U.S.D.A. caves into lobbyists over massive bee deaths while Germany
takes a major step to keep their pollinators pollinating crops

In light of the mounting evidence that new seed chemical coatings are
deadly to bees and the action of Germany to call for an immediate
suspension of these seed treatments, the Sierra Club today reaffirmed
its call for a U.S. moratorium on specific chemical treatments to
protect our bees and crops, until more study can be done.

Recently Germany's federal agricultural research institute noted, "It
can unequivocally be concluded that poisoning of the bees is due to
the rub-off of the pesticide ingredient clothianidin from corn seeds."
At issue are the neonicotinoids, including clothianidin, being used
in a new way - as seed coatings.

For years, farmers have been spraying neonicotinoids onto their crops
to stop insect infestation. Now Bayer and Monsanto have acquired
patents to coat their proprietary corn seeds with these
neonicotinoids.

Part of the equation in the U.S. is genetically engineered corn, as
more and more corn seeds are being gene spliced with a completely
different species - a bacteria," said Walter Haefeker, of the German
Beekeepers Association Board of Directors. "Bayer and Monsanto
recently entered into agreements to manufacture neonicotinic-coated
genetically engineered corn. It's likely that this will worsen the bee
die-off problem."

David Hackenburg, former president of the American Beekeeping
Federation, has been urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to do
more study. "Look at what's time based. The massive bee decimation
started when regulatory agencies rubber stamped the use of
neonicotinoid spraying and coating," he said.

Sierra Club joins the concern of beekeepers," said Laurel Hopwood,
Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Committee Chair. "It's unfortunate
that regulatory agencies are using double speak. They claim to protect
our food supply - yet they aren't doing the proper studies. The loss
of honeybees will leave a huge void in the kitchens of the American
people and an estimated loss of 14 billion dollars to farmers. We
expect the U.S.D.A. to do their job. We call for a precautionary
moratorium on these powerful crop treatments to protect our bees and
our food.