Environmental groups are suing the government in the UK over the use of a pesticide that kills bees. Neonicotinoid pesticides were banned in the European Union in 2018 but now that the UK is no longer a part of the EU, the government approved its use once again.
The Wildlife Trust is going to challenge the government to reinstate this ban because the pesticide can cause harm to bees and aquatic life. It has also been shown to contribute to the wider collapse in biodiversity.
The government approved this pesticide because it is concerned about threats to beet crops, spread by aphids. It says that it approved this pesticide on a “strictly limited” basis. However, some research shows that this pesticide can persist in the ecosystem for a long time, however limited its use. A spokesperson for the wildlife group calls this decision by the government a “double blow for nature.”