3 ms·

I suppose this is the one of the reasons farmers in the UK will be glad that the UK is leaving the EU, because the neonicotinoids are mainly used as seed coveri

by kokey 8y ago

I suppose this is the one of the reasons farmers in the UK will be glad that the UK is leaving the EU, because the neonicotinoids are mainly used as seed coverings on rapeseed (which is the crop that most of the vegetable food/cooking oil is made from) and winter cereals to prevent seeds and seedlings from specific insects and the pesticide has broken down within weeks, long before the time bees do their rounds and is never sprayed on the crops. It also prevents the use of a lot of other known to be harmful pesticides and increased spraying. Also, all the studies in the UK that I have seen could not determine any statistically significant impact of neonicotinoids on the bee populations, because it was impossible to detect due to the much more significant impact of a season's weather on honey bees. It really feels like politics is leading the science here and I suspect this will come out in the courts.

tom_mellior 8y ago
> all the studies in the UK that I have seen Care to share your research?
jimnotgym 8y ago
> I suppose this is the one of the reasons farmers in the UK will be glad that the UK is leaving the EU This is only true if UK farmers don't want to sell food to the EU (it's biggest market). We are already hearing the term 'regulatory alignment' being used, which seems to mean 'you have to follow the rules but don't get a say in them anymore'
Zenst 8y ago
The UK backed the vote and fully supported it as well as being vocal about it at the time.
YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago
The UK (well; Michael Gove) has promised to back a total ban on neonicotinoids: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-back-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides-michael-gove-reveals https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-... The UK will back a total ban on insect-harming pesticides in fields across Europe, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has revealed. The decision reverses the government’s previous position and is justified by recent new evidence showing neonicotinoids have contaminated the whole landscape and cause damage to colonies of bees. It also follows the revelation that 75% of all flying insects have disappeared in Germany and probably much further afield, a discovery Gove said had shocked him. Like I say, that was Michael Gove who said that. So we'll never know for sure until we know for sure.
pjc50 8y ago
> farmers in the UK will be glad that the UK is leaving the EU Well, apart from not having any idea whether they'll get subsidy payments or how they'll be able to sell to Europe yet.

by kokey 8y ago

tom_mellior 8y ago

> all the studies in the UK that I have seen Care to share your research?

jimnotgym 8y ago

> I suppose this is the one of the reasons farmers in the UK will be glad that the UK is leaving the EU This is only true if UK farmers don't want to sell food to the EU (it's biggest market). We are already hearing the term 'regulatory alignment' being used, which seems to mean 'you have to follow the rules but don't get a say in them anymore'

Zenst 8y ago

The UK backed the vote and fully supported it as well as being vocal about it at the time.

YeGoblynQueenne 8y ago

The UK (well; Michael Gove) has promised to back a total ban on neonicotinoids: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-back-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides-michael-gove-reveals https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/09/uk-will-... The UK will back a total ban on insect-harming pesticides in fields across Europe, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has revealed. The decision reverses the government’s previous position and is justified by recent new evidence showing neonicotinoids have contaminated the whole landscape and cause damage to colonies of bees. It also follows the revelation that 75% of all flying insects have disappeared in Germany and probably much further afield, a discovery Gove said had shocked him. Like I say, that was Michael Gove who said that. So we'll never know for sure until we know for sure.

pjc50 8y ago

> farmers in the UK will be glad that the UK is leaving the EU Well, apart from not having any idea whether they'll get subsidy payments or how they'll be able to sell to Europe yet.