We the undersigned call for the official creation of a Duluth city ordinance identical or similar to the "Bee Friendly Duluth" ordinance, which calls for banning the sale and use of neonicotinoid pesticides and items containing these pesticides.
Should the Duluth City Council not create and pass an ordinance banning the use and sale of neonicotinoid pesticides as well as items containing them in any form, we the undersigned call for the ability to craft the ordinance and vote on it via special election as described by Section 51 of the Duluth Legislative Code Charter.
Why is this important?
The reasoning for the ordinance proposed by this petition is that neonicotinoid pesticides have been shown to harm bee populations more than other pesticides, in that neonicotinoids continue to be toxic to insect populations such as bees long after the initial application, in a manner that has been compared by scientists to that of the chemical DDT.
Bee populations are necessary pollinators of plants that humans depend on for food and an environment conducive to the health and well-being of themselves and other life.
