Eastern monarchs are the next victims of the insect apocalypse

Dear Friend, The presence of Eastern monarch butterflies in their wintering grounds dropped 22% in the last year alone. Donate $27 or more now and help us reach our urgent $3,200 goal to protect monarchs and the planet! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( There’s no sugarcoating the devastating news: Eastern monarch butterflies are facing serious population declines. In the last year alone, the presence of these beautiful orange and black pollinators in their wintering grounds declined by 22%. Pesticides like Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup are a key driver. But monarchs are at risk of dying off. They’re officially ENDANGERED according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [Friend, there’s no time to waste: Stop Bayer-Monsanto’s butterfly-harming pesticides before it’s too late to undo the damage. Donate $27 immediately to help protect vulnerable monarchs and the planet, and help us reach our $3,200 goal by midnight tonight!]( It’s no secret that pesticides are dangerous, Friend. But did you know that Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup is decimating a plant that monarch butterflies rely on for survival? Milkweed is the only food source for baby monarch caterpillars. It’s also where monarchs lay their eggs. Without milkweed, monarch caterpillars can’t hatch and survive. At Friends of the Earth, we’re doing everything in our power to protect pollinators like monarch butterflies and our ecosystems from toxic pesticides. But we’re up against big corporations, like Bayer-Monsanto. These corporations are raking in profit no matter the cost to the planet. Plain and simple, we can’t win this fight without your help. Will you stand with us today and help protect vulnerable monarchs and the planet from greedy industries? Help stop Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup from driving Eastern monarch butterflies toward extinction and harming the planet. Rush your $27 contribution and help us reach our $3,200 goal by midnight tonight! If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( Monarch butterflies once numbered in the hundreds of millions. But numbers have declined by 80%, and up to 99% in some places. Now, we’re seeing fewer and fewer monarchs completing the epic 2,500 mile migration that they’re known for. A key contributor to their decline? Herbicides like glyphosate -- the main ingredient in Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup. This toxic weed killer has virtually wiped out milkweed across monarchs’ U.S. migratory path. This plant is the only food source for young monarchs. Without milkweed, survival is nearly impossible for monarchs. So it’s no surprise that as use of Roundup has increased, monarch populations have plummeted. To make matters worse, a recent study highlighted a frightening fact: every single sample of milkweed collected was contaminated with pesticides -- one-third with levels deadly to monarchs. The few young monarchs that manage to hatch do so on toxic pesticide-riddled milkweed. Their first meal may be their last. Monarch butterflies don’t deserve to die when their lives have barely begun. And neither of us wants to see a world without these iconic pollinators, Friend. The stakes have never been higher. It’s time to stop Bayer-Monsanto from harming any more butterflies before we lose them forever. Stand up to greedy corporations like Bayer-Monsanto and help protect vulnerable monarchs and the planet before the loss is too great: Donate $27 or more today. If you've saved payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately: [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 immediately]( [Donate another amount]( The dangers of Roundup don’t end with monarchs, Friend. Its main ingredient, glyphosate, is a probable carcinogen. It’s been associated with developmental harm in people, 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 gardens. Roundup is causing extensive harm that must be stopped before it's too late. But despite clear damage being done by these dangerous herbicides, Bayer-Monsanto shows no signs of slowing its reckless pursuit of profit. The company has made it clear time and again that it’s willing to keep lining its pockets at the expense of people AND the planet. Meanwhile, monarchs are running out of places to lay their eggs. Their babies are hatching on pesticide-riddled milkweed, eating these plants, and dying. With vulnerable monarch butterflies and human health on the line, the stakes are too high to wait a minute more to take action. Friends of the Earth is fighting tooth and nail to save these pollinators. But it’s an uphill battle -- one we can’t win without your help. Your membership support today will go a long way towards fueling our vital work and stopping the downward spiral of pollinators and the planet. Please Friend, we need you by our side as we ramp up our efforts to save monarchs from extinction and protect our planet. Will you stand with us today and donate $27 to help us reach our urgent $3,200 goal before the clock strikes midnight? Act now while there are still monarchs left to save. Donate $27 and help us reach our $3,200 goal for monarchs and the planet before midnight tonight! [Donate $27 immediately]( [Donate $50 immediately]( [Donate $100 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]