tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279140223556786071.post6824442436230927751..comments2023-08-08T10:59:04.188-05:00Comments on eighth acre farm: some thoughts on neonicotinoidsJeff Zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06285239745975791484noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279140223556786071.post-36187024477760608982013-05-20T00:58:00.176-05:002013-05-20T00:58:00.176-05:00For a much broader concept of worldwide ecology, a...For a much broader concept of worldwide ecology, an answer to desertification and a way to build soil, read a new book: Cows Save the Planet. The bees and all else depend on natural means of building soil.<br />This well-researched book shows the dependence between soil, grass, carbon cycle, climate, weather, animals and economics. Holistic Management can even improve the weather.<br />Ira Edwards imedwds@gmail.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279140223556786071.post-33149753606708818452013-05-06T21:43:45.575-05:002013-05-06T21:43:45.575-05:00Glad to hear that the Brits still have some good s...Glad to hear that the Brits still have some good sense. Really, there hasn't been much talk of neonics here- I would think most Americans have never heard of them. <br /><br />I think the way this issue is treated is indicative of a greater difference in how we adopt new technologies in North America as compared to Europe. Here, the default is to allow any sort of new development, and only ban it if over time it proves to be harmful. The people harmed by the technology can file lawsuits, but only after the gremlins are out of the box. The European model seems to put the burden of proof on the person or company trying to introduce a new thing. The European model is ultimately safer, if also a bit slower to adopt new technologies. In this case, that's a very good thing.Jeff Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06285239745975791484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279140223556786071.post-59761187537274109892013-05-06T01:35:04.311-05:002013-05-06T01:35:04.311-05:00Hi Jeff - there has been a huge outcry about these...Hi Jeff - there has been a huge outcry about these neonics over here in the UK - practically everyone wanted them banned apart from the chemical companies, the government and - weirdly - the Association for British Bee Keepers (who, I presume, are clients of the chemical corps)<br /><br />I had the privilege of going to a talk by the guy from Friends of the Earth who spearheaded the campaign to get them banned and he said there had only ever been a single trial to test their effects on bees - and that trial (done by a chemical company) was so poorly executed that the results were meaningless.<br /><br />Luckily, it seems like the efforts by our government to thwart a ban, have failed. I saw an article in the usually good Independent the other day saying how the ban is going to hit farmers hard. Apparently a lot of them have borrowed money to 'invest' in using neon's and will now have to find some other poison to spend their money on.<br /><br />Still, I was down at my woodland yesterday and was pleased to notice thousands of bees busily collecting nectar from flowering trees. I've set aside a section to produce a bee-friendly wildflower meadow - just to give them an extra helping hand. <br /><br />Let's hope the US government sees the light and bans these poisons too, before it's too late.<br /><br />BTW did you know that there are over 200 species of bee - only one of which makes honey? Many of the others are lone bees and they are equally as susceptible to neon's - but no research has been done on them, even though some may be keystone species in ecosystems.Jason Heppenstallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17886109260870545074noreply@blogger.com