Bees

Bees are vital if we’re to feed ourselves. They pollinate the plants we eat. If it wasn’t for bees we’d lose around a third of our food. Think what that would do!

But our bees are dying. Britain’s bee numbers halved between 1985 and 2005 and have continued to fall since.

Many scientists suspect pesticides are to blame, especially pesticides known as neonicotinoids. These chemicals get into sap, nectar and pollen and bees started dying off as these poisons came into use.

Greens pressured the EU into bringing in a ban – and there's now a two year moratorium on using them. But big chemical companies are fighting back and are trying to get the ban lifted when the moratorium runs out. When their profits are threatened they don’t think about the wellbeing of the environment.