Stop bird decline linked to herbicides and pesticides

Imagine a world with no dawn chorus. No murmurations of starlings. No robins. We are already very close to this and it is sheer stupidity on our part.

The biodiversity crisis receives much less attention than the climate crisis. I am starting this petition because scientists have stated that one of the top ten crises of 2023 is bird decline caused by pesticides and herbicides. Indeed, over the past four decades, the number of birds across Europe dropped by a staggering 550 million. Thus far it was believed that the main reasons were habitat loss and pollution, but a research team led by Stanislas Rigal investigated data on 170 bird species across 20,000 sites in 28 countries – including records collected by citizen scientists – and concluded that the principal bird killer is agricultural intensification. More precisely, it is an increased use of pesticides and fertilisers, which not only deprive birds of food, but also directly affect their health. I am starting this petition in the hope that 2024 brings a positive change in those departments and policy making, a change which strongly encourages the greatly reduced use of the herbicides and pesticides which have been poisoning our cherished wildlife. And us.