Last week we launched a lawsuit to save Canada’s bees from deadly neonicotinoid (neonic) pesticides. Going to court is not something that we do lightly, but the plight of our bees and wild pollinators is so serious we had to take action.

Neonics can be lethal to bees in tiny doses and cause serious sub-lethal impacts such as loss of homing ability, reduced resistance to disease, and difficulty in communicating. Right now, neonics are the most widely used class of pesticides in the world.

That is why, along with our allies The David Suzuki Foundation, Friends of the Earth Canada and Ontario Nature, we are challenging the unlawful registration of pesticides containing Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam - two very potent neonics.

“All the science is not done, but everything that I have before me ... suggests to me that this is the biggest threat to the structure and ecological integrity of the ecosystem that I have ever encountered in my life, bigger than DDT,” said Ontario Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller on the impact of neonicotinoids.

Pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat. They are critical to the survival of over 80% of flowering plants, including numerous fruits, vegetable and important crops such as apples, tomatoes, coffee, tea, blueberries, squash and beans. So when we protect bees we are not only doing the right thing — we are helping to protect our natural world.

This court case could set an important precedent by effectively protecting our pollinators and requiring the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency to undertake more thorough review of dangerous pesticides before they are allowed to be used in Canada.

Please make a donation to help us fight for bees and wild pollinators in court.

And your gift goes beyond the courtroom! Even though we’re now using the legal system to fight for protection for pollinators, our work on the ground won’t stop. This summer we’ll be we’ll be educating the public about neonics and how people can protect pollinators in their own backyards.

We’ll also keep working with local allies and encouraging businesses to stop selling neonic-treated plants. And we’ll keep collecting signatures on our petition calling for a ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.

Read or download our Notice of Applications: 

• Clothianidin Notice of Application- July 6, 2016 (Notice of Application - T-1070-16 - Clothianidin - Filed)
• Thiamethoxam Notice of Application- July 6, 2016 (Notice of Application - T-1071-16 - Thiamethoxam - Filed