HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-09-24, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, September 24, 2014
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Canacr3
editorial
Bee deaths must fuel
focus on ecosystem
It's as simple as the life -cycle lessons taught in ele-
mentary schools: The plants grow flowers; the
bees, the butterflies and other creatures pollinate the
plants.
Fruit is produced, feeding other creatures, and the
cycle goes on.
Take the bees out of the mix, and it doesn't take a sci-
entist to figure out there's a problem.
Out of the hive and into a courtroom comes an envi-
ronmental crisis that dares to shake the fragile ecosys-
tem and, some say, ultimately jeopardize the food
supply.
Earlier this month, Canadian beekeepers launched a
$450 -million class-action lawsuit against seed/insecti-
cide companies Bayer and Syngenta. With London law
firm Sisldnds LLP leading the charge, the apiarists
allege that neonicotinoids, a family of pesticides
applied as a coating on corn and soybean seeds and
now banned by the European Union, is killing bees at
an alarming rate.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and
the defendants weren't immediately commenting.
Farmers say the chemicals affect the ability of bees to
do their jobs, hurting their mobility, honey production
and health.
Neonics have their boosters. Grain farmers have said
their yields would drop if they were banned. One
defendant has said the chemical replaced more toxic
compounds that threatened the environment and
there's no evidence of massive bee deaths in Western
Canada, where neonic-treated canola seeds are the
norm.
While the scientific arguments about what's killing
bees will take years to play out in court, the legal action
speaks to how dire the situation has become — and
how crucial it is to find solutions.
Pesticides have been cited as the main cause for the
80 per cent decline of the monarch butterfly, once
350 -million strong but now cut to 60 million largely
because of the decline ofmilkweed plants.
Honey bee populations are down 58 per cent, devas-
tating the honey industry.
The Sierra Club of Canada is backing the claims and
running its own Save the Bees campaign, sounding the
alarm that the loss of bees could spell the loss of other
vital components in the food chain.
It should create a buzz in the rest of us, to pay closer
attention to what's happening in our meadows and
fields.
Never give up,
never surrender
Cancer is a scary word.
For those living with the dis-
ease, either personally or
through a loved one, it's a
word that can conjure feelings
of helplessness and despair.
And the truth is, we're all far
from alone.
According to the Canadian
Cancer Society, around 524
Canadians are diagnosed
every day, while an average of
210 lose that battle.
Last week, I lost two won-
derful people to this terrible
disease. Two lives that
couldn't have been more
different.
Back when I was a teenager, I
really didn't like kids, except
one. Nick was a lively little guy
with an energetic spark and an
infectious smile. At a time in my
life when I couldn't fathom hav-
ing to spend one second around
anyone half my age, I looked
forward to our time together
during my family's yearly trips
to Traverse City, Michigan, to
visit friends. Even though,
unfortunately, he, along with
his two older brothers had a
penchant for listening to a lot of
rap music, something I tried to
nip in the bud with no success.
We'd sit up at night and talk
about whatever shenanigans
the boys had gotten up to that
day. Sometimes he's even fall
asleep at the foot of my bed.
What can I say? The little guy
stole my heart from the go.
Two years ago, at the age of
21, Nick was diagnosed with a
very rare form of cancer.
Despite a terminal diagnosis,
he continued to fight, never
losing the kindness, joy and
charm that made him so spe-
cial to so many. On Sept. 16,
he lost his battle.
As far back as I can remem-
ber, I always loved spending
time with my godparents and
their family. Being an only
child, it was a little strange for
me to all of a sudden be
Column
Whitney South
Huron Expositor
thrown into a crew of four sib-
lings, but they always made it
great and I always felt
welcome.
With a smile like the Mon-
kees' Davy Jones, and an
accent to boot, my godfather
Colin was a big part of that.
He was the type of guy who
always made me feel special, a
part of the family, even calling
my parents after his youngest
was born just to let them know
there would always still be
room for me.
Colin beat prostate cancer
two years ago, only to have it
return in his esophagus. In the
end, doctors found stage four
cancer in his abdomen. On
Sept. 17, he lost his battle.
Cancer is the leading cause
of death in Canada, and it
needs to be stopped. In order
for that to happen, we have to
keep fighting.
At times it may feel as
though this disease has
become something so com-
monplace in our society, each
diagnosis is inevitable.
But it doesn't have to be that
way.
Over the past 20 years, sur-
vival rates have increased to 63
per cent for all cancers
combined.
Fundraising and research
are making a difference.
It's up to all of us to keep it
going; no matter how long it
takes, we can never give up.
For more information on
how to donate to the Canadian
Cancer Society, please visit
www.cancer.ca.
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