For Bob, a beekeeper from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, it was a heartbreaking winter.
Nearly 70 percent of Iowa's precious bees were too sick -- poisoned by toxic agricultural pesticides produced by Bayer and Monsanto -- to survive the frigid temperatures. Bob called it "the worst year we've probably seen for the bee population."
It's a worldwide catastrophe, and what comes next is even worse. A quarter of everything we eat, from apples to watermelon, depends on bee pollination -- our food supply is at risk.
But we have a chance to stop this looming disaster right in its tracks. Congress is currently considering the "Saving America's Pollinators Act." It's up to us to make sure our representatives stand with us, not greedy chemical companies like Bayer and Monsanto.
Sign the petition and tell your U.S. representative: Pass the "Saving America's Pollinators Act" to protect our bees and food supply!
The mass die-off of bees -- known as Colony Collapse Disorder -- has been sweeping the country, and it isn't just bad for our food. It's also crippling family businesses and local economies.
Bret Adee, whose family owns Adee Honey Farms of South Dakota, the nation's largest beekeeper, described mounting losses. "We lost 42 percent over the winter. But by the time we came around to pollinate almonds, it was a 55 percent loss," he said in an interview.
Independent, unbiased studies have linked this toxic pesticide to colony collapse. When picked up by bees, its primary chemical can act like a nerve agent, compromising a bee's ability to feed and make its way back to the hive. It's no wonder that Europe has banned these toxic chemicals!
Will you join the movement to save our bees? Send your message and tell Congress to pass the "Saving America’s Pollinators Act!"
In it together,
Ashley Allison
SierraRise Senior Campaigner