If Only The Government Employed Scientists...

... then maybe they wouldn't do stupid shit like approve pesticides that are causing the great bee die-off.  Oh wait, they do--and they employ some at the EPA.  As usual, the EPA says that there's nothing to see here, just move along.

The pesticides beekeepers are fighting now are different than those of the past, Anderson said. Those were applied at predictable times, making it easy to keep bees out of harm's way.

The pesticides most widely used now are among a class of nicotine-based chemicals called neonicotinoids that are designed to become an intrinsic part of the plant. They were developed in large part because they are much less toxic to humans and other mammals than previous pesticides. But in high doses, they are a neurotoxin to insects.

Since their introduction in the 1990s, they have exploded in popularity among farmers and in products for home gardeners. Today, 90 percent of seed corn is coated with the pesticides before planting, and the chemicals are the active ingredient in hundreds of back-yard products.

The pesticide is sprayed on plants and, when used as a seed coating, it grows into all parts of the plant, including the pollen and the nectar that bees eat.

Remember, the EPA was responsible for banning DDT, which has resulted in tens of millions of needless deaths worldwide from malaria.  I don't know about you, but I'd rather our oh-so-caring, morally superior government environmentalists quit trying to make the world a utopia--because every time they do they screw it up.

Hat tip: Doug Ross@Journal