> What is needed RIGHT NOW is an end to the antagonistic approach toward this problem. Scientific studies cannot be blithely dismissed and we cannot rely on WHAT IF scenarios to guide policy decisions.

I think that some people see this in black and white, but they are the same people who see everything in black and white.  

As for the ever eliminating antagonistic approach, we saw recently when a strong critic of neonics said something at all conciliatory and encompassing broader issues than his core message, immediately people assumed that he was taking the pressure off and he had to re-state his opposition to neonics.  Even then, the assumption remained that he was standing down in his opposition.

It is not easy in the middle ground, or even be moderate in any of the oposing camps, since one gets assailed from both sides.  Personally I have been in the centre since the beginning and was one of the first to express concern, long before the issue came to front and set up pages on my site wondering what the eventual outcome would be and tracking the European experience.  Those pages are still there, but not updated for maybe a decade or so.

As a somewhat disinterested observer, I am somewhat dismayed by the lack of objectivity and sloganeering going on and the knee-jerk responses to any comment made on the topic.  

It has been apparent from the start that the playing field is not level --not nearly leve -- l and that the promoters of neonics have a lot of money, hold almost all the cards, and they hold them close to their chests.  

Their public research appears to be generally superficial and incomplete and sometimes handed to researchers who have been already proven to be naive.   I have heard of cases where the samples have been conveniently lost and also where lab all the results came back "undetectable" but the samples were not spiked.  

They do great public relations and smooze potential critics and co-opt act ones if they can.  They convince independent people who should know better with incomplete evidence and those people go on pooh-pooh the fears of those who see something happening that does not fit the fairy tale and dare to say so.

They have their own proprietary research which is withheld or only offered with a gag attached.  They advertise that their products do the things we see happening to bees, but only to other, undesirable insects like termites.  

When they are sued and lose cases, I hear they arrange to have silence on the part of the successful plaintiffs as part of the settlement. 

As for the other side, they are not guiltless, either, and they engage in hyperbole and hysterical outbursts and distort what little evidence there is to back their case.  They call for outright bans without offering adequate proof or believable alternatives.

To any thinking person, it is obvious that insecticides kill insects.  In consideration of the fact that they use mechanisms which are shared with other organisms, sometimes including humans or beneficials, we need to be most cautious and continue to investigate.  I understand that grad students are doing so at present and what is leaking out is not encouraging for the chemical companies' apologists.  I wonder, if looking back in five years, if some of us are going to have to eat our bytes.

Personally, I welcome any post which expresses concern about these chemicals and the collateral damage they do, especially if there is a new fact or a new slant.  I also welcome any real proof that these chemicals are entirely benign and expect those claiming so will drink a glass or two, just to show us how wrong we are in being concerned.

Too bad Julian is in jail.  we could use him to bring his organisation's talents to bear on this.  I am sure we could get at least as good leaks on the neonics as we have heard on Iraq and Afghanistan...
 

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