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/

You May Also Like

And here they are...

THE WINNERS OF THE 24 HOUR STARTUP CHALLENGE

Remember, this money is just fun. If you launched a product (or even attempted a launch) - you did something worth MUCH more than $1,000.

#24hrstartup

The winners ЁЯСЗ

#10

Lattes For Change - Skip a latte and save a life.

https://t.co/M75RAirZzs

@frantzfries built a platform where you can see how skipping your morning latte could do for the world.

A great product for a great cause.

Congrats Chris on winning $250!


#9

Instaland - Create amazing landing pages for your followers.

https://t.co/5KkveJTAsy

A team project! @bpmct and @BaileyPumfleet built a tool for social media influencers to create simple "swipe up" landing pages for followers.

Really impressive for 24 hours. Congrats!


#8

SayHenlo - Chat without distractions

https://t.co/og0B7gmkW6

Built by @DaltonEdwards, it's a platform for combatting conversation overload. This product was also coded exclusively from an iPad ЁЯШ▓

Dalton is a beast. I'm so excited he placed in the top 10.


#7

CoderStory - Learn to code from developers across the globe!

https://t.co/86Ay6nF4AY

Built by @jesswallaceuk, the project is focused on highlighting the experience of developers and people learning to code.

I wish this existed when I learned to code! Congrats on $250!!
рдкреНрд░рд╛рдЪреАрди рдХрд╛рд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдЧрд╛рдзрд┐ рдирд╛рдордХ рдПрдХ рд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдереЗредрдЙрдирдХреА рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рдирд╛рдо рдХреА рдПрдХ рдкреБрддреНрд░реА рдереАредрд░рд╛рдЬрд╛ рдЧрд╛рдзрд┐ рдиреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдкреБрддреНрд░реА рдХрд╛ рд╡рд┐рд╡рд╛рд╣ рдорд╣рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рднреГрдЧреБ рдХреЗ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рд╕реЗ рдХрд░рд╡рд╛ рджрд┐рдпрд╛редрдорд╣рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рднреГрдЧреБ рдЗрд╕ рд╡рд┐рд╡рд╛рд╣ рд╕реЗ рдмрд╣реБрдд рдкреНрд░рд╕рдиреНрди рд╣реБрдП рдФрд░ рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдкреБрддреНрд░рд╡рдзреБ рдХреЛ рдЖрд╢реАрд░реНрд╡рд╛рдж рджреЗрдХрд░ рдЙрд╕реЗ рдХреЛрдИ рднреА рд╡рд░ рдорд╛рдВрдЧрдиреЗ рдХреЛ рдХрд╣рд╛ред


рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рдиреЗ рдорд╣рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рднреГрдЧреБ рд╕реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рддрдерд╛ рдЕрдкрдиреА рдорд╛рддрд╛ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдХрд╛ рд╡рд░рджрд╛рди рдорд╛рдВрдЧрд╛редрдпреЗ рдЬрд╛рдирдХрд░ рдорд╣рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рднреГрдЧреБ рдиреЗ рдпрдЬреНрдЮ рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рддрддреНрдкрд╢реНрдЪрд╛рдд рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рдФрд░ рдЙрд╕рдХреА рдорд╛рддрд╛ рдХреЛ рдЕрд▓рдЧ-рдЕрд▓рдЧ рдкреНрд░рдХрд╛рд░ рдХреЗ рджреЛ рдЪрд░реВ (рдпрдЬреНрдЮ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдкрдХрд╛рдпрд╛ рд╣реБрдЖ рдЕрдиреНрди) рджрд┐рдП рдФрд░ рдХрд╣рд╛ рдХрд┐ рдЛрддреБ рд╕реНрдирд╛рди рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░реА рдорд╛рддрд╛ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдХреА рдЗрдЪреНрдЫрд╛ рд▓реЗрдХрд░ рдкреАрдкрд▓ рдХрд╛ рдЖрд▓рд┐рдВрдЧрди...

...рдХрд░реЗрдВ рдФрд░ рддреБрдо рднреА рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдХреА рдЗрдЪреНрдЫрд╛ рд▓реЗрдХрд░ рдЧреВрд▓рд░ рд╡реГрдХреНрд╖ рдХрд╛ рдЖрд▓рд┐рдВрдЧрди рдХрд░рдирд╛ред рдЖрд▓рд┐рдВрдЧрди рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рдЪрд░реВ рдХрд╛ рд╕реЗрд╡рди рдХрд░рдирд╛, рдЗрд╕рд╕реЗ рддреБрдо рджреЛрдиреЛ рдХреЛ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдкреНрд░рд╛рдкреНрддрд┐ рд╣реЛрдЧреАредрдкрд░рдВрддреБ рдорд╛рдВ рдмреЗрдЯреА рдХреЗ рдЪрд░реВ рдЖрдкрд╕ рдореЗрдВ рдмрджрд▓ рдЬрд╛рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдФрд░ рдпреЗ рдорд╣рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рднреГрдЧреБ рдЕрдкрдиреА рджрд┐рд╡реНрдп рджреГрд╖реНрдЯрд┐ рд╕реЗ рджреЗрдЦ рд▓реЗрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред

рднреГрдЧреБ рдЛрд╖рд┐ рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рд╕реЗ рдХрд╣рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ,"рдкреБрддреНрд░реА рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░рд╛ рдФрд░ рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░реА рдорд╛рддрд╛ рдиреЗ рдПрдХ рджреБрд╕рд░реЗ рдХреЗ рдЪрд░реВ рдЦрд╛ рд▓рд┐рдП рд╣реИрдВредрдЗрд╕ рдХрд╛рд░рдг рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░рд╛ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдмреНрд░рд╛рд╣реНрдордг рд╣реЛрддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рднреА рдХреНрд╖рддреНрд░рд┐рдп рд╕рд╛ рдЖрдЪрд░рдг рдХрд░реЗрдЧрд╛ рдФрд░ рддреБрдореНрд╣рд╛рд░реА рдорд╛рддрд╛ рдХрд╛ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдХреНрд╖рддреНрд░рд┐рдп рд╣реЛрдХрд░ рднреА рдмреНрд░рд╛рд╣реНрдордг рд╕рд╛ рдЖрдЪрд░рдг рдХрд░реЗрдЧрд╛ред"
рдЗрд╕ рдкрд░ рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рдиреЗ рднреГрдЧреБ рдЛрд╖рд┐ рд╕реЗ рдмрдбрд╝реА рд╡рд┐рдирддреА рдХреАред


рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рдиреЗ рдХрд╣рд╛,"рдореБрдЭреЗ рдЖрд╢реАрд░реНрд╡рд╛рдж рджреЗрдВ рдХрд┐ рдореЗрд░рд╛ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдмреНрд░рд╛рд╣реНрдордг рд╕рд╛ рд╣реА рдЖрдЪрд░рдг рдХрд░реЗред"рддрдм рдорд╣рд░реНрд╖рд┐ рдиреЗ рдЙрд╕реЗ рдпреЗ рдЖрд╢реАрд░реНрд╡рд╛рдж рджреЗ рджрд┐рдпрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдЙрд╕рдХрд╛ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рдмреНрд░рд╛рд╣реНрдордг рд╕рд╛ рд╣реА рдЖрдЪрд░рдг рдХрд░реЗрдЧрд╛ рдХрд┐рдиреНрддреБ рдЙрд╕рдХрд╛ рдкреМрддреНрд░ рдХреНрд╖рддреНрд░рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рд╕рд╛ рд╡реНрдпрд╡рд╣рд╛рд░ рдХрд░реЗрдЧрд╛ред рд╕рддреНрдпрд╡рддреА рдХрд╛ рдПрдХ рдкреБрддреНрд░ рд╣реБрдЖ рдЬрд┐рд╕рдХрд╛ рдирд╛рдо рдЬрдореНрджрд╛рдЧреНрдирд┐ рдерд╛ рдЬреЛ рд╕рдкреНрдд рдЛрд╖рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рд╕реЗ рдПрдХ рд╣реИрдВред