators.
B&Q is banning the only product it sells containing imidacloprid, one of the neonicotinoid family of insecticides, and Wickes will later this year take off products containing the related thiamethoxam compound.
Along with a third compound, clothianidin, these are the three neonicotonoids identified by the European Food Safety Authority as threatening serious damage to bees.
The move by the retailers comes in response to long-running campaigns from various environmental organisations, who have warned of the links between the pesticides and bee deaths for some time, as studies have suggested links before the EFSA gave its final damning verdict.
There will now be increased pressure on other retailers still stocking the products to follow suit.
The UK govermnent’s advisory committee on pesticides is urgently examining the new evidence of harm to bees from the use of certain commonly used insecticides, with a view to recommending possible changes to the current regulatory regime governing their use.
Bayer, the German company that manufactures many of the products concerned, will answer questions before the committee on Wednesday in parliament.
Andrew Pendleton, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth, said: “We are delighted [the two retailers] are withdrawing these pesticides. Other retailers must follow suit and take action to protect our bees. The spotlight now falls on the UK government. Ministers must help safeguard our beeds by immediately suspending the three pesticides identified by European food safety scientists, and ensuring farmers have safe alternatives. Declining bee numbers are a real threat to food production.”
He called on David Cameron to intervene: “The prime minister must introduce a national bee action plan.”
The Soil Association has also campaigned strongly for pesticides to be reviewed in the light of the precipitous decline of bee populations, and has this year begun to “name and shame” companies involved.
Bee health has been a concern for several years, as populations of the pollinators have been under threat from a variety of sources, including the spread of the deadly parasite, the varroa mite, and intensive farming. The role of pesticides was much disputed, but the landmark pronouncement by the EFSA has found that there is an undeniable link between their use and the death of bees, giving added strength to campaigners.
(Many thanks for Laura Chadwick for proposing this piece, and for her passion in saving our bee colonies.)
Tranistion Town Clitheroe will have a stand again this year at the event and as usual we need volunteers to man the stall throughout the day from 10am – 3pm. The Grand is open to set up from 8am. Please be in touch if you are able to help during these times and perhaps a rota can be created, depending on how many volunteers we have!
We need volunteers URGENTLY to help complete the lanterns and/or carry them in the procession on Saturday!
Denise has offered to run some lantern making sessions on Weds 22/8, Thursday 23/8 and Friday 24/8 and she is available from 4pm to 9pm on those evenings.
Please can you contact Denise if you are able to help on any or all of those evenings, or if you are available to carry lanterns in the procession.
Any help is appreciated, so please let Denise know by tomorrow (Monday) tea-time.
Contact details for Denise are:
by e-mail preferable (beardworks@talktalk.net) although home answerphone (01200 429450) or text (07759 530569) also fine.
Thank you
You may already be aware of the 38 degrees/wwf campaigns, but in case you aren’t here are a couple of sites where you can make your views known to the EU via our own Prime Minister.
We need to put pressure on David Cameron to secure the EU target for a crucial 30 degree reduction in emissions from 1990 levels by 2020 . If you would like to write to Mr Cameron to let him know why this is important to you visit:-
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns
(Sorry-it’s been a long day and I can’t remember how I created the hyperlink on this system….. you will just have to copy the url- apologies)
ps This campaign can also be reached via the WWF website
Thanks
