You can't make it up. (1)

There has been a moratorium on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. They are believed to be killing bees and other pollinators. Our government has joined in the Pan European field experiment to find out if bee's are being poisoned. 

Who is conducting the experiments? 

Surprise surprise - Its the Pesticide Manufacturers. 

So that's OK then...


Seeing fewer wild birds around?

The large declines in some farmland birds have many known and potential causes. Many of the declines have been caused by land management changes and the intensification of farming that took place over a long period, such as the loss of mixed farming, a move from spring to autumn sowing of arable crops, change in grassland management (e.g. a switch from hay to silage production), increased pesticide and fertiliser use, and the removal of non cropped features such as hedgerows. The rate of these changes, which resulted in the loss of suitable nesting and suitable  feeding habitats, and a reduction in available food, was greatest during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the period during which many farmland bird populations declined most rapidly.

Grey Partridge down 91%
Turtle Dove down 96% 
Tree Sparrow down 90%
Corn Bunting down 90%
Starlings down 81%

Read the full PDF document here: Click Me