The European Union has banned neonicotinoid insecticides, meanwhile the United States is primarily utilizing such insecticides. It is interesting to see how the U.S. allows known neurotoxins to be utilized within agriculture, even though there are adverse health and ecological effects as a result. The effects of pesticides have been widely documented for several decades. Rachel Carson paved the way for such modern documentation thanks to her book Silent Spring published in 1962, which focused on the effects of pesticides and how destructive they can be. In May of 2018, countries in the EU began to ban neonicotinoid insecticides due to its ecological effects. Neonicotinoids indiscriminately kill in the wild. This means that pollinators such as bees and butterflies are being driven into extinction as a direct result of these man-made chemicals being utilized in agricultural settings. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released an analysis on popular neonicotinoids utilized in the U.S. This analysis found that clothianidin will jeopardize 9% of all endangered species, imidacloprid will jeopardize 11%, and thiamethoxam will jeopardize 11% (Don't Speak News). If these pesticides are to be used, there will be dramatic consequences that ensue. These chemicals pose risks to more than just insects. These chemicals greatly affect the plants that are sprayed with them, and these chemicals can persist in the soil for years.
Action needs to be taken to prevent the irreplaceable damage these chemicals cause. The U.S. needs to take notes from the EU when it comes to environmental matters. It is clear through studies and analyses that the data all displays the same conclusions, so why does the U.S. continue the use of such chemicals? These chemicals will be responsible for driving over 200 species into extinction, which includes both plants and animals. Now is the time for legislators to act.
References
Don't Speak News. (2023b, May 8). EPA: Three Popular Neonicotinoid Pesticides Likely to Drive More Than 200 Endangered Plants, Animals Extinct. Don’t Speak News. https://dontspeaknews.com/2023/05/08/epa-three-popular-neonicotinoid-pesticides-likely-to-drive-more-than-200-endangered-plants-animals-extinct/#:~:text=An%20assessment%20released%20today%20by%20the%20Environmental%20Protection,more%20than%20160%20plants%20dependent%20on%20insect%20pollination.
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