23
May
Beyond Pesticides Takes Pollinator Decline, Pesticide Use, Genetic Engineered Crops, Chemical Industry Deception, and Future Actions to Protect Health at Nader Conference in DC
(Beyond Pesticides, May 23, 2016) At the Breaking Through Power conference today, Beyond Pesticides’ executive director, Jay Feldman, will provide a retrospective on 35 years of Beyond Pesticides’ work and outline critical needs moving forward to protect health and the environment. This historic meeting of civic engagement across national social action organizations comes at a time when bee colonies have experienced sustained losses above 40% (44% 2015-16 and 42% 2014-15). Central to the ecosystem, pollinators are essential to the viability of one-third of the food supply.
Meanwhile, with the surge in genetically engineered crops, pesticide use is increasing exponentially, as herbicide use increased 4 to 18% a year, depending on the crop, over the last decade, while weed and insect resistance is growing rapidly —threatening productivity. Twenty-four species of weeds in 29 states and worldwide now exhibit resistance to the most widely used herbicide, Roundup (glyphosate).
Advocates say that pesticide impacts on clean air, water, and food continue to be ignored by the chemical industry and a slow moving Environmental Protection Agency. Meanwhile, communities across the country are adopting local laws and policies that restrict pesticide use, and two states, Maryland and Massachusetts, have passed bills that ban retail sale of the neonicotinoid pesticides linked to pollinator decline.
Beyond Pesticides points to certified organic agriculture as the answer to the pesticide treadmill of increasing use of toxic pesticides harmful to people, pollinators, biodiversity and a sustainable environment.
When: May 23-26, 2016.
Where: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006 (near 17th and C St NW).
Mr. Feldman will be presenting at 4:15pm on Monday, May 23, 2016. For full schedule, click here.
Additionally, the event will be live streamed at http://therealnews.com.
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