Young monarch caterpillars are eating toxic pesticides

Eastern monarch butterfly populations down 59% this year. Act fast and donate $10 before monarchs are lost forever! Dear Friend, Eastern monarch butterfly populations down 59% this year. Act fast and donate $10 before monarchs are lost forever! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $10 immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( Eastern migratory monarch populations were down 59% this winter. A key driver of this shocking number? Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup contains a chemical called glyphosate that kills milkweed – the ONLY plant where monarchs lay their eggs! And as usage has grown over the last 20 years, 850 million milkweed plants have vanished across the country. [It’s time to STOP Roundup production before monarch butterflies are lost forever. Donate $10 today to fight back against the pesticide industry for the sake of pollinators and our planet!]( Monarch butterflies are starting their migration back north as spring kicks off. Along their journey, they provide pollination to countless plant species. Those plants in turn support local wildlife. But given the declines we saw this winter, we’ll likely also see fewer monarchs coming back from their wintering grounds. That doesn’t just mean fewer iconic black and orange wings in our backyard. That means ecosystems could suffer. Bayer-Monsanto knows that Roundup isn’t safe – not for monarchs, and not for people either. But the corporation has lied to you and the rest of the public about the dangers of these pesticides. It’s manipulated science and dodged regulations designed to keep you, me, and pollinators safe – all so it can continue to rake in the cash as beautiful monarch butterflies and human health are put at serious risk! We can’t sit back and watch as the pesticide industry wreaks havoc on our planet. The greedy pesticide industry is putting monarchs, people, and our planet at risk. Fight back and donate $10 to Friends of the Earth today. If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $10 immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( The thing is, Friend, milkweed isn’t just a birthplace for young monarch caterpillars. It’s also the ONLY food source for baby monarch caterpillars, making it vital for monarch survival. A recent study found every single sample of milkweed collected was contaminated with pesticides. That means that even the milkweed plants that survive aren’t safe for monarch young. When toxic pesticides coat milkweed, a caterpillar’s first meal can become its last. These poor babies are dying before they get the chance to transform into the iconic orange and black butterflies you and I are so fond of. The dangers extend to people, too, Friend. Glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. And it’s associated with reproductive harm in humans, along with disruption of the gut microbiome, kidney toxicity, and fatty liver disease. Farmers and homeowners are suing Bayer-Monsanto due to high rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma linked to the Roundup they've used on their farms and lawns. Roundup is causing extensive harm that must be stopped before the damage to people and our environment is irreversible. Our pollinators and our health shouldn’t pay the price for corporate greed. Donate $10 today for the sake of monarchs, people, and our planet. If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $10 immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( Monarch migrations once filled the skies with great displays of orange and black. Now, the population has diminished to the point where many people may never see a monarch. And soon, future generations may not have the chance at all. But that doesn’t stop Bayer-Monsanto from chasing its payday – no matter the cost to pollinators, people, and our planet. At Friends of the Earth, we’re not fooled by Bayer-Monsanto's lies, and we know you aren’t either. We’re pushing Bayer-Monsanto to stop producing Roundup, pressuring garden retailers to stop selling toxic products like Roundup in their stores, and encouraging supermarkets to increase their offerings of glyphosate-free organic food. Friend, we need you by our side as we ramp up our efforts to save monarchs from extinction and protect people and our planet. As pesticide use continues to grow, we could be one of the last generations to know the joy of seeing a monarch on a sunny day. Will you be one of the 10 people in your area today that will help us fight to protect monarchs, people, and our planet from toxic pesticides with your membership gift of $10 or more? The stakes are too high to let the pesticide industry wreak havoc on our planet. Donate $10 today! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $10 immediately]( [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( Standing with you, Kendra Klein Deputy director of science, Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA 1-877-843-8687 [Contact us]( Email Preferences: [Click here to unsubscribe]( Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Flickr]( © 2023, Friends of the Earth. All Rights Reserved. [supporter]