07
Mar
Free Screening of the Award-Winning Film “Vanishing of the Bees” to Coincide with National Pesticide Forum
(Beyond Pesticides, March 8, 2011) Leading up to the 29th National Pesticide Forum in Denver, Beyond Pesticides and the Denver Botanic Gardens will be hosting a free screening of the award-winning film Vanishing of the Bees on Wednesday, April 6th, 7:00pm at the Denver Botanic Gardens (1007 York Street). The film, which is narrated by Ellen Page, takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee and empowers the audience to fight back. Join us for the film Wednesday evening, and then learn more about Colony Collapse Disorder at the National Pesticide Forum at the Colorado School of Public Health, Friday evening and Saturday, April 8-9. The film is free. Register for the conference online.
Film Synopsis
Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, literally vanishing from their hives. Known as Colony Collapse Disorder, this phenomenon has brought beekeepers to crisis in an industry responsible for producing apples, broccoli, watermelon, onions, cherries and a hundred other fruits and vegetables. Commercial honeybee operations pollinate crops that make up one out of every three bites of food on our tables.
Vanishing of the Bees follows commercial beekeepers David Hackenberg and Dave Mendes as they strive to keep their bees healthy and fulfill pollination contracts across the U.S. The film explores the struggles they face as the two friends plead their case on Capitol Hill and travel across the Pacific Ocean in the quest to protect their honeybees.
Filming across the US, in Europe, Australia and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth. As scientists puzzle over the cause, organic beekeepers indicate alternative reasons for this tragic loss. Conflicting options abound and after years of research, a definitive answer has not been found to this harrowing mystery.
About the Forum
Sustainable Community: Practical Solutions for health and the environment, the 29th National Pesticide Forum, will be held April 8-9 at the Colorado School of Public Health in Denver (Aurora), Colorado. Topics include pollinator protection, pesticides and health, organic land care, genetic engineering, organic food and farming and more. Register now for the early registration rate of $35.
Speakers
Maria Rodale, author of Organic Manifesto and CEO of Rodale Inc., publisher of Organic Gardening and Prevention magazines, will serve as keynote speaker. Other speaker highlights include: Tom Theobald, beekeeper who exposed EPA’s memo showing its flawed science in registering a bee-killing pesticide; George Kimbrell, Center for Food Safety lawyer leading the fight to ban genetically engineered alfalfa; Theo Colborn, PhD, author of Our Stolen Future and president of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange; Benjamin Ross, PhD, author of The Polluters, the acclaimed book about the history of the chemical industry; Timothy Scott, author of Invasive Plant Medicine: The Ecological Benefits and Healing Abilities of Invasives; and many more. See the full speaker list.
Travel and Lodging
Because the conference will not conclude until late Saturday evening, we recommend that you plan to stay in Denver both Friday and Saturday nights. If you’re flying into Denver, Southwest Airlines still has some good deals ($113 each way from Oakland, CA and $150 each way from Washington, DC). We recommend checking Kayak.com as well.
The official conference hotel is the Comfort Inn Downtown Denver (401 17th Street, Denver, CO, 303-296-0400). It is located in the heart of downtown Denver, 9 miles from the conference site at the Colorado School of Public Health. Transportation will be provided. The discounted conference rate is $109. Call and ask for the “Beyond Pesticides” room block. Rooms will be held until Friday, March 11th. After this date the rate will be honored as long as rooms remain available.
