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Date: | Sat, 3 Apr 2021 11:25:32 -0400 |
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This does bear repeating:
>>> Regulation to limit or ban the use of neonicotinoids would likely cause U.S. farmers to substitute into organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides, >>>thereby increasing toxicity exposure to mammals, fish, birds, and applicators. Therefore, ex ante cost-benefit analyses of neonicotinoid restrictions >>>should weigh the benefits of reduced toxicity exposure for pollinators against the increased exposure for other taxa, including humans.
Because the paper is therefore offering only choices between equally bad options. And sets up the idea that of course we'd ditch honey bee health in favour of human health, when in fact the two are deeply intertwined, on many levels.
We need to come up with better options.
1. all the pesticide classes mentioned have serious drawbacks (and pyrethroids, like neonics, harm birds by killing insect populations) so perhaps we shouldn't be using any of them.
2. Neonics are easy on mammals but kill/bedevil far too many insects beyond the target organisms...why can't they be re-engineered to breakdown very rapidly, as was promised?
3. Can we create GM crops that do not require pesticides and do not exude pesticides? I know we would need a regulatory body with teeth to get us past misuse of GM and to overcome public suspicion of GM.
4. Can we focus on gene editing/silencing on the actual pests of concern to render them harmless?
5. Can we look at ending mobile pollination? It has allowed farmers growing bee-dependent crops to outsource their bee needs, with the unintended consequence of outsourcing their concern with bee health as well. If you had to keep your own bees to pollinate your own crops, you may be more invested in bee-friendly methods of pest control.
6. Can we push farmers to adopt organic methods via subsidies?
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