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AlterNet reports
A research team from the Institute of Bee Health at the University of Bern, from Agroscope at the Swiss Confederation, and from the Department of Biology at Canada's Acadia University [published the results of their study] in an article in the open-access journal Scientific Reports from the Nature Publishing Group [which concludes] that honey bee queens are "extremely vulnerable" to the neonicotinoids thiamethoxam and clothianidin.
[Reprinted in the journal Nature."]The study shows profound effects on queen physiology, anatomy, and overall reproductive success.
[...] Previous research suggests that exposure to these chemicals [causes] both lethal and sub-lethal effects on honey bee workers, but nothing has been known about how they may affect queens.
The observation that honey bee queens are highly vulnerable to these common neonicotinoid pesticides is "worrisome, but not surprising", says senior author Laurent Gauthier from the Swiss Confederation's Agroscope.
[...] Since there is only a single queen in each colony, queen health is crucial to colony survival.
[...] In 2013, governments in Europe took a precautionary approach by partially restricting the application of the neonicotinoid pesticides thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and imidacloprid, with the mandate to perform further environmental risk assessments.
A new inter-governmental review will take place in the coming months.
Previous: Can Obama Save the Bees?
EPA Finds Little Benefit to Pesticide Linked to Bee Declines
(Score: 1) by linkdude64 on Saturday October 31 2015, @06:03PM
I'll never forget staring at the television a few years ago with incredulity as the broadcasted news anchor described, with a perfectly straight face, the release of a new study that concluded eating fresh fruits and vegetables was beneficial to your health.
These types of studies are not released for sane individuals. These types of studies are released for bureaucrats who will sign the bill sentencing hundreds of innocent people to death because the "Intel" has shown that it will net their campaign funders extra money by increasing demand for bombs, which will create Red White and Blue, Capital-A, deep-fried American jobs. It's all cognitive dissonance and plausible deniability for them. They will only care enough to ret-con and alter their previously fervent statements and voting records when studies this are released and they can no longer plea "ignorance" that is conviently profitable.
Speaking of back-tracking on voting records, I am especially reminded of Hillary Clinton, who has defended her infuriatingly status-quo-complacent and lobbied-for stances she has had in the past because the "Intel was bad/I didn't know it would be harmful/Didn't know it was against the law." Meaning there was really no intel at all, and she, like the EPA (and equivalent international agencies) who allow these pesticides, simply choose what was more profitable at the time.
Let's hope somebody sane gets elected so that their influence might spread throughout governing agencies.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday October 31 2015, @06:33PM
"These types of studies are not released for sane individuals."
That's kinda scary, when you think about it. What is sane, anyway? When 98 out of 100 people eat this shit up, if they even bother to watch/read/listen to the news, does that mean that we're the insane ones?
And, that's not even a partisan observation. Righties probably disbelieve this report, or at best it's, "Aww shit, are the lefties right about this? How much is it going to cost me?" Lefties are just as bad, with "See, I told you so!" And, in reality, little if anything changes. Bayer is still going to buy off the policians necessary to protect their investment. Bayer, and every other major corporation out there. If Bayer can't afford enough politicians to get what they want, they'll just find common cause with another corporation. If that is even necessary - with all the interlocked boards of directors, there will be other corporations in line to come to Bayer's aid.
(Score: 1) by linkdude64 on Saturday October 31 2015, @06:55PM
"That's kinda scary, when you think about it."
Obligatory Calvin and Hobbes, and just in time for the season: http://i.imgur.com/xZjjNkg.png [imgur.com]