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What others are doing that the USA SHOULD BE DOING BUT IS NOT

As of 5/26/08

Germany has banned a family of pesticides that are blamed for the

deaths of millions of honeybees. The German Federal Office of

Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has suspended the

registration for eight pesticide seed treatment products used in

rapeseed oil and sweetcorn.

The move follows reports from German beekeepers in the

Baden-Württemberg region that two thirds of their bees died earlier

this month following the application of a pesticide called

clothianidin.

"It's a real bee emergency," said Manfred Hederer, president of the

German Professional Beekeepers' Association. "50-60% of the bees have

died on average and some beekeepers have lost all their hives."

Tests on dead bees showed that 99% of those examined had a build-up

of clothianidin. The chemical, produced by Bayer CropScience, a

subsidiary of the German chemical giant Bayer, is sold in Europe

under the trade name Poncho. It was applied to the seeds of sweetcorn

planted along the Rhine this spring. The seeds are treated in advance

of being planted or are sprayed while in the field.

The company says an application error by the seed company which

failed to use the glue-like substance that sticks the pesticide to

the seed, led to the chemical getting into the air.

Bayer spokesman Dr Julian Little told the BBC's Farming Today that

misapplication is highly unusual. "It is an extremely rare event and

has not been seen anywhere else in Europe," he said.

Clothianidin, like the other neonicotinoid pesticides that have been

temporarily suspended in Germany, is a systemic chemical that works

its way through a plant and attacks the nervous system of any insect

it comes into contact with. According to the US Environmental

Protection Agency it is "highly toxic" to honeybees.

This is not the first time that Bayer, one of the world's leading

pesticide manufacturers with sales of €5.8bn (4.6bn) in 2007, has

been blamed for killing honeybees.

In the United States, a group of beekeepers from North Dakota is

taking the company to court after losing thousands of honeybee

colonies in 1995, during a period when oilseed rape in the area was

treated with imidacloprid. A third of honeybees were killed by what

has since been dubbed colony collapse disorder.

Bayer's best selling pesticide, imidacloprid, sold under the name

Gaucho in France, has been banned as a seed dressing for sunflowers

in that country since 1999, after a third of French honeybees died

following its widespread use. Five years later it was also banned as

a sweetcorn treatment in France. A few months ago, the company's

application for clothianidin was rejected by French authorities.

Bayer has always maintained that imidacloprid is safe for bees if

correctly applied. "Extensive internal and international scientific

studies have confirmed that Gaucho does not present a hazard to

bees," said Utz Klages, a spokesman for Bayer CropScience.

Last year, Germany's Green MEP, Hiltrud Breyer, tabled an emergency

motion calling for this family of pesticides to be banned across

Europe while their role in killing honeybees were thoroughly

investigated. Her action follows calls for a ban from beekeeping

associations and environmental organisations across Europe.

Philipp Mimkes, spokesman for the German-based Coalition Against

Bayer Dangers, said: "We have been pointing out the risks of

neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now. This proves without a doubt

that the chemicals can come into contact with bees and kill them.

These pesticides shouldn't be on the market."

another post

Recently, I sent you a post about Germany's emergency measures to

protect bees by banning certain chemicals. These are mostly chemicals

used in connection with genetically modified crops, which probably

include all the plants grown to produce biodiesel fuel. The

discussion can be found here:

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/honeybeePesticideBan.php

Switzerland has gone one step further and extended its ban on GMO

crops until the year 2012 because it is believed that it will take

years to determine the safety or lack thereof and, as we know, the

Swiss tend to err on the side of caution.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12591.cfm

It might be time to ask who is served by fast tracking approval of

untested new technologies.

My recent posts on mold have prompted many people to send me links to

a video in which the Mushroom King of Planet Earth discusses fungi

from the perspective of a mushroom expert:

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/258

I have known Paul Stamets for some time and written a few posts

before in which his work in addressing toxic waste was the focus.

There is a tremendous amount to be learned and understood that is not

always maintained in the clearest possible focus.

What Paul has demonstrated in terms of environmental remediation is

nothing short of wondrous and for this, he belongs on the cover of

magazines and perhaps even in Oslo to receive a Nobel prize. But what

does it mean that fungi can decompose practically anything? What he

says in the brief time allotted on ted.com is that fungi are

basically perfectly equipped to survive on this Planet.

I have stated similar thoughts in different ways: from the vantage

point of fungi, the idea that people are the top of the food chain is

totally preposterous. They must think people are delusional. However,

I might argue that our lives or the ability to stay alive depends a

great deal on how we manage our relationships with other kingdoms of

Nature, including fungi.

In the mold remediation course I took, they emphasized that the

changes that have occurred in the building industry have resulted in

mutations in fungi in the direction of higher toxicity. Let's take a

concrete "for instance" and look at the natural wood preservative

features of redwood or cedar. However, we are building with fir or

pine that is dipped in chemicals that extend the life of these

timbers by only a sukoshi in geologic time. If these same pieces of

lumber had been used to build Viking boats, there would be no boats

in Scandinavian museums.

More importantly, since our building methods are so lacking in common

sense and environmental integrity, it is very difficult to imagine

that many houses built in the last decades will still be around in

the year 2050. If we want to know what will happen to them, we need

only look at New Orleans. They will be decomposed by a gruesome array

of relatively benign as well as highly toxic fungi, everything from

Poria incrassata to Stachybotrys. If these fungi were not as

efficient as they are, we would be beyond shoulders deep in the

rubbish we generate as denizens of this Planet.

So, on a certain level, Paul Stamets is on terra firma with his

appreciation of fungi and the roles they play in maintaining the

various life forms here -- and, as he suggests, no doubt elsewhere in

the Universe.

This is as close as Paul and I get because, as you can imagine,

conversations hit a reef when my allergies make further communication

difficult. On the scale of things, he's a near neighbor but we are not

exactly of like mind on highly specific details. However, we might

actually agree on the broader picture which is that if man

self-destructs, fungi will likely as not still be here . . . and they

probably will not miss us. In fact, it's hard to think of anyone

besides dogs who would miss humans.

This perspective is not, however, useful in terms of day-to-day

management of existence and health and here is where I believe my

insights and understanding take another term. I concede that fungi

may ultimately prove that spirit and matter never were separate, at

least not in the manifest world, and that matter is as immortal as

spirit, something only a few are gifted to appreciate, but I think

this is probably true. What is not true is that the specific forms we

recognize are apt to be immortal, not our dwellings or physical

bodies.

The reason is that mold spores are intrinsic to everything that "is"

so, as the mold remediators are wont to say, all you need to do is

add water and wait 24 hours. What I want to emphasize is that from

what we know, even the ABCs of mold remediation are not very

intelligently taught. By this, I mean, it is not 100% true that

either cold or heat destroy mold. It definitely is not true that

remediation prevents mold from returning. It makes much more sense to

talk about inhibition than destruction.

When I first understood the gravity of my situation, one method of

remediation that was proposed was use of ozone

<http://www.moldmisery.com/ingrid_naiman/ingrid_process_5.html>

. I discuss this on moldmisery.com

<http://www.moldmisery.com/ingrid_naiman/ingrid_process_5.html>

. The idea was that the ozone would tear up the mold spores and

thereby render them nonviable. I tried it and there are some reasons

to look at this and some to recast the discussion, but what is most

irritating about the literature is a failure to understand the

differences between yeast, mold, bacteria, viruses, mites, and

countless other pathogens that may be lurking in our personal spaces.

One of the techniques I use in microscopy is to watch how samples

deteriorate. There are a number of factors to observe: precise manner

of "corruption" as well as pace and resistance. For instance, there

may be something degenerative in our blood, but there may be

something holding that risk factor in check. It's important to watch

all the actors before drawing any conclusions, but in most cases, the

sample is trashed within 3-4 days, sometimes in 10-20 minutes and

sometimes in 4-5 weeks, but eventually, the components lose viability

and it's always interesting to see what the last component to bite the

dust is. I might contend that if the last to die was a red blood cell,

we are fitter than 99.9999% of our race, but if all you see is yeast

or mold, you are on a fast track to reunite with your maker. Of

course, there are those who will laugh at such statements, but I am

daring to make them because I have observed the correlations with

medical conditions that are, in fact, corrupting life.

So, while I might pass along the suggestion to listen to what Paul

has to say because there is a very hopeful message about how to clean

up the mess we have created, I personally think fungi are, on the

whole, more dangerous than bacteria and viruses so if I had to pick

my poison, it would not be cordyceps.

Many blessings,

Ingrid

...............................................................................................................................................................................

As of 3/24/08

Well, Spring is upon us and the Bee "Film" is on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBChiVJAgUg

The Bee Die Off Catastrophe is in dire need of being addressed now!

UPDATE Just in as of 5/19/07

We are relieved that cell phone usage is not the issue. Some thought we were being alarmists. I do not, and will never regret going without a cell phone for a month. This was a wonderful lesson in letting go of technology and making our planet and wellbeing more important. I could sleep at night until we knew for sure that the cell phones themselves were not the issue. If it had been the problem, then we were well on the way to doing our part.

Now that Geneticly Altered crops are the issue we can resume this technology and not have the guilt. When I spoke with the Bee Association making this observation about altered crops being the issue, they dodged it. Probably because they had no explanation and could not comment one way or another.

The recent scare with the wheat glutin from China is another example of how we are precariously positioned. We need to still use this as a lesson and spring board immediately into new action and retain the lesson without going back to sleep and doing business as usual. We are a long way from where we should be in overcoming the perilous track we are taking.

The US has set these presidences by being the most consuming nation on the planet and other countries out of envy are now vying for the lifestyle we have that is really unsustainable. Continue to do your part individually and we will get there....a life worth living, a world saved from destruction.

Thank you.

ARTICLE: Geneticly Altered Crops are showing their effects. Frankenstein farming has

now presented us with a monumental problem.

Realizing that the issue of Geneticly Modified crops infuriates both opponents and proponents, I am forwarding the following email based on a story in The Guardian entitled "GM Genes 'Jump Species Barrier' " and

reprinted on information liberation.com.

I am a subscriber to ISIS and am therefore familiar with the work of Dr Mae-Wan Ho, one of the voices of reason where new and potentially dangerous technologies are concerned. Personally, I feel the crops are a risk to the survival of all life on this Planet. How many more times must we repeat the mantra that sustainable agriculture will always be based on organic methods for crop production.

...............................................................................................................................................................................

Here's the article:

Monday May 14th, 2007

A leading zoologist has found evidence that genes used to modify crops can jump the species barrier and cause bacteria to mutate, prompting fears that GM technology could pose serious health risks.

A four-year study by Professor Hans-Hinrich Kaatz, a respected German zoologist, found that the alien gene used to modify oilseed rape had transferred to bacteria living inside the guts of honey bees.

The research - which has yet to be published and has not been reviewed by fellow scientists - is highly significant because it

suggests that all types of bacteria could become contaminated by genes used in genetically modified technology, including those that live inside the human digestive system.

If this happened, it could have an impact on the bacteria's vital role in helping the human body fight disease, aid digestion and facilitate blood clotting.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown, who was yesterday advising farmers who have accidentally grown contaminated GM oilseed rape in Britain to rip up their crops, confirmed the potential significance of Kaatz's research. He said: 'If this is true, then it would be veryserious.'

The 47-year-old Kaatz has been reluctant to talk about his research until it has been published in a scientific journal, because he fears a backlash from the scientific community similar to that faced by Dr Arpad Pustzai, who claimed that genetically modified potatoes damaged the stomach lining of rats. Pustzai was sacked and had his work discredited.

But in his first newspaper interview, Kaatz told The Observer: 'It is true, I have found the herbicide-resistant genes in the rapeseed transferred across to the bacteria and yeast inside the intestines of young bees. This happened rarely, but it did happen.'

Although Kaatz realised the potential 'significance' of his findings, he said he 'was not surprised' at the results. Asked if this had implications for the bacteria inside the human gut, he said: 'Maybe, but I am not an expert on this.'

Dr Mae-Wan Ho, geneticist at Open University and a critic of GM technology, has no doubts about the dangers. She said: 'These findings are very worrying and provide the first real evidence of what many have feared. Everybody is keen to exploit GM technology, but nobody is looking at the risk of horizontal gene transfer.

'We are playing about with genetic structures that existed for millions of years and the experiment is running out of control.'

One of the biggest concerns is if the anti-biotic resistant gene used in some GM crops crossed over to bacteria. 'If this happened it would leave us unable to treat major illnesses like meningitis and E coli

Kaatz, who works at the respected Institute for Bee Research at the University of Jena in Germany, built nets in a field planted with genetically modified rapeseed produced by AgrEvo. He let the bees fly freely within the net. At the beehives, he installed pollen traps in order to sample the pollen from the bees' hindlegs when entering the hive.

This pollen was fed to young honey bees in the laboratory. Pollen is the natural diet of young bees, which need a high protein diet. Kaatz then extracted the intestine of the young bees and discovered that the gene from the GM rape-seed had been transferred in the bee gut to the microbes.

Professor Robert Pickard, director-general of the Institute of the British Nutrition Foundation, is a bee expert as well as being a biologist and has visited the institute where Kaatz works. He said: 'There is no doubt that, if Kaatz's research is substantiated, then it poses very interesting questions and will need to be looked at very closely.

'But it must be remembered that the human body has been coping perfectly well with strange DNA for millions of years. And we also know many people have been eating GM products for years without showing any signs of ill health.'

We cannot afford to lose our lives and our children and children's children as well. This is not an over reaction. I come from farming families. I know the devastation this will cause. I have it from reliable sources that if this continues and with the collapse of the bee colonies we have four years before our food supply is so drastically effected we will be in chaos. They are 70% decimated right now. Then what? Can we create more bee's? No.

This is a problem that the companies that produce these geneticly altered crops will not address on their own. We can only do something by demanding organicly grown and unaltered foods.

We use pesticides to get rid of a few mosquito's and these kill off the friendly insects. We get rid of bats out of fears and they eat millions, far more effectively and we exterminate them as pests. West Nile? I had West Nile while I had cancer. I should have died and did not. What did I use to cure myself? Olive Leaf by Gaia. No not all Olive leaf is produced as well as this product. I took it by the hand full every half hour and survived. Fever as high as 104 etc. If I can do it anyone can. The notion that all this stuff is going to kill us off is ludicrous.

We will do great if we get rid of our quick fix mentalities. If we get over having to have nature bend to us. If we work in harmony with the world God gave us to be good stewards over. It is not up to the "other guy"...we are the other guy. It is not going to get handled by the power's that be, they will wait for another study that might justify them keeping things the way they are. Autism is 1 in 166, never seen before our vaccination craze. Vaccinations, pesticides, genetically altered corn, hormone shot up animals raised in appalling conditions. Cancer up 1000 fold.

When do we collectively grab it by the horns and say enough is enough. Global warming! I grew up without air conditioning, we were fine. I grew up in the most gentle of era's where kids were not assassinating one another...we are seeing an epidemic in every sector and I know that I can only reach my small audience. But if one does it, then another, then those take care of their back yards, it can be handled literally over night.

Discipline, caring for the "others" rather than self is what it will take. We will go down in history as the gluttons who destroyed the world or the noble people who decided enough is enough. Though it does not appear that way to us on our own little levels. Put this to the scale world wide and we have a problem of proportions that can only be called Biblical.

Anne Frank said it so aptly for a child of her years:

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment, before starting to improve the world.

In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends"

Thank you!! Our family thanks you, your children and their children thank you!!

email this to your people

Whatever the cause, some farmers are getting desperate, to the point of not bothering to plant their crops.

“The squash crops that we grow have a male and female bloom, and the bee has to visit…

to make it pollinate and produce,” he said.

“We’re going to have a hard time finding rental bees to aid in this pollination and if it’s as critical as it

looks like it will be, I probably won’t even plant anything this spring.” - BBC

http://www.celsias.com/blog/2007/03/15/bee-colony-collapse-disorder-where-is-it-heading/

Bee Emergency Stranger Than We Thought

22-Feb-2007

UPDATE -

We're in the middle of a bee emergency. Albert Einstein said, "If the bee disappeared off the surface

of the globe, then man would only have four years left to live." A mysterious ailment called Colony Collapse

Disorder is causing agricultural honeybees nationwide to abandon their hives and disappear. It's a kind of

mass suicide in the bee world. We have an UPDATE on this story from a reader.

UPDATE: A reader from South Texas writes: "Recently you have been reporting the loss of honey bees....And

I just wanted to comment on something I've noticed recently. We live in a small rural community south of

San Antonio. There are bee hives on the property next to ours that are man- made and there is a natural hive

in a tree behind our property. We have an uncovered, above ground pool, and a couple of weeks ago I began

to notice bees floating dead on the surface. The numbers grew till there were literally hundreds each

day and this went on for weeks. I've never seen anything like it. The numbers finally slowed and now

there are only about a dozen a day. "I can't help but wonder about this phenomenon....Why were so many

drowned? The pool has been here for years....Paper wasps and bees drink from it year round....and there

were no wasps in the mix. It seems strange and I wondered if anyone else reported the same thing

happening in their area."

Entomologist Jerry Bromenshenk says, "Individual beekeepers are really taking a beating. A guy down in

Oklahoma lost 80% of his 13,000 colonies in the last month. In Florida, there are a whole lot of people

facing 40, 60 and 80 percent losses. That’s huge."

With CCD, most adult honeybees abandon a hive anddisappear, abandoning the queen and a remnant of

younger bees. This is unheard of, since normally a bee colony will do almost anything to protect its queen.

Since the tasks done in the hive are very stratified, bees cannot survive on their own.

One of the strongest instincts that bees have is protecting and nurturing the next generation, but with

CCD, the cells of young bees in the pupa stage are not covered and protected by their older sisters, probably

because most of the adult bees have left. Dead adult bees aren't even found near the hive; they are just gone.

Bromenshenk says, "We don’t want to panic the beekeeper industry because we are not sure it's time

to push the panic button yet, but we do know this is real, it's severe and it's widespread."

Field technician and self-professed bee lover Scott Debnam describes visits to the impacted bee yards as

"spooky," and says, "Fortunately the sites I've visited have been recovering, but in Georgia I saw a

lot of small colonies, a lot of uncapped brood and a lot of early-stage brood. The adults had flown the

coop."

email this to your people

Knowledge is power. Use the internet to do your part and use your wallet and buying power to make the

powers that be to take note. Money talks. No more geneticly altered crops.