Insects are the most common and widely found group of animals, making up about 90% of all animal species. In the 2010s, scientists began noticing that many insect populations were decreasing. These findings surprised many people, even though earlier studies had already shown that some pollinators, like bees, were declining.
Monarch butterfly migration is the event in which the monarch subspecies Danaus plexippus plexippus travels each autumn to places where they spend the winter. These locations are near the west coast of California or in mountainous areas of central Mexico. Other monarch populations around the world may travel short distances or not travel at all.
Colony collapse disorder (CCD) is a strange event that happens when most worker bees in a honey bee colony suddenly disappear, leaving the queen, plenty of food, and only a few nurse bees to care for the young. Although similar disappearances have been reported in beekeeping history under different names, such as “disappearing disease” or “autumn collapse,” the term “colony collapse disorder” was first used in early 2007 after a sharp increase in reports of missing honey bee colonies in North America. Beekeepers in many European countries had noticed similar events since 1998, especially in Southern and Western Europe, where Northern Ireland reported a decline of more than 50%.
Pollinator decline refers to the decrease in the number of insects and other animals that help plants reproduce by moving pollen between flowers. This decline was first noticed in the late 20th century. Many studies show that wild pollinator populations have decreased in regions such as Europe and North America.
In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mainly responsible for regulating pesticides. In the United States, pesticides were not regulated for safety until the 1950s. The Pesticides Control Amendment (PCA) in 1954 was the first time Congress provided rules about setting safe limits for pesticide residues on food.
Endocrine disruptors, also called hormonally active agents, endocrine disrupting chemicals, or endocrine disrupting compounds, are chemicals that can interfere with the body’s hormonal systems. This interference can lead to many health problems, such as changes in sperm quality and fertility, issues with sex organs, endometriosis, early puberty, changes in the nervous or immune systems, certain cancers, breathing difficulties, metabolic problems, diabetes, obesity, heart issues, growth delays, learning disabilities, and other challenges. These chemicals are found in many household and industrial products.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a United States law created by Congress in 1976 and managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It controls chemicals not already regulated by other U.S.
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is a European Union regulation that began on 18 December 2006. It was updated on 16 December 2008 by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. REACH focuses on how chemicals are produced and used, and how they may affect human health and the environment.
The Rotterdam Convention (officially, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade) is an international agreement that helps countries share responsibility for importing dangerous chemicals. The agreement encourages the free sharing of information and requires exporters of hazardous chemicals to use clear labels, provide instructions for safe handling, and inform buyers about any known restrictions or bans on these chemicals. Countries that signed the agreement can choose whether to allow or prohibit the import of chemicals listed in the treaty.
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978, is known as “MARPOL 73/78.” It is one of the most important international agreements to protect ocean and sea environments. The convention was created by the International Maritime Organization with the goal of reducing ocean pollution, including waste dumping, oil spills, and air pollution. The original MARPOL agreement was signed on February 17, 1973, but it did not begin to take effect immediately.