To Paraphrase Head of the Sierra Club Richard Cellarius
If we get enough Sierra Club members as Commission Chairs we can maintain control of IUCN directive. We hope nobody finds out the Head of the IUCN-Task Force on Systemic Pesticides Commission -Maarten Bijleveld was founding member of World Wildlife Federation Netherlands
IUCN Commissions Description Brochure
Dear Sierra Club Volunteer Colleagues
A good amount of my volunteer time is invested in working with IUCN, both as the primary Sierra Club representative for our International NGO membership in IUCN, but also as an officer of one of the IUCN Commissions.
IUCN has just produced a brochure (see download link below) describing all of its commissions, composed of experts in areas relative to the mandate of the commissions. Commission members do not need to be members of an IUCN organizational member. At the same time, it increases the Sierra Club's involvement in IUCN when its members do apply to and get accepted as a member of a commission. Sierra Club's IUCN dues help support the work of the commissions as well.
I am aware of several other Club members who are also commission members, and some have had major roles, including serving as commission chairs and, as such, IUCN Councillors.
If anyone is interested in expanding your conservation work into the international arena, I would be pleased to assist you in making contact with the chair of any of the commissions.
Cheers.
Richard
richard.cellarius@sierraclub.org
Can you smell another Tyrone Hayes | Don Huber | Gilles Seralina | Conspiracy?
June 2014 : Crop Protection Association (UK) calls on IUCN to publish findings of the task force on systemic pesticides. Here
Ontario Bee Keepers Association Media Release Nov 2014
Scientific research & other resources on neonicotinoids
Much has been written and is available to the reader online on the subject of neonicotinoids and their linkage to bee poisonings. Among these are the following reports and peer-reviewed papers that the OBA believes to be particularly relevant and useful. We will keep this section updated with new information as it appears.
NOW AVAILABLE: [IUCN Task Force on Systemic Pesticides Report] The Worldwide Integrated Assessment on Systemic Pesticides fullreport.
Peer Reviewed Papers:
- Nicodemo, D., Maioli, M. A., Medeiros, H. C.D., Guelfi, M., Balieira, K. V.B., De Jong, D. and Mingatto, F. E. (2014), Fipronil and imidacloprid reduce honeybee mitochondrial activity.Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. doi: 10.1002/etc.2655
- Sandrock C, Tanadini M, Tanadini LG, Fauser-Misslin A, Potts SG, et al. (2014) Impact of Chronic Neonicotinoid Exposure on Honeybee Colony Performance and Queen Supersedure. PLoS ONE 9(8): e103592. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103592
- Madeleine Chagnon, David Kreutzweiser, Edward A. D. Mitchell, Christy A Morrissey, Dominiqe A. Noome, Jeroen P. Van der Sluijs Risks of large scale use of systemic insecticides to ecosystem functioning and services Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impact of Systemic Pesticides July 2014
- Michelle L. Hladik, Dana W. Kolpin, Kathryn M. Kuivila, Widespread occurrence of neonicotinoid insecticides in streams in a high corn and soybean producing region, USAScience Direct June 2014
- Caspar Hallmann, Ruud Foppen, Chris van Turnhout, Hans deKroon, Eelke Jongejans Declines in insectivorous birds are associated with high neonicotinoid concentrations. Nature July 2014
- Richard J Gill, Nigel E. Raine. Chronic impairment of bumblebee natural foraging behaviours induced by sublethal pesticide exposure. Functional Ecology, British Ecological Society July 7, 2014
- David Gibbons, Christy Morrissey,, Pierre Mineau A Review of the direct and indirect efects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on vertebrate wildlife.Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2014
- Vincent Doublet, Maureen Labarussias, Joachim R. deMiranda, Robin F.A. Moritz. Bees under stress: sublethal doses of a neonicotinoid pesticide and pathogens interact to elevate honey bee mortality across the life cycle. 2014 doe:10.1111/1462-2920.12426
- Wanyi Zhu, Daniel R. Schmehl, Christopher A Mullin, James L Frazier "Four common pesticides, their mixtures and a formulation solvent in the hive environment have high oral toxicity to honey bee larvae" PlosOne Jan 8 2014
- Caroline de Almeida Rossi, Thaisa Cristina Roat, Daiana Antonia Tavares, Brain Morpophysiology of Africanized Bee Apis mellifera Exposed to Sublethal Doses of Imadacloprid. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 7 April 2013.
- Mary J. Palmer, Christopher Moffat, Nastja Saranzewa, Jenni Harvey Cholinergic pesticides cause mushroom body neuronal inactivation in honey bees. Nature. 27 March 2013
- Regiane Alves Oliveira, Thaisa Cristina Road, Stephan Malfitano Carvalho, Osmar Malaspina, Side Effects of Thiamethosam on the Brain and Midgut of the Africanized honeybee Apis mellifera Wiley Periodicals, 2013
- Gennaro DiPrisco, Valeria Cavaliere, Desiderato Annoscia et al "Neonicotinoid clothianidin adversely affects insect immunity and promotes replication of a viral pathogen in honey bees" national Academy of Sciences of the United States.
- Sally Williamson and Geraldine Wright, "Exposure to multiple cholinergic pesticides impairs olfactory learning and memory in honey bees." Journal of Experimental Biology 2013
- Jeroen P VanderSluijs, Noa Simon-Delso, Dave Goulson, Laura Maxim, Jean-MarcBonmatin, Luc P. Belzunes "Neonicotinoids, bee disorders and the sustainability of pollinator services" Current Opinion Environmental Sustainability 2013
- Jeffrey S Pettis et al. "Crop Pollination Exposes Honey Bees to Pesticides Which Alters Their Susceptability to the Gut Pathogen Nosema Ceranae". 2013 PlosOne
- Dave Goulson: An overview of the environmental risks posed by neonicotinoid pesticides. Journal of Applied Ecology 2013
- Rosemary Mason, Henk Tennekes, Francisco Sanchez-Bayo; "Immune Suppression by Neonicotinoid Insecticides at the Root of Global Wildlife Declines." Journal of Environmental Immunology. 2013
- Van Dijk, Tessa C, Van Staalduinen, Marja A, Van de Sluijs, Jeroen P. "Macro-Invertebrate Decline in Surface Water Polluted with Imadacloprid." May 2013 PLOS ONE
- Gill, Richard J, Ramos-Rodrigues, Oscar, & Raine, Nigel E. "Combined pesticide exposure severely affects individual – and colony – level traits in bees." Nature 2012
- Tappara, A. Marton,D. Gioria, C. Zanella, A. Solda, L. Marzaro, M. Vivan, L. Girolami, V. (2012) “Assessment of the environmental exposure of honeybees to particulate matter containing neonicotinoid insecticides coming from corn coated seeds”
- Krupke, C.H. Hunt, G.J. Eitzer, B.D. Andino, G. Given, K (2012) “Multiple routes of pesticide exposure for honey bees living near agricultural fields”
- Toshiro Yamada Kazuko Yamada Naoko Wada "Influence of Dinotefuran and Clothianidin on a Bee Colony. Graduate School of Natural Science & Technology, Kanazawa (Japan) University
- Mickael Henry et al: A common pesticide decreases foraging success and survival in honey bees. 2012
- Jeffrey Pettis, Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Josepine Johnson, Galen Dively Pesticide exposure in honey bees results in increased levels of the gut pathogen Nosema. Naturwissenschaften 3 January, 2012
- Cedric Alaux, Jean-Luc Brunet and Yves Le Conte "Interactions between Nosema microspores and neonicotnoid weakened honey bees" Environmental Microbiology, March 2010
- Aliouane et al "Subchronic exposure to sub-lethal doses of pesticide: effects on behaviour" Environmental Toxology and Chemistry 2009
Summary of Findings: Health Canada
Evaluation of Canadian Bee Mortalities in 2013 Related to Neonicotinoid Pesticides
Evaluation of Canadian Bee Mortalities that Coincided with Corn Planting in Spring 2012
Government and NGO reports:
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Congressional Research Service. Bee Health: The Role of Pesticides
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The Impact of the Nation's Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds. The American Bird Conservatory
Other:
IUCN News : SSC and CEM joint Task Force on Systemic Pesticides
In March 2011, an international task force was set up under the IUCN Species Survival Commission and the Commission on Ecosystem Management to bring together the scientific evidence needed to underpin action on neonicotinoid pesticides, the most prominent of the systemic pesticides currently used to "protect" more than 140 different crops and sold in 120 countries. Neonicotinoid pesticides have rapidly grown to become the most widely used group of insecticides globally, with a marketshare of 25%. Suspected by some scientists of being the cause of the worldwide decline of honey bees and wild pollinators, neonicotinoids are a set of nicotine-based systemic insecticides, differing from conventional spray products in that they also can be used as either seed dressings or as soil treatments and as a result they are dispersed into plant tissues, as well as washed into aquatic habitats through runoff. Their high persistency in soil and water results in a sustained (chronic) exposure of non-target organisms such as invertebrates to harmful concentrations. Neonicotinoids are neurotoxins that act on invertebrates’ information processing by affecting a specific neural pathway that is more common in invertebrates than other animal groups, making them popular very broad spectrum insecticides.
The objectives of the task force are to: 1) review and present the scientific evidence of the impact of neonicotinoid and other systemic pesticides on the environment; 2) devise a better risk assessment protocol for government approval of new pesticides; 3) propose alternatives in the event that systemic pesticides are shown to have serious adverse effects on the environment; 4) launch a global information and publicity campaign once evidence and information are available; and 5) engage politicians to change policies and inadequate risk assessments, if the scientific evidence evidences a requirement that such changes be made. The Task Force meets biannually and is directed by a Steering Committee including SSC and CEM Chairs.
Chair: Maarten Bijleveld mbvl@club-internet.fr
Scientific coordinator:
Jeroen van der Sluijs j.p.vandersluijs@uu.nl
Website: www.tfsp.info/
Jeroen van der Sluijs = The Meg Sears of Europe – Expert at everything from neonicotinoids to electro magnetic fields.
We live in times of science on demand: an interview with Jeroen van der Sluijs
by Liesbeth Sluiter and originally published in the Dutch Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth) magazine, “Down to earth! 2014
check out his web page
