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Dear Friend, Help stop western bumble bees from being wiped out with a $27 donation to Friends of the Earth. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $5/month immediately]( Western bumble bees are on the brink of extinction. [Act fast to save pollinators like the western bumble bee: Rush a $27 contribution to Friends of the Earth.]( The western bumble bee was once among the most abundant bee species in the nation. You could spot it anywhere from New Mexico to Alaska. But between 1998 and 2018, its population decreased by a staggering 93%. Today, this pollinator is fighting to survive. And it’s not the only species we could lose forever. Over 700 North American bee species are now at risk, and 40% of insect pollinators are at risk overall. A key culprit in catastrophic bee declines? Bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides made by companies like Bayer-Monsanto. They contaminate food and pose risks to people and pollinators alike. We need to get toxic pesticides out of our food system NOW, before it’s too late. Help stop western bumble bees from being wiped out with a $27 donation to Friends of the Earth. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $5/month immediately]( Big Ag is driving pollinator declines through rampant pesticide use and habitat destruction. And the Trump administration set pollinators back even further by dismantling environmental regulations while finding new ways to line the pockets of corporations like Bayer-Monsanto. Trump’s attacks are still affecting bees. His EPA weakened the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act and enabled more use of toxic pesticides linked to bee declines. What's more, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refused to categorize monarch butterflies as endangered -- despite recent counts showing populations of these iconic pollinators at near-collapse. Meanwhile, corporations like Bayer-Monsanto are doubling down on their bee-toxic pesticides -- lobbying against critical environmental protections and pushing for even more widespread use of pesticides that are killing massive numbers of bees. Many toxic pesticides are also linked to human health impacts like cancer, learning disabilities and reproductive harm. The corporate players driving pollinator die-offs are risking our health and our planet’s future for the sake of corporate greed. They are determined to double down on their destructive path. The only way to stop them is together. Big Ag’s toxic pesticides threaten people, pollinators and our planet. Help stop toxic pesticides: Donate $27 to Friends of the Earth. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $5/month immediately]( We need bees! Wild bees help regulate ecosystems as keystone species. One out of every three bites of food we eat is produced thanks to bees and other pollinators. Without them, we could run short of foods we love, like apples, almonds, and avocados. And bumble bees like the western bumble bee play a unique role. They are able to fly in cooler temperatures and in low-light conditions better than many other bees. What’s more, they use a special “buzz pollination,” technique, shaking the flower with their wings to dislodge the toughest-to-reach pollen. Many plants, including tomatoes and cranberries, rely on buzz pollination. Scientists today are warning of a “second Silent Spring” and the potential for ecosystem collapse like we’ve never seen. The loss of bees is already causing shortages in key food crops, putting our food system at risk. Our strategy targets the problem at every level. We’re fighting for a nationwide ban on neonics and other toxic pesticides that kill bees. We’re advocating for the Biden administration to completely ban bee-toxic, brain-damaging chlorpyrifos. At the same time, we’re pushing major grocery companies like Kroger to stop selling food grown with these bee-toxic chemicals. And we’ve launched a new campaign to move Home Depot and Lowe’s to pull Roundup from their shelves. But Big Ag corporations like Bayer-Monsanto are using their outsized influence over politicians to try to stop us. They are fighting bee-saving regulations and legislation tooth-and-nail and hoping that they can beat people power with greed. As a Friends of the Earth member, we know you believe in taking real action to protect bees, people, and planet. Will you stand with us today? Together we can fight back against the pesticide industry and safeguard western bumble bees -- and all of our pollinators. If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $5/month immediately]( Standing with you, Lisa Archer, Food and agriculture program director, 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]( © 2017, Friends of the Earth. All Rights Reserved. [supporter]