On Jan. 11 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service adopted a rule extending federal protection to the rusty patched bumblebee, a bee that plays a role in pollinating crops and wild plants. The bee has been in decline since the 1990s.
The addition of the bee to the endangered species list was scheduled for Feb. 10, thirty days from the proposal. On Jan. 20 the Trump administration imposed a 60-day freeze on all regulations that had been published but had not yet taken effect.
What is happening here is that while Trump distracts us with his tweets and bullshit, terrible things are happening under the radar.
By the way, the American Farm Bureau Federation said that declaring the bee endangered could lead to limits on chemical use. The American Farm Bureau Federation represents American corporate farms.
Information for this post was taken from John Flesher, “White House Delays Listing Bumblebee As Endangered,” Lancaster Farming (Feb. 18, 2017), p. A10. I don’t think there was anything about it on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CSNBC, or CNN, although I may have missed something.
Why do these people have no sense for the future? The almighty dollar right now is so much more important than crops ten years from now. Or clean air or clean water. Makes me want to cry.
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