Petition Calling on Michael Gove to Reduce Pesticides Hits Over 1,500

A Friends of the Earth petition addressed to the environment secretary Michael Gove could reach 160,000 signatures by the end of the day.

The petition is asking for the UK government to create a ‘clear plan’ for reducing harmful pesticides such as neonicotinoid, which is proven to harm wildlife including threatened species of bee.  According to Friends of the Earth, research has shown that 88% of water samples from rivers and freshwaters had polluting pesticides present.

Pesticides are a chemical substance that can be sprayed on to plants or used to kill small animals, insects and any unwanted plants. Pesticides can be extremely harmful, as they can remain in animals at the bottom of the food chain allowing the concentration of pesticides to increase at a harmful level higher up the food chain. Friends of the Earth

This comes after the Government voted through a temporary ’emergency use’ of  the pesticide, after it had originally been banned from use in the country because of EU law before Brexit.

Labour MP for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner has described the move as a ‘worrying indication’ of the government’s environmental strategy post leaving the European Union.

In 2017, a study carried out by a group of scientists and researchers from the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that neonicotinoid reduces the overwintering survival rate of bees by nearly a quarter.

Friends of the Earth provided the following statement to Buzz News:

“These pesticides are banned for a very good reason.

Using neonicotinoids on sugar bees can contaminate the soil, waterways and wildflowers threatening our bees and other wildlife. That’s why the UK government rejected a similar emergency authorisation application to use neonicotinoids on these crops in 2018.

Instead of allowing harmful pesticides back on to our farms, the government should do more to help farmers find nature-friendly farming to deal with pests, such as using natural predators.”​

 

Find the petition at the top of the article if you would like to support the charity’s objective of preventing this measure.

Or to see what Bournemouth’s locals think of the new legislation follow the link here.

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