Beleid en debat

New EPA documents have finally put hard numbers to the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, which have quietly grown to dominate corn and soybean acreage in the U.S. over the past five to six years. Now pollinator and aquatic risk assessments on three neonicotinoids released on Jan. 12 revealed what many have long suspected: the chemicals are everywhere. EPA estimated that 42 million to 61 million acres of corn are treated with clothianidin annually (45% to 65% of all U.S. corn acres), and 24 million to 42 million acres of corn are treated with thiamethoxam (26% to 45% of all U.S.

The rusty patched bumblebee, a prized but vanishing pollinator once familiar to much of North America, was listed on Tuesday as an endangered species, becoming the first wild bee in the continental United States to gain such federal protection. One of several species facing sharp declines, the bumblebee known to scientists as Bombus affinis has plunged nearly 90% in abundance and distribution since the late 1990s, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Bird flu is back, and is spreading quickly. But don't worry, the virus isn't targeting humans - yet. The H5N8 strain of bird flu reached Europe in October 2016, and since then has been detected in at least 14 countries including France, Denmark and Germany. In Germany alone, authorities have recorded more than 30 separate incidents of bird flu, leading to the cull of tens of thousands of domesticated chickens, ducks and geese, among others. In the wild, more than 500 birds are known to have been infected as well.

Wenn Frank Baum aus Staufen in seinen Garten ging, fehlte es ihm an bunter Gesellschaft. Die Schmetterlinge machten sich rar. Den kleinen Fuchs oder das Tagpfauenauge suchte der Biochemiker vergeblich. Jetzt hat Baum sich zusammen mit anderen Naturschützern an die Landesregierung gewandt, um etwas gegen das Insektensterben zu unternehmen. Sie wollen erreichen, dass bestimmte Pflanzenschutzmittel dauerhaft verboten werden. Ansonsten befürchten sie einen Frühling ohne Schmetterlinge.

A veterinarian appears to have been infected with a strain of avian flu known as H7N2 that spread among more than 100 cats housed at New York City animal shelters. If confirmed, this would be the first known transmission of this bird flu strain from cat to human, officials said. New York City health officials said the vet has recovered from a mild illness, and there's no sign that the flu has spread to shelter workers or those who've adopted cats. Still, the city's top health official is calling for caution.

Die deutsche Chemieindustrie ist mit über 190 Milliarden Euro Umsatz im Jahr 2015 die größte in Europa. BASF und Bayer gehören zu den fünf weltgrößten Herstellern von Agrarchemikalien. Die Branche weiß ihre Interessen in Brüssel und Berlin zu vertreten. Der „European Chemical Industry Council“, ihr europäischer Spitzenverband, gibt mit Abstand das meiste Geld für Lobbytätigkeit in Brüssel aus. Im Jahr 2015 waren es 10,2 Millionen Euro.

In Britain, Syngenta has built a network of academics and regulators, even recruiting the leading government scientist on the bee issue. In the United States, Syngenta pays academics like James W. Simpkins of West Virginia University, whose work has helped validate the safety of its products. Not only has Dr. Simpkins’s research been funded by Syngenta, he is also a $250-an-hour consultant for the company. And he partnered with a Syngenta executive in a consulting venture, emails obtained by The New York Times show. Dr. Simpkins did not comment.