%3Cp%3EU.S.%20regulator%20announces%20crackdown%20on%20carbofuran%2C%20and%20Canadian%20health%20authorities%20are%20considering%20whether%20to%20follow%20suit%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AMark%20Hume%20Vancouver%20-%20Globe%20and%20Mail%20Update%2C%20Wednesday%2C%20May.%2020%2C%202009%2011%3A05PM%20EDT%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AA%20toxic%20agricultural%20pesticide%20blamed%20for%20killing%20up%20to%20100%20million%20birds%20a%20year%20in%20North%20America%20and%20for%20poisoning%20lions%20in%20Africa%2C%20is%20facing%20%5B...%5D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EFor%20reasons%20still%20unknown%20to%20scientists%2C%20honey%20bees%20are%20dying%20off.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AThe%20phenomenon%20is%20known%20as%20COD%2C%20or%20colony%20collapse%20disorder%2C%20and%20no%20matter%20how%20one%20looks%20at%20it%2C%20it%20is%20bad%20news.%20For%20you%20see%2C%20honey%20bees%20are%20the%20lynchpin%20in%20a%20chain%20of%20biodiversity%20--%20or%20more%20specifically%2C%20food%20production.%26nbsp%3B%20As%20a%20result%20of%20a%20kink%20in%20this%20chain%2C%20crops%20the%20world%20over%20are%20in%20danger.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0ASign%20this%20petition%20and%20tell%20the%20United%20States%20Department%20of%20Agriculture%20that%20they%20need%20to%20step%20up%20their%20game%3B%20that%20their%20feeble%20actions%20of%20date%20are%20unacceptable%3B%20that%20they%20must%20devote%20more%20time%20and%20effort%20to%20solving%20the%20problem%20killing%20our%20bees.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EHoney%20bees%20are%20dying%2C%20victims%20of%20a%20phenomenon%20known%20as%20colony%20collapse%20disorder%20--%20the%20cause%20of%20which%20remains%20unknown.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0ASure%2C%20scientists%20have%20their%20theories.%26nbsp%3B%20Pesticides%2C%20fungicides%2C%20chemicals%20affecting%20the%20queen%20bee%20--%20but%20they%20can%27t%20quite%20pinpoint%20the%20source.%26nbsp%3B%20And%20they%20need%20too%2C%20fast%2C%20for%20honey%20bees%20are%20the%20leaders%20in%20worldwide%20pollination.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AFortunately%2C%20two%20leading%20universities%2C%20Penn%20State%20and%20UC%20Davis%2C%20are%20leading%20the%20research%20efforts%20to%20root%20out%20the%20source%20of%20COD.%26nbsp%3B%20Donate%20now%20to%20fund%20their%20efforts.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EThe%20Pollinator%20Partnership%20is%20an%20organization%20dedicated%20to%20preventing%20the%20collapse%20of%20our%20world%27s%20plant%20crop%20species%2C%2080%25%20of%20which%20requires%20pollination.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0ARight%20now%2C%20the%20Pollinator%20Partnership%20is%20calling%20on%20you%20to%20make%20a%20donation%20to%20reverse%20the%20drop%20in%20worldwide%20pollination%20by%20birds%2C%20bees%2C%20butterflies%2C%20bats%2C%20beetles%2C%20and%20mosquitoes.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AIt%20has%20been%20estimated%20that%20every%20third%20bite%20of%20food%20is%20derived%20from%20animal%20pollinators.%26nbsp%3B%20Prevent%20a%20collapse%20in%20the%20worldwide%20food%20chain%20by%20donating%20today.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3E%E2%80%9COne%20in%20three%20bites%20of%20food%20can%20be%20attributed%20to%20a%20pollinator%E2%80%9D.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%C2%A0%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AAn%20overlooked%20%E2%80%98ecosystem%20service%E2%80%99%2C%20pollination%2C%20is%20essential%20to%20humanity.%20In%20Africa%20pollinators%20are%20primarily%20wild%20insects%20that%20travel%20between%20farms%20and%20natural%20habitat%2C%20and%20are%20extremely%20vulnerable%20to%20habitat%20loss%20and%20destruction.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%C2%A0%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0APollinators%20intimately%20link%20wild%20species%20with%20basic%20human%20livelihoods.%20The%20relationships%20between%20%5B...%5D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EWe%20received%20this%20press%20release%20from%20the%20good%20people%20at%20the%20University%20of%20Pittsburgh%20news%20section.%20I%20think%20it%E2%80%99s%20a%20wake-up%20call%20to%20government%20agencies%20charged%20with%20regulating%20pesticides.%20This%20gross%20oversight%20on%20the%20part%20of%20the%20EPA%20should%20scare%20you%20and%20make%20you%20ask%20yourself%3A%20%E2%80%98who%20is%20safe%20these%20days%3F%E2%80%99%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AThe%20dangers%20that%20pesticides%20pose%20%5B...%5D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EThis%20really%20good%20article%20from%20Tree%20hugger%20explains%20the%20benefits%20of%20the%20carbofuran%20ban%20in%20USA%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AAs%20of%20the%20end%20of%20the%20year%2C%20one%20more%20pesticide%20will%20be%20absent%20from%20food%20crops%20grown%20in%20the%20United%20States.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AIn%20May%20the%20EPA%20ruled%20that%20the%20current%20residue%20limits%20of%20the%20insecticide%20carbofuran%20on%20food%20crops%20was%20too%20%5B...%5D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EMale%20bees%20keeping%20watch%20on%20their%20patch%20of%20bush%E2%80%A6.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%C2%A0%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0ADear%20All%2C%20Hello%20%E2%80%93%20have%20just%20been%20travelling%20through%20Western%20Kenya%20working%20on%20pollinators%20at%20various%20sites%20with%20groups%20of%20farmers.%20Its%20been%20amazing%20and%20I%20look%20forward%20to%20sharing%20some%20of%20the%20discoveries%20and%20photographs%20with%20you%20all%20over%20the%20next%20few%20days.%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0A%C2%A0%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AYesterday%20I%20spent%20the%20%5B...%5D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

%3Cp%3EWe%20just%20received%20this%20from%20someone%20who%20wants%20to%20remain%20anonymous%3Cbr%20%2F%3E%0AI%20checked%20out%20Furadan%20sales%20in%20the%20town%20of%20Arusha.%20We%20found%20it%20in%20the%20first%20store%20we%20went%20to.%20And%2C%20lots%20of%20it%2C%20available%20in%20200%20gm%2C%20500%20gm%20and%201%20kilo%20amounts.%20We%20asked%20what%20it%20was%20used%20for%20and%20the%20first%20response%20%5B...%5D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A