Excerpt:
We have been asked to fulfill many tasks, which has become too much for volunteers. We are no longer able to work on the pollinator issue. Considering the crucial importance of pollinator protection, we encourage Sierra Club to hire a paid staffer.
-----Original Message-----
From: Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
To: CONS-SPST-BIOTECH-FORUM <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Fri, Aug 12, 2016 4:30 pm
Subject: pollinator protection
Readers, this email was sent today to the Sierra Club paid leadership ...
Sierra Club's Pollinator Protection Program has been a special project by the volunteer members of the Sierra Club's Genetic Engineering Action Team (GEAT).
The evidence points to neonicotine (neonic) seed coatings as an important cause of the honeybee demise. Most corn, soy and canola are genetically engineered and coated with neonics.
** GEAT is no longer able to work on the pollinator protection issue.**
Summary of our output:
This campaign began when GEAT learned about the link between the honeybee demise and neonic coated seeds. We contacted other major groups in the U.S. to help with this critical issue, but were turned down. Hence, we ran our own campaign. We wrote the EPA, urging the agency to suspend all neonic seed treatment product regislations until the agency could obtain scientific evidence that these neonics were not harming honeybees.
We worked with Kevin Hansen, who produced the outstanding documentary "Nicotine Bees." We then distributed copies of this documentary to every member of Congress, along with a letter from the National Honey Bee Advisory Board, stating: "Nicotine Bees vividly describes a very real threat to the pollinators of our country." We sent a press release announcing the release of this documentary. McClatchy picked up the story. We were able to locate an EPA insider, who showed the documentary to EPA decision makers.
Following the publication of an impelling scientific study, we sent another press release. Again, the release was picked up by McClatchy.
We sent action alerts for Sierra Club members to encourage Congress to support the Saving America's Pollinator Act.
We reached out to leaders in every chapter and group and found members who agreed to help with our lawsuit which resulted a federal ruling disallowing the use of neonics in national wildlife refuges.
Sierra Club and other groups filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court against the EPA for failure to perform adequate toxicity evaluations and allowing registration of the pesticides on insufficient industry studies. This is ongoing. GEAT member Dr. Neil Carman will continue to work with Sierra Club's legal team.
We have been asked to fulfill many tasks, which has become too much for volunteers. We are no longer able to work on the pollinator issue. Considering the crucial importance of pollinator protection, we encourage Sierra Club to hire a paid staffer.
** We will, however, continue to represent Sierra Club on the genetic engineering issue.**
Respectfully,
Laurel Hopwood, Chair, Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Action Team
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