The Herald newspaper 'covered' this story a couple of days ago so it's now the turn of The Scotsman to misinform us....
"A SCOTTISH Government handout of £200,000 to help beekeepers restock hives after bad weather wiped out thousands of colonies will be a “waste of money” unless ministers ban controversial pesticides, environmentalists have warned.
Environment minister Richard Lochhead announced the investment yesterday to help apiarists replace around 4,000 colonies that were lost after late heavy snow caused widespread devastation last month.
But campaigners branded the move pointless without a moratorium on neonicotinoids, which have been blamed for the deaths of millions of bees worldwide.
""The Scottish Government must ban neonicotinoids, or there will be no bees.”
Scotland ( or the UK for that matter ) has no power to ban anything and must wait for the EU to decide what to do.
Yes... The Scotsman article has the truth hidden in plain view......although most folk would have just read the headline and shook their heads at another 'SNP accused' special.......
"The best thing that the Scottish Government can do is advise Owen Paterson [the UK Environment Secretary] to agree with the European Commission’s recommendation to ban the use of three types of neonicotinoids, and that’s what the SWT [Scottish Wildlife Trust]has been asking the Scottish Government to do since last autumn.”
So from an article that started with a call for the SNP to ban neonicotinoids it ends with an admission that we can ask someone in England to ask someone in Brussels to have a moratorium ? This is one for the SNP ACCUSED ! files I think.
And that's the best that we can do if we're in the EU ? Hopefully Scotland dumps the useless EU after independence and if we want to ban something then we do what other free countries do and errrrr.....BAN IT !!
And our mainstream media who should be informing us of all of this are actually misinforming us.
Whodathunkit ?
Monty
ReplyDeleteOnce a bee comes into my garden or home no one especially those scared of bees are allowed to do anything to move them let alone harm them.
we have a few plants which get smothered in bees woe betide anyone who upsets them bees...
Obviously they think i am bonkers but they dont touch the bees
ReplyDeletei have been a bit of a bee nut for the last few years since becoming aware and alarmed at their ever decreasing numbers
hi niko...I love the bees as well. I've had a huge pile of tree cuttings that I was going to burn a few years ago but noticed some bees building a hive in there one year so have just left it alone ever since. I even leave the dandilions alone so they can provide some early nectar for the bees and other insects.
ReplyDeleteNo sign of any bumble bees so far this year which is worrying. And just a couple of the smaller bee species. I often see bees that are wandering about as if in a trance....might be due to the insecticides that they're trying to ban. It's thought to destroy the bees capacity to navigate.
No you're not bonkers in revering the bee. Unless we both are ;)
No you're not bonkers in revering the bee. Unless we both are ;) Is this a private club!
ReplyDeleteVideos
hi cynical...no you're welcome to join.
ReplyDeleteAnd bring your bee videos with you :)
I expect you've all signed the petition already but, just in case -
ReplyDeletehttps://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/ban-the-pesticides-that-are-harming-our-bees#petition
The EU vote on neonicotinoids is on Monday.
hi Barney....that petition just highlights how ill informed people are. The UK govt has no powers to ban anything. We're subservient to the EU and will do what they say.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good sop to the masses though.....makes them think we still have some control.
And the govt / media aren't going to inform them of the truth anytime soon.
Milord,
ReplyDeleteI don't think the petition is asking Paterson to legislate unilaterally on this. European Environment mininisters meet tomorrow to define the EU approach to this issue and Paterson has come out in favour of non-intervention in the past.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21793365
If he and the other ministers can be made aware of the strength of feeling on this and somehow convinced to vote for a more sensible approach, this would go some way to solving the problem you define. In view of the interests that this government seem to represent over the wishes of the electorate, I admit it is a bit of a forlorn hope.
hi Barney...the petition text sent to govt implies he can do something unilaterally. Which he can't. It's up to the EU to decide. I've done a post on my thoughts on the issue of e petitions.
ReplyDelete