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article is from 2014. these are already banned in EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43910536 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43

by ptah 7y ago

article is from 2014. these are already banned in EU. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43910536 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43910536 is it not banned in north america yet?

ceejayoz 7y ago
Nope. Some US states have restricted them, but neonicotinoids aren't banned at the US federal level. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/31/491962115/minnesota-cracks-down-on-neonic-pesticides-promising-aid-to-bees https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/31/491962115/mi... edit: Looks like Canada's restricting some, but the bans roll out over several years. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/august-18-2018-canada-bans-neonics-tracking-animals-from-space-and-more-1.4786729/canada-bans-neonic-pesticides-implicated-in-bee-declines-1.4786738 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/august-18-2018-canada-bans-n...
checktheorder 7y ago
In 2014, the federal governing party in Canada was the Conservative Party, renowned for both their extreme hostility to science-based environmental policy, and their friendliness to large businesses in the prairie provinces. No-one with any familiarity with Canadian federal politics expected the Conservatives to lift a finger to ban neonics. This is the same party that made is a fireable offense for federally-employed scientists to speak to the media without prior approval. What's become unexpectedly shameful is the new government under the Liberal Party elected in late 2015. That party keeps claiming to be in favour of science-based policy, but they've dragged their feet on the neonic issue just as much as the Conservatives. The general consensus is that the Liberals are worried about rural votes in the prairie provinces in the general election to be held later this year, so they're trying to avoid any action that could be perceived as "anti farmer".
- pjkundert 7y ago
  The election is "over" by the time the polls in Ontario are tallied, so it is unlikely that the prairie "rural votes" are a significant issue.
  - checktheorder 7y ago
    The three prairie provinces have almost 20% of the seats in the HoC, and rural ridings in those provinces have disproportionately more MPs than in urban ridings. Western farming communities are not an insignificant voting bloc on the federal stage. It's not in the DNA of any Canadian federal party, all of which tend towards "big tent" habits, to simply write off any area of the country. Even the Conservatives consistently made serious efforts to court Quebec voters over the past decade despite their leaders' backgrounds in the Quebec-hostile Reform Party.

by ptah 7y ago

ceejayoz 7y ago

Nope. Some US states have restricted them, but neonicotinoids aren't banned at the US federal level. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/31/491962115/minnesota-cracks-down-on-neonic-pesticides-promising-aid-to-bees https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/31/491962115/mi... edit: Looks like Canada's restricting some, but the bans roll out over several years. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/august-18-2018-canada-bans-neonics-tracking-animals-from-space-and-more-1.4786729/canada-bans-neonic-pesticides-implicated-in-bee-declines-1.4786738 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/august-18-2018-canada-bans-n...

checktheorder 7y ago

In 2014, the federal governing party in Canada was the Conservative Party, renowned for both their extreme hostility to science-based environmental policy, and their friendliness to large businesses in the prairie provinces. No-one with any familiarity with Canadian federal politics expected the Conservatives to lift a finger to ban neonics. This is the same party that made is a fireable offense for federally-employed scientists to speak to the media without prior approval. What's become unexpectedly shameful is the new government under the Liberal Party elected in late 2015. That party keeps claiming to be in favour of science-based policy, but they've dragged their feet on the neonic issue just as much as the Conservatives. The general consensus is that the Liberals are worried about rural votes in the prairie provinces in the general election to be held later this year, so they're trying to avoid any action that could be perceived as "anti farmer".

pjkundert 7y ago
The election is "over" by the time the polls in Ontario are tallied, so it is unlikely that the prairie "rural votes" are a significant issue.
- checktheorder 7y ago
  The three prairie provinces have almost 20% of the seats in the HoC, and rural ridings in those provinces have disproportionately more MPs than in urban ridings. Western farming communities are not an insignificant voting bloc on the federal stage. It's not in the DNA of any Canadian federal party, all of which tend towards "big tent" habits, to simply write off any area of the country. Even the Conservatives consistently made serious efforts to court Quebec voters over the past decade despite their leaders' backgrounds in the Quebec-hostile Reform Party.