The federal government will begin phasing out the outdoor use of nicotine-based pesticides beginning in 2021, part of an effort to stem the mysterious decline of honey bee colonies around the world. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency of Canada will announce Wednesday a three-year phaseout of two of the three main neonicotinoid pesticides currently approved for use in the country, sources close to the decision tell The Canadian Press. The agency has already announced plans to phase out the third pesticide in all outdoor uses, meaning it can’t be sprayed or used to pretreat seeds before planting. Neonicotinoids, or neonics, are a class of pesticides used by farmers and hobby gardeners alike to manage pests like aphids and spider mites. Scientists blame the chemicals for weakening bees, making them more susceptible to disease and bad weather. Wednesday’s decision will mark the completion of nearly six years of work by the agency, and follows a similar ban by the European Union that takes effect at the end of the year. Environmental groups say they are glad to see Canada moving ahead with a ban, but say five years is too long for the full ban to take effect. "This is […]
Latest Articles
New Electric Car Battery Charges in Just Five Minutes
Hot Minute A factory in China has manufactured a car battery that can be charged completely in just five minutes, The Guardian reports...
Simple change to fishing gear saves thousands of birds in Namibia
A cheap and simple change to the equipment used by Namibian fishing boats is saving tens of thousands of vulnerable seabirds annually, researchers...
Global sales of electric cars accelerate fast in 2020 despite pandemic
Global sales of electric cars accelerated fast in 2020, rising by 43% to more than 3m, despite overall car sales slumping by a...
New Black and Orange Bat Species Discovered in West Africa
A new species of bat has been identified in West Africa. MYOTIS NIMBAENSIS / BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL In 2018, a team of researchers...
EU Aims to Curb Carbon Footprint via Breakthrough in Space Program
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst stand at the Orion spacecraft during a visit at the training unit of...
Connecting Off-Grid – Digital Debbi
Connecting Off-Grid
Guest post by Debora Lucyk (@digitaldebbi) The inlet It’s all calm and quiet after hours of the sound of rain. A raven is squawking, and...