This pollinator news is terrifying, Friend

Dear Friend, Act now before we lose vulnerable pollinators forever. Donate $27 by midnight and help us reach our $2,500 goal! 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]( I won’t sugarcoat this: the situation is dire. Bees are dying at alarming rates. If we don’t act fast, many of the fruits, veggies, and nuts they pollinate could become RARITIES. But there’s a chance that the EPA could approve toxic neonic pesticides for another 15 YEARS! These are the same pesticides that are driving vulnerable wild bees toward extinction. We can’t let it come to this, Friend. [Act fast to help protect bees, our food system, and our planet: Donate $27 or more and help us reach our $2,500 goal before midnight!]( Neonicotinoid pesticides are key drivers of the massive pollinator declines we’re seeing. They can impact bees' ability to navigate, leaving them confused and unable to find food. Neonics also make it harder for bees to reproduce -- which makes it harder for populations to recover. These neurotoxic chemicals can even kill bees on contact. But they're also the most widely used insecticides in agriculture. And in the past few decades alone, neonics have made U.S. agriculture nearly 50 times more toxic to insects. The EPA has a chance to ban the worst neonics once and for all. Instead, it might approve these pesticides for another 15 years. And another 15 years of neonics could be a disaster for our precious pollinators. But there's still hope, Friend. Because of supporters like you, we have the chance to make real change before it’s too late -- change that would help protect bees, people, and the planet. Will you join us in this fight? Help get bee-killing pesticides out of our food system and protect our planet. Donate $27 immediately and help us reach our $2,500 goal before midnight! 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]( Bees play a crucial role in their ecosystems. From fields of blooming wildflowers to rows of crops, they aid in plant reproduction. Many of these plants support webs of life by offering habitat and food for other species. We also rely on bees and other pollinators for 75% of the world's food crops, including the most nutritious -- so when we lose bees, we also risk losing some of the foods that keep us healthy! In fact, the decline in bees and other pollinators has already harmed global fruit, vegetable, and nut production. Without access to these vital crops and a healthy diet, people could be at higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer, according to a recent study. People who come into direct contact with neonics can suffer serious consequences, too. These widely used insecticides have been linked to memory loss, tremors, and even birth defects of the heart and nervous system. Some studies have even found these neurotoxic chemicals in children’s spinal fluid! But pesticide corporations -- like Bayer-Monsanto -- are spending big to DECEIVE the public and policymakers about the impacts of their toxic products. They’re taking a page out of Big Oil and tobacco's playbook, insisting that there’s no real evidence that neonics hurt people, pollinators, and the planet. And as a result, neonics are not only still allowed, but more widely produced than ever. But the facts don’t lie, Friend. In the last 5 years, there have been over 840 reports of neonicotinoid poisoning in people! The EPA’s own scientists have pointed to how harmful neonics are, but it still hasn’t banned them. I’m not exaggerating when I say this could be our last chance to ban neonics before they’re approved for another 15 years. So please, will you join us in this fight today for the sake of pollinators, people, and the planet? Stop the downward spiral of vulnerable pollinator populations and protect people and our planet. Donate $27 or more to Friends of the Earth 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]( Bees are a canary in the coal mine. Their deaths signal that the toxic way we produce our food is on a deadly track. We must act NOW to protect our health and ensure that we are not among the last generations to share the planet with countless species of wild bees. At Friends of the Earth, we’re pushing the EPA to ban neonics once and for all. We’re asking big supermarket chains to stop selling foods grown with bee-toxic pesticides and increase organic offerings -- which will shift the market away from these chemicals. And we’re working at the state and local level to ban neonics and other bee-toxic pesticides. At the same time, we’re researching and shining a light on the pesticide industry’s disinformation tactics to make sure decision-makers know the truth about the toxic way we produce food. With your help and membership support today, we can make a difference. But the bees are running out of time -- and they need you. If we don't stand up to the greedy pesticide industry now, we could stand to lose hundreds of wild bee species in North America alone. It's up to you to help protect a future that includes vulnerable pollinators. Please, Friend, we need you by our side as we ramp up our efforts to save crucial wild bee species from extinction and protect people and our planet. Donate $27 today and help us reach our urgent $2,500 goal to help fight for a future for bees, people, and our 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]( 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]( © 2023, Friends of the Earth. All Rights Reserved. [supporter]