Bumblebees

UNEP report - Loss of plant pollinators could undermine efforts to feed the world’s growing population

A mixture of chemicals found in modern pesticides may be killing bee colonies around the world, according to a United Nations report. The report says that the highly toxic chemicals in the insecticides, collectively known as neonicotinoids, can cause loss of the sense of direction and memory on which bees rely to find food. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report says that when neonicotinoids are combined with certain fungicides, the toxicity becomes a thousand times stronger. It says that the loss of nature’s most important plant pollinators could undermine efforts to feed the world’s growing population. The report finds that tens of thousands of plant species could be lost in coming years unless conservation efforts are stepped up.

Henk Tennekes lecture at Heidelberg University on the risk profile of neonicotinoid insecticides

On the 16th of February 2011, the Dutch toxicologist Dr. Henk Tennekes gave a lecture at the Institute of Public Health of Heidelberg University on the risk profile of neonicotinoid insecticides and their impact on non-target insects and birds (powerpoint presentation attached). Klaus Maresch recorded the English version of this presentation and placed it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4RIDWuCN-A

Vortrag Dr. Henk Tennekes zur Gefährlichkeit von Neonicotinoiden an der Universität Heidelberg

Der niederländische Toxikologe Dr. Henk Tennekes, Autor des Buches "The systemic insecticides: A disaster in the making", hielt an der Universität Heidelberg am 16. Februar 2011 einen Vortrag über die Toxizität als Funktion der Einwirkungsdauer von Neonicotinoiden und korrelierte dies mit dem Rückgang von Vogelarten in den Niederlanden sowie dem Schwund von Insekten. Klaus Maresch hat den Vortrag aufgezeichnet und bei youtube eingestellt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJt78yzT1o

Mundo contaminado - Contaminated World

Insects are unsung heroes of our ecosystem, pollinating our food (and that of many of our farm animals) and many of the trees that enable us to breathe. They provide food for birds and mammals, all of which play a role in the food chain, supporting the web of life on earth. We are witnessing a general decline of many insects. The decline of our pollinators is the most serious facing mankind, and cannot be underestimated. It is so serious, that the effects specifically of pesticides on the insect population, should not be ignored. Drawing on his own research using the Druckrey–Küpfmüller equation, as well as other research, such as the contamination of surface water with neonicotinoids and the arthropod and bird populations, the Dutch toxicologist Henk Tennekes concludes that these pesticides are linked to an ecological collapse of insects (including bees), the birds that feed upon insects, or the seeds or fruits from plants pollinated by them. He concludes that even minute quantities are harmful to insects.

Het gaat niet alleen over bijen, dit gaat over alle kleine dingetjes die de wereld laten draaien

In de afgelopen vijf jaar of zo begonnen op veel plaatsen bestuivers, honingbijen in het bijzonder, te verdwijnen en zijn regeringen wakker geschud over het probleem, omdat bestuiving miljarden waard is. In feite zijn insecten zoals vlinders, motten, hommels en haften al een lange tijd aan het verdwijnen hoewel bijna niemand, behalve specialisten, het hebben opgemerkt of er bezorgd over waren. Hun neergang begon een halve eeuw geleden met de introductie van pesticiden en andere chemicaliën in de landbouw. Maar de daling is in de afgelopen tien jaar in snelheid toegenomen met de introductie van systemische insecticiden zoals de neonicotinoïden die in alle delen van de plant worden opgenomen, inclusief het stuifmeel en nectar die bestuivende insecten verzamelen.

In zijn boek “The Systemic Insecticides – A Disaster In The Making” stelt de Nederlandse toxicoloog Henk Tennekes dat neonicotinoïden nu in een groot deel van het oppervlaktewater van Nederland aanwezig zijn, insecten uitroeit en in het hele land tot een daling van insectenetende vogels leidt. Als we bezorgd zijn over de kleine dingetjes die de wereld laten draaien, moeten we wakker worden over wat nu hun grootste bedreiging kan worden.

Henk Tennekes: De neonicotinoiden zullen een natuurramp veroorzaken

Al jaren bestudeert de toxicoloog Henk Tennekes wat de mogelijke gevolgen zijn van bepaalde insecticiden, de zogenaamde neonicotinoïden, op flora en fauna. Deze insecticiden worden niet verstoven, maar bijvoorbeeld toegevoegd aan zaadcoatings of in de bodem. Ze kunnen vervolgens migreren naar de bloem en daar door insecten worden opgenomen. De massale afname van bijenvolken wijt Tennekes hier bijvoorbeeld aan, maar ook watervlooien en libelles hebben last van het goedje. Keer op keer waarschuwt hij de overheid dat zij maatregelen moeten nemen tegen bijvoorbeeld de toepassing van imidacloprid, maar desondanks blijven die maatregelen uit. Nu publiceert Tennekes voor een breder publiek informatie over dit onderwerp in een prachtig uitgevoerd boek.

Michael McCarthy: This isn't just about bees – it affects everything

Edward O Wilson, America's greatest naturalist, called invertebrates – the insects, the spiders, the worms, the snails and all their fellows – "the little things that run the world". In the past five years or so, pollinators, honeybees in particular, have started to vanish in many places, and governments have woken up to the problem, as pollination is worth billions. In fact, insects such as butterflies, moths, bumblebees and mayflies have been disappearing for a long time, although hardly anyone except specialists has noticed or cared. Their decline began half a century ago with the introduction of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. But the decline has gathered pace over the past decade with the introduction of systemic insecticides such as the neonicotinoids, which are absorbed into every part of the plant, including the pollen and nectar which pollinating insects collect. It is too simple to say that one has caused the other, but the link is being made. In his book The Systemic Insecticides – A Disaster In The Making, the Dutch toxicologist Henk Tennekes argues that neonicotinoids are now present in much of Holland's surface water, killing off aquatic insects and leading to a decline in insect-eating birds across the country.

Un nouveau livre sur les causes de la mort des abeilles et des oiseaux en Europe

Le premier novembre paraîtra le livre du toxicologue hollandais Dr Henk Tennekes, „A disaster in the making“ qui traite des causes de la mort des oiseaux et des abeilles dans toute l’Europe. Le Dr Tennekes y montre que le recul considérable de nombreuses populations avicoles est lié à la décimation que les pesticides infligent aux insectes. Les populations de coléoptères, mouches, papillons et teignes, dont se nourrissent les oiseaux, ont reculé principalement en raison de l’emploi des néonicotinoïdes. Le premier producteur de néonicotinoïdes, parmi lesquels les molécules actives imidaclopride, thiaclopride et clothianidine est la firme Bayer Cropscience. L’imidaclopride passe pour le pesticide le plus vendu dans le monde, et la société Bayer en a retiré pour la seule année dernière 606 millions d’euros. La clothianidine, également produite par Bayer, avait provoqué il y a deux ans la mort à grande échelle des abeilles d’Allemagne du Sud. Le Dr Tennekes exige une interdiction immédiate de ces traitements: « Les risques qu’entraînent des pesticides tels que l’imidaclopride et le thiaclopride sont énormément sous-estimés. Une catastrophe environnementale nous menace et la firme Bayer en est responsable. Il faut à mon avis interdire de toute urgence les néonicotinoïdes si l’on ne veut pas voir les abeilles et les oiseaux continuer à s’éteindre. »

Controversial pesticides linked to 'total ecological collapse' of insects and birds

Widespread use of insecticides is affecting bee populations but also causing decline in numbers of birds, butterflies and moths, warns Dutch toxicologist. A new book is blaming the significant decline of bird and bee numbers across Europe on the use of certain pesticides in agriculture. In The Systemic Insecticides: A Disaster in the Making, toxicologist Dr Henk Tennekes suggests that dangerous insecticides known as neonicotinoids are seriously affecting bird and insect life, and their continued use could result in an ‘environmental catastrophe’.

None flew over the cuckoo's nest: A world without birds

Could we be facing a future without birds? Our reliance on pesticides has cut a swathe through their numbers. We must act now, argues Kate Ravilious. It is nearly 50 years since Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, the book that warned of environmental damage the pesticide DDT was causing. Today, DDT use is banned except in exceptional circumstances, yet we still don't seem to have taken on board Carson's fundamental message. According to Henk Tennekes, a researcher at the Experimental Toxicology Services in Zutphen, the Netherlands, the threat of DDT has been superseded by a relatively new class of insecticide, known as the neonicotinoids. In his book The Systemic Insecticides: A Disaster in the Making, published this month, Tennekes draws all the evidence together, to make the case that neonicotinoids are causing a catastrophe in the insect world, which is having a knock-on effect for many of our birds.