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Natural Bytes
Publication #839: Neonics on One Corn Seed Can Kill a Quarter-Million Bees!

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SAVE THE BEES

Bees Are Dying

By Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director at Natural Customers Affiliation:  

Due to Bayer’s enterprise mannequin: genetically modified seeds soaked in bee-killing neonic pesticides.

Within the 1980s, Bayer invented artificial neonicotinoid compounds that could possibly be utilized to the seed of a plant and stay efficient for the plant’s complete lifespan.

By 2004, Bayer had agreements with the highest genetically modified seed corporations to coat their seeds with huge quantities of neonics.

By 2007, 80 % of the corn seed offered by market-leader Pioneer (Monsanto’s rival-cum-partner) was handled with Bayer’s clothianidin-based Poncho.

By 2008, Colony Collapse Dysfunction was a worldwide downside.

In the present day, almost all corn seeds and about half of soybean seeds are coated in neonics.

Bayer takes benefit of the truth that, within the US, seed therapies aren’t regulated as pesticides. Seed therapies was once measured in total neonic use, however the US Geological Survey began leaving them out in 2014.

That’s loopy, as a result of only one corn seed can maintain sufficient neonics to kill a quarter-million bees!

That is what’s inflicting honey bee colony losses. Within the 2022-2023 season, business beekeepers noticed a mortality price of 48.2 % of their hives, nearly as dangerous because the 2020-2021 season with the best loss price ever reported (50.8%).

What started with the collapse of bee colonies has change into a full-on insect apocalypse that scientists say is “tearing aside the tapestry of life”, devastating chicken populations, harming deer and rabbits, impacting human well being and threatening the way forward for meals that depend on pollinators.

The U.S. agricultural panorama is now 48 instances extra poisonous to bees than it was 25 years in the past and crop yields for apples, cherries and blueberries are already being decreased by an absence of pollinators.

New York State made historical past in 2023 when Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Birds and Bees Safety Act to ban neonicotinoid (neonic) coatings on corn, soybean and wheat seeds.

The Nationwide Caucus of Environmental Legislators has stepped as much as handle the disaster with laws to limit using bee-killing neonic pesticides . Throughout the nation, payments to ban, limit or regulate neonics have been launched in 23 states and handed in Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Most of those legal guidelines goal house garden and backyard use, however the victory in New York is inspiring motion focused on the bigger downside of agricultural use.

In 2024, Vermont is the state to look at, with lawmakers there contemplating a ban.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State Legislators to Ban Neonic Seed Treatments!

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

Monarch Butterflies Wintering in Mexico Drop to Second-Lowest Degree Ever Recorded

Paige Bennett writes for EcoWatch:

“Consultants say the endangered insect numbers fell by 59% this yr, blaming pesticide use and local weather change for the discount. 

The estimated variety of monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico for winter has reached its second-lowest stage ever for the 2023 to 2024 overwintering season. The estimate, based mostly on the dimensions of the butterflies’ hibernating forest space, has dropped by about 59% from the earlier yr, in response to officers.

Monarch butterflies face three main threats, together with habitat loss for his or her breeding and overwintering; using pesticides, which may be poisonous to the butterflies or can kill their meals supply, milkweed; and local weather change, which might shift their migratory patterns. By the 2022 to 2023 overwintering season, the World Wildlife Fund reported a 22% drop within the quantity of overwintering monarch butterflies in Mexico.

In accordance with WWF, monarch butterflies as soon as coated about 45 acres of forested land in Mexico throughout their 1996 to 1997 overwintering season. Final yr, they coated 5.5 acres. With the 59% decline, the 2023 overwintering season noticed the butterflies protecting simply 2.2 acres, The Related Press reported. The bottom protection ever recorded was 1.65 acres from 2013 to 2014.”  

Read more

GLYPHOSATE

American Academy of Pediatrics Advises Avoiding GMO Meals Because of Glyphosate Residues

By Claire Robinson, GM Watch:

“The AAP report authors, three eminent pediatricians, word that glyphosate is a possible carcinogen and could also be an endocrine (hormone) disruptor in people. Additionally they level out the hyperlink between excessive urinary ranges of glyphosate in pregnant girls with an elevated danger of untimely births. They add that different herbicides used on GM crops – dicamba and a pair of,4-D – are “attainable” carcinogens, in response to the Worldwide Company for Analysis on Most cancers (IARC).

Given all these details, the authors contemplate what recommendation pediatricians may give to households in a local weather of public distrust of GMO meals. They word that opposite to many individuals’s perception, the prevalence of GMOs within the meals provide is restricted. Regardless that GMO-containing meals merchandise are extensively discovered within the meals provide in the US, they originate from a comparatively slim checklist of 10 genetically engineered crops. Most US merchandise derived from these GMO crops are to be present in ultra-processed meals and animal feed. Due to this, “The AAP urges transparency of details about meals merchandise to assist households make knowledgeable selections,” Dr Jaclyn Lewis Albin, one of many report’s authors mentioned in an AAP information launch.

In accordance with the AAP report, going natural is an effective strategy the place households can afford it: “A serious good thing about natural meals is that it considerably reduces dietary publicity to pesticides. Research present that consuming a primarily natural weight loss plan reduces the physique’s pesticide burden by about 90%.”

Make Your State the First to Ban Monsanto’s Roundup Weedkiller!

INDIGENOUS ROOTS

Take heed to Vegetation, Says Indigenous Forager and Activist Linda Black Elk

Kate Nelson writes for Civil Eats:

“How can we enhance our relationship with vegetation, animals, and the pure surroundings round us?

On a person stage, it’s about getting on the market, introducing your self to the pure world, and being keen to talk and hear. Vegetation do talk with us if we take our time and strategy them in a respectful approach. For instance, one spring day I seen chickweed had began randomly rising proper exterior my kitchen door, which appeared so unusual as a result of it had by no means grown there earlier than. Then I came upon I had a thyroid situation. Chickweed has traditionally been used for thyroid regulation, so I spotted that plant was speaking with me, being like, “Right here I’m. You want me.”

I do suppose vegetation come to us once we want them. However in case you don’t acknowledge that plant, you may not know that it’s making an attempt to speak with you. I all the time advocate beginning with dandelions and studying about their place on the earth, since everybody is aware of what a dandelion seems to be like. They’re a gateway plant, as a result of they’ve been so vilified by Western tradition but they’re a tremendous meals and medication. Constructing these relationships opens us as much as listening to the world round us as a substitute of simply consistently interested by consumption.

Are you able to clarify the way you see foraging as an act of resistance?

On this society, meals and medication are costly and inaccessible for a large portion of the inhabitants. We’re purposefully stored ignorant about and in worry of plant meals and medicines; we’re indoctrinated into this concept that they’re someway harmful or inferior.”  

BIODYNAMICS

The Great thing about Self-Sustaining, Biodynamic Agriculture

Dr. Joseph Mercola stories:

“It’s like organics on steroids – this certification goes approach past to ensure the best high quality meals, in addition to larger dietary density and concern for the surroundings.

Biodynamic agriculture is a spiritual-ethical-ecological strategy to agriculture, initially developed by Austrian scholar Rudolf Steiner,2 Ph.D., (1861-1925). In the present day, it meets each natural and regenerative certification requirements, after which some.

Biodynamic farming gives superior crops each in quantity and elevated density of vitamins. Biodynamic farms are additionally utterly self-sustaining — one thing that can’t be mentioned even for many natural farms. For instance, biodynamic requirements don’t merely require farmers to make use of natural animal feed. A lot of the feed should really originate from the farm itself.

And, whereas an natural farmer can part off as little as 10% of the farm for the rising of licensed natural items, 100% of a biodynamic farm should be in compliance with biodynamic requirements to qualify for certification.

Along with that, 10% of the land should even be devoted to rising biodiversity. This might take the type of forest land, wetland or insectary, for instance.

Biodynamic farming additionally has the entire options related to regenerative agriculture, akin to crop rotation, using cowl crops and so forth.

Having animals built-in on the farm, with a give attention to animal welfare, is one other core precept of biodynamic farming. Briefly, the farm is seen as a residing, self-sustainable complete, and biodiversity of each vegetation and animals are integral elements of that.”

Read why Biodynamic Agriculture is the answer everyone’s looking for

HEALTHY LIVING

DIY Pantry

By Kris Bordessa, Nationwide Geographic writer/licensed grasp meals preserver:

“In the event you’re prepared to start stocking your kitchen cabinets with selfmade variations of your favourite store-bought go-tos, you’re in the suitable place! So lots of our favourite staple meals may be made at house with just some easy elements.

You may see all of my DIY pantry recipes right here, however take a minute to find a few of my (and my readers!) favourite suggestions and methods under.

Our dependence on ready meals, packaged in plastic and paperboard, is a realized behavior. It didn’t occur in a single day, although. It took a number of generations for us to shift from cooking at house nearly solely to the ready-made variations of those self same recipes. I’m right here that will help you begin cooking at house from scratch!

Find out how to Change from Boxed and Canned to Selfmade
Eight Should-Know Kitchen Expertise
Straightforward Recipes to Substitute Grocery store Merchandise
Cooking with Dry Beans

Studying to make condiments, dips, spreads, and snack recipes from scratch will minimize your grocery invoice and scale back the quantity of single-use plastic that enters your house.

Bar none, the simplest and most shocking pantry staple you can also make at house is mustard. However there are many different contenders! From candy syrups to selfmade crackers, salad dressing to pickles, you can also make some of these items at house.

30+ Condiments to Cease Shopping for and Make at Dwelling
100+ Granola Recipes: Bars, Bites, Breakfast”

To learn even more, check out Kris Bordessa’s fabulous website, Attainable Sustainable

SUPPORT OCA & RI

Cease the Battle on Organics

In response to the rising recognition of organics and regenerative agriculture, highly effective parts of the worldwide elite, spearheaded by Invoice Gates, the World Financial Discussion board, Silicon Valley lab-meat entrepreneurs, multinational company agribusiness, and GMO/precision agriculture/Huge Information companies, have declared outright battle on organics and animal agriculture. These advocates of shutting down the livelihoods of tons of of hundreds of thousands of natural and regenerative (licensed or de facto natural) small farmers, pastoralists, and rural villagers proclaim, with out proof, that natural and regenerative practices can not feed the world.

Conflating small farms and conventional grazing with manufacturing unit farms and feedlots, and nutrient-dense complete meals with extremely processed meals and “food-like” substances, the cheerleaders and profiteers of high-tech agriculture have actually declared battle on indigenous information and practices, natural and regenerative agriculture, holistic grazing, and agroforestry.

The agro-technocrats declare that natural and small farmers burn up an excessive amount of land, that indigenous and conventional practices spur deforestation, that natural productiveness (with out chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and GMO seeds) is inefficient; and that rising meals hydroponically in containers with out soil and gene-editing must be allowed to be labeled as “natural.”

They are saying that genetically engineered lab meat and dairy, grown in industrial vats, should change into the norm. Most just lately these warriors towards natural (together with misguided vegans and local weather zealots) have introduced that animal agriculture (the livelihood for a billion small farmers and rural villagers) must be abolished solely in favor of fallowing and “rewilding” 75% of agricultural lands.

OCA guarantees to affix our allies, U.S. and worldwide, to work to cease the Battle on Organics. However we’d like your assist and lively participation to win this battle. In the event you can afford it, please give us a donation as we speak!

Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Make a tax-deductible donation to Regeneration International, our international sister organization

Click here for more ways to support our work

MISLEADING MARKETING

Truth Test Funder Publicis Pays $350 Million for Function in Opioid Epidemic

Evaluation by Dr. Joseph Mercola:

“Story at-a-Look:

The Publicis Groupe, one of many world’s largest PR companies, just lately agreed to pay a $350 million settlement over claims that its false and deceptive advertising of opioids contributed to the deadly opioid epidemic within the U.S.
Accusations towards Publicis Well being, Purdue’s PR agency, included creating the advertising supplies that satisfied docs to overprescribe OxyContin, putting unlawful ads for OxyContin within the digital medical data of sufferers, creating coaching supplies for gross sales reps on how one can fight physician’s objections to the medication, creating methods to counter opioid tips issued by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, and creating advertising methods to “humanize” the OxyContin model and counter destructive press about dependancy dangers
The $350 million settlement might be divided amongst 50 states, with the best settlement quantities being allotted to California, Florida and Texas. Publicis doesn’t admit wrongdoing or legal responsibility as a part of the settlement
Publicis, which is now paying its approach out of authorized hassle over the false advertising, is a funder of censorship. Publicis offered seed cash to launch NewsGuard, and is formally partnered with NewsGuard “to battle the ‘infodemic’ of misinformation about COVID-19 and its vaccines”
Publicis can be a associate of the World Financial Discussion board, which is main the decision for a “Nice Reset.” In actual fact, Publicis seems to be coordinating the worldwide effort to suppress info that runs counter to the technocratic narrative about COVID-19, its origin, prevention and therapy

BAN PFAS

EPA Proposes Including PFAS To Hazardous Waste Cleanup Legislation

Shannon Kelleher stories for The New Lede:

“Federal regulators as we speak introduced a proposal to replace the definition of hazardous waste within the Useful resource Conservation and Restoration Act (RCRA) to incorporate a category of chemical compounds often known as PFAS, a transfer designed to assist guarantee cleanups of those so-called “perpetually chemical compounds” at hazardous waste amenities.

The Environmental Safety Company (EPA)’s proposed guidelines may even add 9 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to an inventory of gear within the act which might be thought-about in assessments of amenities used to deal with, retailer, and eliminate hazardous waste. The updates will strengthen protections for communities positioned close to the 1,740 hazardous waste amenities throughout the US, the Environmental Safety Company (EPA) mentioned in an announcement.

“In the present day’s announcement by the EPA will be certain that fast motion may be taken to scrub up PFAS and can ship a robust sign to business to be good stewards of their PFAS wastes,” mentioned Scott Faber, senior vice chairman for presidency affairs at The Environmental Working Group nonprofit in an announcement.”  

ROOTED IN REGENERATION

March Summit at White Oak Pastures

The Rooted in Regeneration Summit, hosted by the Center for Agricultural Resilience at White Oak Pastures in Blufton, GA, March 14-16, is a groundbreaking occasion bringing collectively main minds within the subject of regenerative agriculture. This summit goals to foster discussions, share information, and promote practices that improve environmental sustainability, humane animal husbandry, and group empowerment. Attendees can have the distinctive alternative to listen to from distinguished audio system, take part in hands-on demonstrations, and interact in significant conversations about making a extra sustainable and regenerative future.

Keynote audio system embody Natural Customers Affiliation’s political director Alexis Baden-Mayer, in addition to Will Harris, Tre’ Cates, Melissa K. Norris, Yadi Wang, Ryan Slabaugh, Julia Johnson, Amy Milliron, Blake Alexandre and Trenton Tye.

Register Here

HEALTH ISSUES

Extremely-Processed Meals Tied to Most cancers, Diabetes, Dementia, Despair and Early Dying

By Mikaela Conley, U.S. Proper to Know:

“Tons of of scientific research present sturdy proof that consuming ultra-processed meals is linked to early dying and critical ailments, together with most cancers, Sort 2 diabetes, weight problems, heart problems, Alzheimer’s illness and different types of dementia, despair, non-alcoholic fatty liver illness, and power kidney illness.

Meals corporations closely market (and revenue from) ultra-processed meals, they usually additionally formulate these meals as addictive – with added sugars, fats, chemical components, and different attributes that make the meals extremely palatable and straightforward to overeat.

Over the past 20 years, Individuals have continued to extend their consumption of ultra-processed meals (UPFs). In the present day, greater than half of our energy come from UPFs. On this put up, we offer an summary of ultra-processed meals – what they’re, how a lot we eat, and key information protection.

We’re producing a collection of truth sheets on probably the most critical well being dangers from consuming ultra-processed meals. The primary truth sheets within the collection cowl early dying, elevated danger of most cancers, and weight problems and weight achieve.”

Read about The NOVA food classification system, a commonly used framework around the world to categorize processed foods