How neonicotinoid pesticides threaten pollinators, ecosystems, and human health
By
Grist Creative
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
An article about the widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides (neonics) in agriculture, their devastating impact on bee populations and other pollinators, and the broader environmental and human health concerns. It follows Colorado beekeeper Cory Kreft who lost 85% of his hives to neonics, and explores how these pesticides contaminate soil, water, and ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and potentially human health.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledHe lost 85 percent of his hives. The losses continued the next year, and the next. After extensive testing, he identified the culprit: a relatively new class of pesticides called neonicotinoids, often shortened to neonics.
These chemicals are commonly used to coat crop seeds before planting, ostensibly to protect the plant from pests and insects during
Neonics are contaminating ecosystems and communities.
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