New Yorkers are very concerned about protecting our environment and about the farming practices used to grow our foods.

That is why the state Assembly and Senate passed A. 3226 The Birds and Bees Protection Act and why the state and local chapters of the Sierra Club strongly urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to adopt it into law. This legislation is necessary to protect pollinators like bees and butterflies, as well as birds and the ecosystems of our state from poisonous neonicotinoid pesticides, known as neonics. These pesticides are extensively used in lawn care and agriculture and last for years in the environment. They are even used prophylactically, whether needed or not.

Scientific studies do demonstrate that neonicotinoid insecticides have a negative effect on pollinators, birds, the soil, and waters that effects the entire ecosystem for years. Hundreds of studies have led to a scientific consensus that neonics are the major cause of bee die-off ( March 2021Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28(6) DOI:10.1007/s11356-017-0341-3; also see the research of Cornell CALS’s Pollinator Network). Other studies have shown them to be the cause of a decline in bird bio-diversity and in the number of Monarch butterflies. Fewer pollinators also mean lower crop yields.

That these pesticides are not banned yet in the U.S. does not mean they are harmless. They are banned in Europe and several areas of Canada, and are being restricted in states across the country.

Neonics kill by attacking the nerves of any insect that may be exposed to them, not just targeted pests, causing uncontrolled twitching, paralysis, and death. They can damage the functioning of insects that survive exposure at non-lethal levels. These pesticides are usually deployed by planting agricultural seeds that are coated with them, which does not mean neonics used in this way “directly target pests” or that “exposure to non-target plants, animals, and humans is minimized” as argued by the recent commentator. Neonics are water soluble, so as the plant grows the pesticide is taken up into the leaves, stems , nectar, pollen and fruit of the plant so the plant becomes toxic. Moreover, not all the pesticide is absorbed and the rest is washed into the soil and water. A 2015 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found neonics in 63% of the streams they tested across the country.

In 2020 Cornell University researchers reviewed over 1,000 peer-reviewed studies and identified expensive neonic uses of low-benefit that are easily replaceable with safer alternatives or by nothing at all. Smart prohibitions on wasteful uses of neonics could prevent 80-90% of outdoor use neonics from entering New York’s soil and water.

The Birds and Bees Protection Act is based on science and should be adopted this legislative session.

Diane Ciurczak, Esq., is a Buffalo resident and member of the Sierra Club Niagara Group Executive Committee.