{"id":32769,"date":"2023-04-20T00:01:05","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T04:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/?p=32769"},"modified":"2026-04-21T10:18:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:18:40","slug":"protect-bees-trees-you-and-me-this-earth-day-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyondpesticides.org\/dailynewsblog\/2023\/04\/protect-bees-trees-you-and-me-this-earth-day-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect Bees, Trees, You and Me This Earth Day 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Beyond Pesticides<\/em>, April 20, 2023) This Earth Day (Saturday, April 22, 2023), Beyond Pesticides urges individuals to spread awareness of the toxic pesticides that poison people and the environment and the safe alternatives that are available to safeguard communities and the surrounding environment. On Earth Day, reflecting on the beauty and wonder of the natural world highlights the importance of restoration and preservation to maintain the planet\u2019s intricate web of life. However, the natural world on which life depends is under dire threat as the dependence on toxic chemicals (e.g., pesticides) enables ongoing environmental contamination.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mechanized and industrial human activity perpetuates ongoing toxic chemical contamination, resulting in massive die-offs of beneficial organisms, increased rates of autoimmune diseases, endocrine disrupting and transgenerational chemical effects, and widespread pollution of our air and waterways. Beyond Pesticides, has the tools needed to increase environmental awareness in your community. Therefore, this Earth Day, Beyond Pesticides continues to advocate for the adoption of organic practices and policies that alleviate threats to ecosystems and enhance biodiversity. Michigan State University professor Thomas Dietz, Ph.D. highlights<\/a>, \u201cContinuing the successes of environmentalism\u2014an integration of science, a concern with human well-being and justice, and a recognition of the need to consider facts, values, and uncertainty\u2014is crucial for dealing with climate and other global environmental challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Share information about the chemicals entering our communities in the United States and around the world<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong> Pesticides are pervasive in all ecosystems,\u00a0soils<\/a>, water (solid<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0liquid<\/a>), and\u00a0air<\/a>, frequently at levels\u00a0exceeding<\/a>\u00a0U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. However, many people do not know what pesticides they encounter and the associated negative effects. It is critically important to make people aware of both the hazards associated with cosmetic lawn care pesticides and the availability of alternative practices and products. Of the\u00a040 most commonly used lawn pesticides<\/a>, 26 are possible and\/or known carcinogens, 24 have the potential to disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) system, 29 are linked to reproductive effects and sexual dysfunction, 21 have been linked to birth defects, 24 are neurotoxic, 32 can cause kidney or liver damage, and 33 are sensitizers and\/or irritants. Of those same\u00a040 lawn pesticides<\/a>, 21 are detected in groundwater, 24 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, 39 are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms vital to our ecosystem, 33 are toxic to bees, 18 are toxic to mammals, and 28 are toxic to birds. [Check out the Beyond Pesticides Infographic!<\/a>]<\/p>\n

Importantly, Beyond Pesticides\u2019\u00a0Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management<\/a> provides information on the health and environmental effects of nearly 400 registered pesticide active ingredients. It is searchable by chemical name, product name, or health and environmental effects. The database is designed to provide decision and policymakers, practitioners, and activists with easier access to current and historical information on pesticide hazards and safe pest management, drawing on and linking to numerous sources and organizations that include information related to pesticide science, policy, and activism. As decision-makers and the community become educated, let us know of chemicals you think should be added to the Gateway to info@beyondpesticides.org<\/a> \u00a0or the Story Submission page.<\/a><\/p>\n

Discover how environmental exposure impacts human health<\/em>. Ninty percent<\/a> of Americans have at least one pesticide biomarker (including parent compound and breakdown products) in their body. The presence of pesticides in the body has implications for human health, especially during vulnerable life stages like childhood, puberty, pregnancy, and old age. The scientific literature\u00a0demonstrates<\/a>\u00a0pesticides\u2019 long history of severe adverse human health effects (i.e., endocrine disruption, cancer, reproductive\/birth abnormalities, neurotoxicity) and effects. Beyond Pesticides capture the scientific literature through the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database<\/a>, documenting elevated rates of chronic diseases among people exposed to pesticides, with increased numbers of studies associated with both specific illnesses and a range of diseases. Currently, the database is searchable for 1,300 scientific references relating to brain and nervous system disorders (e.g., Alzheimer\u2019s, ALS, Parkinson\u2019s), birth defects, cancer, endocrine dysfunction, learning and developmental disabilities, and sexual reproductive dysfunction, among others. With consistent updating, the database is a vital resource for individuals, organizations, and other institutions can refer to when discussing pesticide\u2019s impact on human health. As you become educated, consider sending studies you think should be added to the database to info@beyondpesticides.org<\/a> or the Story Submission<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

How Pesticides Impact Crucial Pollinator Species and Other Wildlife<\/em><\/strong>. <\/em>The globe is currently going through the\u00a0Holocene Extinction<\/a>, Earth\u2019s 6th mass extinction, with one million species of plants and animals at risk. The impacts of pesticides on wildlife are extensive and expose animals in urban, suburban, and rural areas to unnecessary risks. Pesticides can affect animals through direct application or indirectly through drift, secondary poisoning, and runoff. Some animals could encounter direct spraying, while others may consume plants or prey contaminated with pesticides. However, the climate crisis adds another level of concern, especially regarding passive pesticide and microbial exposure from snowmelt. With the increasing rate of biodiversity loss, it is essential for government agencies around the globe to research how previous and ongoing use of pesticides can impact present-day species. Therefore, animals can act as sentinel species for chemical contamination, detecting risk to humans by exhibiting signs of environmental threat sooner than humans in the same environment. Unless more is done to address chemical pollution, humans will also continue to see similar declines in general health, fitness, and well-being. Learn more about how pesticides threaten wildlife and what you can do through\u00a0Beyond Pesticides\u2019 wildlife program page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Exposure to pesticides can alter an organism\u2019s behavior, impacting its ability to survive, reproduce, and provide necessary ecosystem services (e.g., pollination, soil fertility, population control, etc.). For instance, the\u00a0United Nations<\/a>\u00a0states that\u00a080 percent of the 115<\/a>\u00a0top global food crops depend on insect pollination, with\u00a0one-third<\/a>\u00a0of all U.S. crops depending on pollinators, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, research finds that many insect populations are in\u00a0decline<\/a>, including managed and wild pollinators.\u00a0Monarchs are near extinction<\/a>, and\u00a0commercial beekeepers continue to experience declines<\/a>\u00a0that are putting them out of business. The\u00a0continued loss of mayflies<\/a>\u00a0and fireflies<\/a>\u00a0disrupts the foundation of many food chains. Additionally, the decline in many bird species has links to insect declines. Since the 1970s,\u00a0three billion birds<\/a>\u00a0have vanished.<\/p>\n

However, a decade ago, Earth Day 2013 saw the launch of the\u00a0BEE Protective<\/a>\u00a0campaign spearheaded by Beyond Pesticides and our friends at Center for Food Safety. This campaign continuously generates a tremendous outpouring of support through local action, social media, and information requests to Beyond Pesticides. New\u00a0backyard beekeepers<\/a>\u00a0and gardeners are fostering local pollinator resilience and creating\u00a0bee-friendly habitat<\/a>\u00a0that brings communities together and fuels the campaign to BEE Protective of pollinators. Pesticides pose an imminent threat to all aspects of biodiversity, including pollinators and numerous other beneficial species<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As we appreciate the Earth and all it provides on this Earth Day, we hope you will use our resources, take action<\/a>, and educate others on the ways toxic chemicals jeopardize the complex natural processes on which we rely. Through the promotion and adoption of\u00a0alternative systems like organic<\/a>, we can work with the Earth\u2019s natural systems to produce a safer, healthier world for all living species.<\/p>\n