[Pollinator] Sierra Club letter to Sen. Harkin

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Mon Aug 27 14:05:59 PDT 2007 
















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A morte massiva das abelhas(CCD)

Submetido por ajasilva at clix.pt em Sábado, 2007-08-25 19:42 _Geral_ 
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Consultar:
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder) 



The _Sierra Club_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Club) Genetic 
Engineering Committee recently published a letter to Senator Thomas Harkin on the 
web.They are of the opinion that "highly respected scientists believe that 
exposure to genetically engineered crops and their plant-produced pesticides merit 
serious consideration as either the cause or a contributory factor to the 
development and spread of CCD." Nine literature references which might support this 
theory are cited.

Ver:
_http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2007-03-21.asp_ 
(http://www.sierraclub.org/biotech/whatsnew/whatsnew_2007-03-21.asp) 




GE and bee Colony Collapse Disorder -- science needed!
Dear Senator Thomas Harkin,

We share similar concerns. The viability of a robust food supply is paramount 
to the American people.

One out of every three bites of food that we consume is due to the work of 
honeybees, serving as crucial pollinators in agriculture and farming 
communities. Yet agriculture and food production may be severely impacted by Colony 
Collapse Disorder (CCD), a trend documented in honey bee colonies and prominently 
featured in a New York Times story (1). Beekeepers are reporting estimates as 
high as 80% loss of their honey bee colonies. Such a huge loss of the services 
of bees is extremely serious and beekeepers report it's a growing trend.

The cause of CCD is unknown. Although factors being considered include 
pesticides, mites, microbial disease and habitat decline, there's a possible link 
that's not being investigated. Highly respected scientists believe that exposure 
to genetically engineered crops and their plant-produced pesticides merit 
serious consideration as either the cause or a contributory factor to the 
development and spread of CCD.(2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) In searching for the cause of 
massive honey bee losses nationwide, we must leave no stone unturned to find the 
answer.

This past decade we are seeing releases into the environment that we have 
never before seen on this planet. Genetic engineering involves the artificial 
transfer of genes from one organism into another, bypassing the protective 
barrier between species. Scientists admit that "unintended consequences" may occur 
due to the lack of precision and specificity in the DNA sites on different 
plant chromosomes where the inserted genes randomly end up. According to the 
prominent biologist Dr. Barry Commoner and pioneer in ecology, "Genetically 
engineered crops represent a huge uncontrolled experiment whose outcome is inherently 
unpredictable. The results could be catastrophic."(11) Dr. David Schubert has 
expressed similar concerns in pointing out some of the significant holes 
existing in current genetic engineering technology that raise serious questions 
about how well we understand it and how to apply such a new emerging 
science.(12) An issue Dr. Schubert raises is the "unpredictability" in the artificial 
gene splicing technology that is routinely performed in genetic engineering 
because it may lead to unpredictable consequences. Are the honey bees trying to 
tell us about the "unintended consequences" from large-scale genetic engineering 
in agriculture?

Investigators have raised the possibility that honey bees are experiencing a 
sublethal effect such as a "suppressed immune system" from an unknown toxin. 
However, sublethal effects have not been fully investigated. Dennis van 
Engelsdorp, a bee specialist with the state of Pennsylvania who is part of the team 
studying the bee colony collapses, said the "strong immune suppression" 
investigators have observed "could be the AIDS of the bee industry," making bees more 
susceptible to other diseases that eventually kill them off. (1) Nonetheless, 
a concern is that genetically engineered crops are being ignored as a 
possible culprit, especially with tens of millions of acres now being planted each 
year of cultivars producing large concentrations of pesticides that did not 
exist on such a scale just a decade ago.

Currently regulators fail to require adequate analysis of transgene insertion 
sites. This omission results from the failure to appreciate the magnitude of 
genetic damage sustained by transgenic plants.(11,12)  Regulators have also 
failed to adequately assess the potential for lethal and sublethal impacts of 
engineered crop pesticides on pollinators like honey bees and wild bees, 
including the larvae brood and young bees. Studies are needed to evaluate the impact 
of GE crops on sublethal effects such as learning and feeding behavior. In 
addition, honey bee colonies are being fed GE corn syrups and parts of recycled 
hives containing additional GE food residues. The effect of these feeding 
practices on bees needs study.

Considering that loss of honeybee pollinators can leave a huge void in the 
kitchens of the American people and an estimated loss of 14 billion dollars to 
farmers, it would be prudent to use caution. If genetically engineered crops 
are killing honeybees, a moratorium on their planting should be considered.

Senator Harkin, as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, you are in a 
key position to initiate investigations to determine if exposure to 
genetically engineered crops is the missing link. Emergency funding for research on the 
pollinator decline needs to be available to researchers and the USDA.

Most sincerely,

Laurel Hopwood, Chair
Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Committee

References:
1. Alexei Barrioneuva, "Honeybees, Gone With the Wind, Leave Crops and 
Keepers in Peril," The New York Times, February 27, 2007: 
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10B1FF8355A0C748EDDAB0894DF404482
2. Malone,L and Pham-Delègue,M. "Effects of transgene products on honey bees 
(Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus sp.)" Apidologie 2001,32,287-304.
3. Obrycki,J, Losey, J, Taylor,O, Jesee,L. "Transgenic insecticidal corn: 
Beyond insecticidal toxicity to ecological complexity." Bioscience May 2001/Vol 
51 No. 5
4. Pham-Delègue, M.H., et. al. 2002. "Direct and Indirect Effects of 
Genetically Modified Plants on the Honey Bee," Honey Bees: Estimating the 
Environmental Impact of Chemicals, pp. 312-326.
5. Picard-Nioi, A.L,.et al. Pham-Delegue, M.H. "Impact of proteins used in 
plant genetic engineering: Toxicity and behavioral study in the honeybee." J. 
Econ. Entomol.997,90,1710-1716.
6. Ricarda A. Steinbrecher, "Risks associated with ingestion of Chardon LL 
maize, The reversal of N-acetyl-L- glufosinate to the active herbicide 
L-glufosinate in the gut of animals," Chardon LL Hearing, May 2002, London.
7. Mohr KI and Tebbe CC. "Field study results on the probability and risk of 
a horizontal gene transfer from transgenic herbicide-resistant oilseed rape 
pollen to gut bacteria of bees." Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2007 in press,DOI 
10.1007/s00253, 007-0846-7.
8. Ramirez-Romero,R,Chaufaux,J and Pham-Delègue,M. "Effects of Cry1Ab 
protoxin, deltamethrin and imidacloprid on the foraging activity and the learning 
performances of the honeybee Apis mellifera, a comparative approach" Apidologie 
36 (2005) 601-11.
9. Hilbeck,A and Schmid,J. "Another view of Bt proteins-How specific are they 
and what else might they do" Biopestic. Int. 2006,2,1-50.
10. Morandin,L and Winston,M. "Wild bee abundance and seed production in 
conventional, organic and genetically modified canola" Ecological Applications 
2004,15,871-81.
11. Commoner, B. "Unraveling the DNA Myth: The spurious foundation of genetic 
engineering." Harper's Magazine, February 2002, 39-47.
12. Schubert, D. "Regulatory regimes for transgenic crops." Nature 
Biotechnology 23,785 - 787 (2005).
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os ecologistas ›_ (http://gaia.org.pt/?q=node/2287) 


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Na imprensa...
 
 
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