That, Micheal Harris writes, is the question. There simply are a lot fewer of them around:
Plos One, a Europe-based Open Access multidisciplinary journal, published a stunning report this year on the plummeting number of flying insects in Germany. The report, which made headlines around the world, found that the number of such insects fell by a jaw-dropping 75 per cent over 27 years.
The reason? We are using all kinds of neonicotinoids on our fields. These insecticides are killing off pollinators -- those seemingly insignificant creatures -- who guarantee the long term viability of our crops. The U.K. and European Union have decided to ban neonicotinoids, And certain jurisdictions in Canada have also forbidden their use:
Vancouver and Montreal have already banned these dangerous pesticides within their city limits. Ontario became the first jurisdiction in North America to limit the use and sale of neonics. That seems appropriate after ten years of bee-poisoning in that province’s corn fields. Quebec also has limited the pesticide’s use.
But the federal government is still refusing to move. Harris writes that Justin Trudeau vowed that he would protect the environment and rely on science as a driver of policy. But there is a growing gap between Trudeau's rhetoric and his actions. And he should have learned from recent history:
Canadians have had their fill of governments that gave the benefit of the doubt to products and practices that kill the ecosystems that keep us alive. They watched as Ottawa issued larger and larger quotas on the Grand Banks, even as the Northern Cod was disappearing as a commercial species.
Millions of people cringed when the Harper government kept supporting asbestos exports, long after it was banned as a hazardous material in this country and we were paying to take it out of 24 Sussex.
The last thing Canadians want is a government that won’t get its ass in gear in the interests of a marvelous creature that helps pollinate the plants that give us one out of every three mouthfuls of food we eat.
Canadians will throw Justin out if he can't back up his words with action.
Image: mnn.com
