On Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:31:54 +0200, Martin wrote:


'If' I've heard right, something called neonicotinoids (sp) are to be
banned. Does anyone know what products will disappear from garden centre
shelves?

Quite a lot will be banned or modified but, in my opinion, that won't
be such a bad thing. I have been gardening without pesticides for
years and I'm quite pleased with the results.

You don't grow 200 acres of rape seed or anything else for a living
do you?

I am sure you would agree that pressure should be maintained on Bayer
et al to design/manufacture pesticides that do not have potentially
adverse side effects on wildlife, particularly on something as
valuable to plant life as the bee.

Tests should be done in a scientific manner, not driven by the press
and ill informed TV programmes wanting something dramatic to report.

Absolutely. Is there any evidence that the tests are not being done
in a scientific manner? As far as I was aware the research into
neonicotinoid side effects was raised during research into bee colony
losses in Europe dating back at least 5 years and people like Neumann
have a sound reputation. Whilst the news media may have picked up on
various aspects of this more recently I really do not think that they
will have had much impact on the research - the politics are of course
a different matter.
--
rbel

On Monday, 22 April 2013 18:06:52 UTC+1, rbel wrote:
Absolutely. Is there any evidence that the tests are not being done

in a scientific manner? As far as I was aware the research into

neonicotinoid side effects was raised during research into bee colony

losses in Europe dating back at least 5 years and people like Neumann

have a sound reputation. Whilst the news media may have picked up on

various aspects of this more recently I really do not think that they

will have had much impact on the research - the politics are of course

a different matter.

--

rbel

We should ignore the utterances of politicians and the hysterical ill informed partial outpourings of the media (mmr should have taught us that)

Just find and read the science.

Rod

Unfortunately there are scientists working for groups such as Greenpeace and the WWF who have publicly stated that it's OK to lie if it's for the good of the planet, which means 'I will falsify the results of my research to further my personal beliefs'.