EPA knew pesticides were killing honeybees in the 1970s but punished those who spoke out
by: J. D. Heyes
NaturalNews.com
Friday, September 26, 2014
For decades, top officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (PEA) were aware that a compound approved for agricultural use in the United States was wiping out the honeybee population, but they chose to ignore the compound’s effects in deference to pressure from agri-giant corporations.
Worse, the agency reacted harshly to anyone within the EPA who attempted to bring the issue to light, including through firings, forced reassignments and other actions.
According to a scholarly 2014 study [PDF] compiled by researcher Rosemary Mason, “on behalf of a global network of independent scientists, beekeepers and environmentalists,” and published on the website of MIT, “We have found historical and chronological evidence to show that the herbicide glyphosate (or other herbicides that are used as alternatives) is responsible for the transformation of garden escapes into super-weeds (in the UK these are termed ‘invasive species’).”
Further, Mason and her team noted that glyphosate — the primary substance found in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide — was introduced in Europe in 1974 “and became a global best-selling herbicide because the public was told by industry and the regulators that it was ‘safe.'”
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