Bees are dying off worldwide and our entire food chain is in peril.
Scientists blame toxic pesticides and four European governments have already
banned them. If we get the US and the EU to join the ban, other governments
across the world could follow, and save bees from extinction. Sign the
petition and forward this urgent appeal:

<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897274128&v=8125> Sign the
petition

<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897274128&v=8125>
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897274128&v=8125>

Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is in
danger. Bees don’t just make honey, they are a giant, humble workforce,
pollinating 90% of the plants we grow.

Multiple scientific studies blame one group of toxic pesticides for their
rapid demise, and bee populations have soared in four European countries
that have banned these products. But powerful chemical companies are
lobbying hard to keep selling this poison. Our best chance to save bees now
is to push the US and EU to join the ban — their action is critical and
will have a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

We have no time to lose — the debate is raging about what to do. This is
not just about saving bumble bees, this is about survival. Let’s build a
giant global buzz calling for the EU and US to outlaw these killer chemicals
and save our bees and our food. Sign the emergency petition now, and send it
on to everyone and we’ll deliver it to key decision makers:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897274128&v=8125>

Bees are vital to life on earth — every year pollinating plants and crops
with an estimated $40bn value, over one third of the food supply in many
countries. Without immediate action to save bees we could end up with no
fruit, no vegetables, no nuts, no oils and no cotton.

Recent years have seen a steep and disturbing global decline in bee
populations — some bee species are now extinct and others are at just 4% of
their previous numbers. Scientists have been scrambling for answers. Some
studies claim the decline may be due to a combination of factors including
disease, habitat loss and toxic chemicals. But new leading independent
research has produced strong evidence blaming neonicotinoid pesticides.
France, Italy, Slovenia and even Germany, where the main manufacturer Bayer
is based, have banned one of these bee killers. But, Bayer continues to
export its poison across the world

This issue is now coming to the boil as major new studies have confirmed the
scale of this problem. If we can get European and US decision-makers to take
action, others will follow. It won’t be easy. A leaked document shows that
the US Environmental Protection Agency knew about the pesticide’s dangers,
but ignored them. The document says Bayer’s “highly toxic” product is a
“major risk concern to non target insects [honey bees]”.

We need to make our voices heard to counter Bayer’s very strong influence on
policy makers and scientists in both the US and the EU where they fund the
studies and sit on policy bodies. The real experts — the beekeepers and
farmers — want these deadly pesticides prohibited until and unless we have
solid, independent studies that show they are safe. Let’s support them now.
Sign the petition below, then forward this email:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?vl
<https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?cl=897274128&v=8125>

We can no longer leave our delicate food chain in the hands of research run
by the chemical companies and the regulators that are in their pockets.
Banning this pesticide will move us closer to a world safe for ourselves and
the other species we care about and depend on.