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<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">From: Alice Jay - Avaaz.org
<avaaz@avaaz.org><br>
To: "David W. Inouye" <inouye@umd.edu><br>
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:18:15 -0400<br><br>
Dear friends, <br><br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?cl=1763767423&v=13899">
<img src="http://avaaz_images.s3.amazonaws.com/1087_3539_bee1_3_200x100.png" width=200 height=100 alt="[]">
</a><font size=2> <br><br>
<b>Pesticides are killing bees</b> and threatening our food supply. <b>In
24 hours, shareholders at the biggest chemical producer, Bayer, could
vote to stop their toxic production.</b> Massive public pressure has
forced this debate at their Annual General Meeting, now let’s make sure
they vote to stop the pesticides and save the bees. <b>Sign the emergency
petition:</b> <br><br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?cl=1763767423&v=13899">
<img src="http://avaazdesign.s3.amazonaws.com/btn_signthepetition.png" width=200 height=34 alt="Sign the petition">
</a><br>
</font>Quietly, globally, <b>billions of bees are dying</b>, threatening
our crops and food. But <b>if Bayer stops selling one group of
pesticides, we could save bees from extinction.</b><br><br>
Four European countries have begun banning these poisons, and some bee
populations are already recovering. But Bayer, the largest producer of
neonicotinoids, has lobbied hard to keep them on the market. Now, massive
global pressure from Avaaz and others has forced them to consider the
facts -- and <b>in 24 hours, Bayer shareholders will vote on a motion
that could stop these toxic chemicals.</b> Let’s all act now and shame
the shareholders to stop killing bees. <br><br>
The pressure is working, and this is our best chance to save the bees.
<b>Sign the urgent petition and send this to everyone</b> -- let's reach
half a million signers and deliver it directly to shareholders tomorrow
in Germany!<br><br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?cl=1763767423&v=13899">
http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?vl</a><br><br>
Bees don't just make honey, they <b>are vital to life on earth</b>, every
year pollinating 90% of plants and crops -- with an estimated $40bn
value, over one-third of the food supply in many countries. <b>Without
immediate action to save bees, many of our favourite fruits, vegetables,
and nuts could vanish from our shelves.</b><br><br>
Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee
populations -- <b>some bee species are already extinct and some US
species are at just 4% of their previous numbers.</b> Scientists have
been scrambling for answers. Some studies claim the decline may be due to
a combination of factors including disease, habitat loss and toxic
chemicals. But increasingly, independent research has produced <b>strong
evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides</b>. France, Italy, Slovenia
and even Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer is based, have banned
one of these bee killers. But, Bayer continues to export its poison
across the world.<br><br>
This <b>issue is now coming to the boil</b> as major new studies have
confirmed the scale of this problem. If <b>we can get Bayer shareholders
to act, we could shut down once and for all Bayer’s influence on
policy-makers and scientists</b>. The real experts -- the beekeepers and
farmers -- want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we
have solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let's support
them now. <b>Sign the urgent petition to Bayer shareholders now, then
forward this email:</b><br><br>
<a href="http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?cl=1763767423&v=13899">
http://www.avaaz.org/en/bayer_save_the_bees/?vl</a><br><br>
We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research
run by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their
pockets. Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for
ourselves and the other species we care about and depend on.<br><br>
With hope,<br><br>
Alice, Antonia, Mia, Luis, Ricken, Stephanie, Pascal, Iain, Ari and the
whole Avaaz team<br><br>
MORE INFORMATION<br><br>
Studies fault Bayer in bee die-off (Christian Science Monitor)<br>
<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0406/Studies-fault-Bayer-in-bee-die-off">
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0406/Studies-fault-Bayer-in-bee-die-off</a>
<br><br>
2 Studies Point to Common Pesticide as a Culprit in Declining Bee
Colonies (New York Times)<br>
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/neocotinoid-pesticides-play-a-role-in-bees-decline-2-studies-find.html?_r=1">
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/science/neocotinoid-pesticides-play-a-role-in-bees-decline-2-studies-find.html?_r=1</a>
<br><br>
Leaked document shows EPA allowed bee-toxic pesticide despite own
scientists’ red flags (Grist)<br>
<a href="http://grist.org/politics/food-2010-12-10-leaked-documents-show-epa-allowed-bee-toxic-pesticide/">
http://grist.org/politics/food-2010-12-10-leaked-documents-show-epa-allowed-bee-toxic-pesticide/</a>
<br><br>
Bayer’s Annual Stockholder’s Meeting (ASM website)<br>
<a href="http://www.asm2012.bayer.com/en/counter-motions.aspx">
http://www.asm2012.bayer.com/en/counter-motions.aspx</a><br><br>
<img src="http://open.avaaz.org/act/open/1763767423.gif" width=1 height=1 alt="[]">
<br>
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