Neonicotinoids and why they need to stay banned ЁЯРЭ

#SciComm #ScienceTwitter #SaveTheBees #ClimateEmergency #ClimateCrisis

Neonicotinoids were banned by the EU in 2018 following multiple scientific studies which proved their severe detrimental impact on pollinators. Effects from neonics include reduced immune function, reduced foraging capabilities, and impaired cognition in bees.
The government has approved neonics for emergency use as a seed treatment on sugar beet. Yields have been impacted by beet yellows, transmitted by aphids. They argue that, because sugar beet does not flower and will not attract pollinators, the risk from neonics is acceptable.
Since the ban on neonics in 2018, the infection rate of beet yellows has increased year on year. Aphid populations have been proliferating due to mild winters, with no agrochemicals to solve the problem.

Sounds like a good case for neonics, right?
But this is the start of a vicious cycle. Climate change isn't going away. Winters will continue to get milder, resulting in the need for more and more pesticides to combat growing pest problems. Inevitably, this won't be the last time neonics are authorised for emergency use.
Although the use of neonics will be carefully controlled, the risk to wildlife is too high. Even if we discount bees, there are birds, small mammals, and other invertebrates in the soil and water that will inevitably suffer the effects of dangerous chemical run off.
Furthermore, although sugar beet does not flower and therefore won't attract bees, any surrounding flowering vegetation may contain harmful pesticide.
The government proposes to counter this with the use of herbicides on surrounding flowering 'weeds'. However, not only does this remove a food source for many species, but it adds yet more harmful chemicals into the ecosystem.
Finally, the government recently announced measures to
reduce consumption of sugary products from 2022. In the UK, we use 100,000 hectares of prime arable land to grow sugar. Not only is this crop terrible for our already damaged soil, but it is terrible for us!
Most UK adults consume at least double our recommended daily allowance of sugar, and more people than ever have diabetes.

If the government is serious about reducing the amount of sugar we eat, why are they risking the stability of our ecosystems to save it?
Thread on the recent decision to remove the ban on neonicotinoids! @DaveGoulson @GeorgeMonbiot @GretaThunberg

More from Science

@mugecevik is an excellent scientist and a responsible professional. She likely read the paper more carefully than most. She grasped some of its strengths and weaknesses that are not apparent from a cursory glance. Below, I will mention a few points some may have missed.
1/


The paper does NOT evaluate the effect of school closures. Instead it conflates all тАШeducational settings' into a single category, which includes universities.
2/

The paper primarily evaluates data from March and April 2020. The article is not particularly clear about this limitation, but the information can be found in the hefty supplementary material.
3/


The authors applied four different regression methods (some fancier than others) to the same data. The outcomes of the different regression models are correlated (enough to reach statistical significance), but they vary a lot. (heat map on the right below).
4/


The effect of individual interventions is extremely difficult to disentangle as the authors stress themselves. There is a very large number of interventions considered and the model was run on 49 countries and 26 US States (and not >200 countries).
5/

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ADI SHANKAR AND SRI TOTAKACHARYA

Adi Shankaracharya chose his disciple Totakacharya to be the first head of the Math at Joshimath.
The Narsingh Mandir (Mandir of Sri Narasimha) in Joshimath is one of the 108 Divyadesams and also the home of Badrinath during the winter months.


Totakacharya was earlier a boy named тАШGiriтАЩ and a devout disciple of Adi Shankaracharya. Unlike others, he was not known to be an expert in Shastras but his dedication to his Guru was complete and he used to listen to His discourses with utmost faith and devotion.
@SriRamya21


One morning as Adi Shankara and his disciples were getting ready for the discourse, Giri was delayed. The other disciples urged their Guru to commence the lesson on Bramhsutra Bhashya telling him that Giri would anyway not be able to comprehend its deep meaning.
@RajeAiyer


Adi Shankar responded тАЬрдирд╛рдпрдорд╛рддреНрдорд╛ рдкреНрд░рд╡рдЪрдиреЗрди рд▓рднреНрдпреЛ рди рдореЗрдзрдпрд╛тАЭ тАУ Atman cannot be attained through discourses or mere intellect.
He,then, awakened the supreme knowledge in Giri.
Giri spontaneously composed: рд╢реНрд░реА рд╢рдЩреНрдХрд░рджреЗрд╢рд┐рдХрд╛рд╖реНрдЯрдХрдореН extolling his GuruтАЩs grace.


Adi Shankaracharya granted sanyasa to Giri and gave him the name Totakacharya.
The story of how Giri became Totakacharya is a great example of the importance of faith and devotion in your Guru and not the mere knowledge of the Shastras.
@DetheEsha