To: First Lady Michelle Obama
Tell Michelle Obama to stand up for the bees!
Dear Michelle Obama,
This year, beekeepers have reported record losses of 50-90 percent of their bees due to the global bee die-off known as Colony Collapse Disorder and many farmers are facing shortages of the bees they need to pollinate their crops.
As our nation’s First Lady, and gardener-in-chief, please set an example for the nation by banning bee-killing pesticides from the White House gardens, urging the EPA to take swift action to protect bees, and calling on Congress to support the Save America’s Pollinators Act, recently introduced by John Conyers (D, Mich.) and Earl Blumenauer (D, Ore.).
You have already shown leadership in making the White House garden a shining example of the importance of organic food production for the health of our families and our planet. You have also brought bees to your garden, creating a habitat for the pollinators that are essential to one out of three bites of food we eat.
But bees are in serious trouble and a growing body of science is pointing to the world’s most popular class of pesticides, called neonicotinoids, as the key factor in the global bee die-off crisis. Since many home garden plants and seeds are pre-treated with these pesticides--including ornamental flowers intended to attract bees--you could be poisoning bees without even realizing it.
Please use your position as First Lady to speak out for bees!
Our bees and our children thank you!
This year, beekeepers have reported record losses of 50-90 percent of their bees due to the global bee die-off known as Colony Collapse Disorder and many farmers are facing shortages of the bees they need to pollinate their crops.
As our nation’s First Lady, and gardener-in-chief, please set an example for the nation by banning bee-killing pesticides from the White House gardens, urging the EPA to take swift action to protect bees, and calling on Congress to support the Save America’s Pollinators Act, recently introduced by John Conyers (D, Mich.) and Earl Blumenauer (D, Ore.).
You have already shown leadership in making the White House garden a shining example of the importance of organic food production for the health of our families and our planet. You have also brought bees to your garden, creating a habitat for the pollinators that are essential to one out of three bites of food we eat.
But bees are in serious trouble and a growing body of science is pointing to the world’s most popular class of pesticides, called neonicotinoids, as the key factor in the global bee die-off crisis. Since many home garden plants and seeds are pre-treated with these pesticides--including ornamental flowers intended to attract bees--you could be poisoning bees without even realizing it.
Please use your position as First Lady to speak out for bees!
Our bees and our children thank you!
Why is this important?
First Lady Michelle Obama has done something extraordinary: she’s not only brought an organic garden to the White House, she’s also installed a hive of 70,000 bees.
Like many backyard gardeners and beekeepers across the country, the First Lady is doing her part to create a habitat for bees, which are essential pollinators for one out of three bites of food.
But as you’ve probably heard, bees are dying off around the world in record numbers.
A growing body of science is pointing to the world’s most popular class of pesticides called neonicotinoids (or neonics), made by giant chemical companies Bayer and Syngenta, as the key factor in the global bee die-off crisis.
Please ask Michelle to set an example for the nation by removing bee-killing pesticides from the White House gardens, urging the EPA to protect bees and calling on Congress to support the Save America’s Pollinators Act, recently introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D, Mich.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D, Ore.).
Like many backyard gardeners and beekeepers across the country, the First Lady is doing her part to create a habitat for bees, which are essential pollinators for one out of three bites of food.
But as you’ve probably heard, bees are dying off around the world in record numbers.
A growing body of science is pointing to the world’s most popular class of pesticides called neonicotinoids (or neonics), made by giant chemical companies Bayer and Syngenta, as the key factor in the global bee die-off crisis.
Please ask Michelle to set an example for the nation by removing bee-killing pesticides from the White House gardens, urging the EPA to protect bees and calling on Congress to support the Save America’s Pollinators Act, recently introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D, Mich.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D, Ore.).