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silentmayday.bsky.social
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@silentmayday.bsky.social
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silentmayday.bsky.social
«Les pesticides dérivent dans l’atmosphère et retombent sous forme de pluie ou de neige à des centaines, voire des milliers, de kilomètres de l’endroit où ils ont été utilisés. Notre belle planète est désormais baignée dans un cocktail de poisons» souligne Dave Goulson.

Baignée. Et douchée.
September 21, 2025 at 2:54 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Ici aussi, pesticides organophosphorés et organochlorés imprègnent les sédiments, le plancton, les animaux aquatiques.
Leur origine? Un transport atmosphérique à moyenne ou longue distance.
doi.org/10.1016/j.sc...
September 21, 2025 at 2:54 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Au Groenland, les polluants organiques, et parmi eux les pesticides organochlorés, s’accumulent dans la chaîne alimentaire jusqu’au grands carnivores. Cétacés et ours blancs sont intoxiqués, tout comme les populations de pêcheurs inuits.
doi.org/10.1016/j.sc...
doi.org/10.1016/j.ij...
September 21, 2025 at 2:54 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
“It is a world where a flea bites a dog, and dies because the dog’s blood has been made poisonous, where an insect may die from vapors emanating from a plant it has never touched, where a bee may carry poisonous nectar back to its hive and presently produce poisonous honey.”

Rachel Carson.
September 21, 2025 at 1:19 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Silent Spring, 1962.

“The world of systemic insecticides is a weird world, surpassing the imaginings of the brothers Grimm [...]. It is a world where the enchanted forest of the fairy tales has become the poisonous forest in which an insect that chews a leaf or sucks the sap of a plant is doomed.”
September 21, 2025 at 1:19 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Adieu, Ammospiza maritima nigrescens.
Ton gazouillis nous manque.
www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wp-content/u...
Bruants maritimes. Illustration: John James Audubon, Les Oiseaux d’Amérique.
June 17, 2025 at 5:31 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Le 17 juin 1987, Orange Band, le dernier représentant des bruants à dos noirâtre s’éteint en Floride.
Cette sous-espèce de bruants maritimes n’a pas résisté au traitement des mangroves par le DDT et à de l’expansion du programme spatial.
#PrintempsSilencieux
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruant_...
Bruant maritime (nigrescens) — Ammospiza maritima nigrescens
June 17, 2025 at 5:31 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
C’est dans le numéro du 16 juin 1962 du New Yorker (@newyorker.com) que débute la publication du Printemps silencieux, sous forme de feuilleton, avant sa sortie en livre en septembre.
Joyeux (?) anniversaire...
#PrintempsSilencieux
www.newyorker.com/magazine/196...
Couverture du New Yorker pour le 16 juin 1962. Une silhouette de femme esquissée à l’encre noire virevolte dans une robe longue, ses longs cheveux l’accompagnant. Elle tient à la main un bouquet de fleurs coloriées.
June 16, 2025 at 5:36 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Bayer rétorque que non, et s’évertue à envisager d’autres causes au déclin abrupt des abeilles mellifères.
www.lemonde.fr/archives/art...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
—The French bee incidents: possibly related factors— • Varroa infestation • Bacterial diseases (in particular spiroplasms) • Adverse climatic conditions (e.g.: mild winters whichinduce early beginning brood activity, followed bycold springs; very cold or very hot summers) • Physiological incompatibilities (e.g.: attempts to es-tablish bee strains in areas where inappropriate cli-matic conditions prevail, for instance establishing beesfrom New Zealand in Northern regions) • Genetic incompatibilities (e.g. insemination of queensusing drones with incompatible genetic material) • Inappropriate bee management practices (e.g. inap-propriate Varroa treatment, exaggerated pollinationactivity) • Poisoning incidents (pesticide spray application, over-dosed Varroa treatment) Source: Safety of imidacloprid seed dressings to honey bees: a comprehensive overview and compilation of the current state of knowledge, Bulletin of Insectology (2003) 56, p. 51-57 Christian MAUS (1), Gaëlle CURÉ (2), Richard SCHMUCK (1) 1. Bayer AG, Bayer Crop Science, Institute for Ecotoxicology, Monheim, Germany 2. Bayer SA, Division AGRO, Puteaux, France
June 12, 2025 at 8:07 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Les études conduites en urgence par l’Afssa, le CNRS et l’INRA établissent la toxicité de l’insecticide dans les conditions utilisées en plein champ.
www.liberation.fr/societe/2000...
controverses.sciences-po.fr/archive/pest...
Ruchers dans un pré fleuri.
June 12, 2025 at 8:07 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
ls attribuent cette mortalité à l’homologation récente pour ces cultures et à la généralisation de l’emploi de semences traitées par un insecticide néoniconinoïde, l’imidaclopride, commercialisé par Bayer sous le nom de Gaucho.
www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/...
orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/22...
Le dépérissement de l’abeille domestique, Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera : Apidae): faits et causes probables A partir de 1997, plusieurs publications et articles de presse ont mis en évidence un affaiblissement et une mortalité inhabituelle des colonies d’abeilles domestiques en France (Tardieu, 1998 ; Cougard, 1999 ; Bernard, 2000 ; Maus et al., 2003). En Belgique, les apiculteurs et leurs associations ont mis en avant un problème de dépérissement des colonies d’abeilles domestiques depuis 1999 (Toussaint, 2003 ; Lamotte, 2004). Ce phénomène serait lié à l’utilisation d’insecticides pour l’enrobage de semences et plus particulièrement l’imidaclopride (gaucho®) et le fipronil (Régent®) (Hopquin, 2002, 2004 ; Miserey, 2004). Source: Notes fauniques de Gembloux 2006 59 (1), 3-21 Seed-dressing systemic insecticides and honeybees Appreciable declines in sunflower honey harvest were reported, implying major economic losses. Searching for possible causes, the beekeepers found that Gaucho® had been first used as a seed‑dressing in sunflower farming in 1994. They reported honeybee problems increasing concomitantly with the area of Gaucho®‑dressed sunflower (Chauvency, 1997; Belzunces and Tasei, 1997; CNEVA Sophia‑Antipolis, 1997; Pham‑Delègue and Cluzeau, 1998). Consequently, beekeepers asked Bayer (which manufactures Gaucho® ) for information about the potential toxicity of the active substance imidacloprid for honeybees (Coordination des Apiculteurs, 2000). Source: Some emerging issues | Seed-dressing systemic insecticides and honeybees. Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation
June 12, 2025 at 8:07 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
À la fin du printemps 1997, les apiculteurs français s’inquiètent d’une mortalité anormale dans leurs ruches ainsi que d’une baisse de production de miel, observées depuis quelques années dans les régions de culture du tournesol.
#PrintempsSilencieux
www.lemonde.fr/archives/art...
Abeille sur une fleur de tournesol.
June 12, 2025 at 8:07 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
… ainsi que 15 quiscales bronzés, 7 carouges à épaulettes, 2 grues du Canada, 3 buses à queue rousse et une centaine d’autres oiseaux migrateurs.
Quisquale bronzé. Carouge à épaulettes. Grues du Canada. Buse à queue rousse.
June 10, 2025 at 7:15 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Elles viennent s'ajouter à 18 bernaches du Canada, 12 colverts, 1 canard noir américain, 26 autres corneilles d’Amérique, dont les carcasses avaient été trouvées depuis le début de l'année en Virginie occidentale et en Géorgie, empoisonnées par la même méthode.
TABLE 1. Brain cholinesterase (ChE) activities (1 ± SE) of birds found dead in Georgia (CA) and West Virginia (WV), 1988. Source: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-25.2.184 Bernaches du Canada en vol Colverts en vol Canards noirs américains en vol
June 10, 2025 at 7:15 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Ce jour-là, 2 corneilles d’Amérique sont mortes en raison de l’emploi illégal de grains empoisonnés au Famphur (insecticide organophosphoré) comme appâts dans un champ de maïs du comté de Dawson en Géorgie, États-Unis.
Corneille d’Amérique
June 10, 2025 at 7:15 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Le 10 juin 1988, un passant dépose une plainte auprès du département des ressources nationales de Géorgie après l’utilisation d’appâts empoisonnés au Famphur dans un champ de maïs.
Ce même printemps, des centaines d’oiseaux migrateurs en meurent.
#PrintempsSilencieux
doi.org/10.7589/0090...
CASE HISTORIES OF WILD BIRDS KILLED INTENTIONALLY WITH FAMPHUR IN GEORGIA AND WEST VIRGINIA Donald H. White; Lynn E. Hayes; Parshall B. Bush J Wildl Dis (1989) 25 (2): 184–188. —Mortality in American crows from Georgia— On 10 June 1988, a concerned citizen complained to the Georgia DNR that a corn field in Dawson County, Georgia (34#{176}44’N,84#{176}12’W) had been baited with poisoned grain. A DNR visit on 11 June revealed two dead American crows and 4 to 6 gallons of scratch feed (primarily cracked corn and wheat) scattered over the field. The crows and a sample of the grain bait were submitted to SCWDS for necropsy and chemical analysis. One of the crows was in good physical condition and no significant lesions were observed; its gizzard was full of cracked corn and wheat. The other crow apparently had been crushed by a vehicle and could not be completely examined because of severe trauma to the carcass. Cholinesterase activity in brains of the dead birds was depressed by 88 and 90% (Table 1). Gizzard contents of the intact crow contained 816 ppm famphur. The sample of grain bait collected from the field contained 4,240 ppm famphur.
June 10, 2025 at 7:15 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
En aval, les revenus touristiques s’effondrent lorsque la crainte d’une contamination entraîne l’annulation massive des réservations de vacances au bord du lac Issyk-Kul, la principale zone de plaisance de la région.
bankwatch.org/wp-content/u...
June 9, 2025 at 7:32 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
L’exposition, par l’air, l’eau de boisson, l’irrigation des jardins et des champs cause l’hospitalisation de plus de 800 personnes, et un à quatre décès.
Plusieurs milliers d’habitants doivent être évacuées.
earthworks.org/blog/lake_is...
June 9, 2025 at 7:32 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
À la source de cette contamination, la chute dans la rivière d’un poids lourd transportant du cyanure de sodium vers la mine d’or de Kumtor (Kirghizistan), où ce composé est utilisé dans les procédures d’extraction.
Le 20 mai, 1,7 tonnes de cyanure partent à l’eau.
ec.europa.eu/health/ph_pr...
June 9, 2025 at 7:32 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Au printemps 1998, un accident lors du transport d’une cargaison de cyanure vers la mine d’or Kirghize de Kumtor cause la contamination d’une rivière par 1700 kg de ce composé hautement toxique, empoisonnant le village voisin de Barskon.
#PrintempsSilencieux
rivm.openrepository.com/entities/pub...
June 9, 2025 at 7:32 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Dans un rapport paru au mois de juin 2005, le service des forêts États-unien estime entre 500 millions et 1 milliard/an la mortalité des oiseaux par causes anthropogéniques sur le territoire, dont 7% sont attribués à l’usage des pesticides.
#PrintempsSilencieux
research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/3...
A summary and comparison of bird mortality from anthropogenic causes with an emphasis on collisions We estimate that from 500 million to possibly over 1 billion birds are killed annually in the United States due to anthropogenic sources including collisions with human-made structures such as vehicles, buildings and windows, power lines, communication towers, and wind turbines; electrocutions; oil spills and other contaminants; pesticides; cat predation; and commercial fishing by-catch. Many of the deaths from these sources would be considered unlawful take under federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. In this paper, we summarize this literature and provide the basis for the mortality projections for many of the apparent significant sources. Most of the mortality projections are based on small sample sizes, and on studies typically lacking adjustments for scavenging and searcher efficiency biases. Although the estimates for each source often range by an order of magnitude, the cumulative mortality from all these sources continues to be a concern. Source: Wallace P. Erickson, Gregory D. Johnson, David P. Jr. Young, in Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. 2002 March 20-24; Asilomar, California, Volume 2 Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191. Albany, CA: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: p. 1029-1042
June 6, 2025 at 8:37 AM
silentmayday.bsky.social
“La croissance économique est la clé du progrès environnemental, car [elle permet] d’investir dans les technologies propres.”
“La croissance est la solution, et non le problème.”
23 ans plus tard, nous constatons l’efficacité manifeste de cette “solution.”
www.lemonde.fr/planete/arti...
Ours blanc sur la banquise. Nuage de fumée dégagée par des automobiles.
June 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Plusieurs rapports sur le climat et l’environnement ont été éludés ou considérablement amendés par l’administration Bush.
Des employés de l’EPA dénoncent par la suite la fréquence et l’ampleur de ces interférences via l’ Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org.
www.ucs.org/sites/defaul...
Drawing: Censor-matic. White House officials watered down a section on climate change in the EpA’s Draft report on the Environment. —Editing the Science of Climate Change— The Bush White House, through political appointees at the OMB and the CEQ, has a long track record of tampering with the EPA’s scientific documents on climate change. A few examples of this high-level interference: • The 2002 U.S. Climate Action Report, prepared by the EPA to fulfill the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was unusual for the administration in that it explicitly called human activity the cause of climate change, and described specific problems that global warming would bring to the United States (Revkin 2002). The report recommended adapting to these problems rather than attempting to lower emissions. Although all relevant agencies approved the report, the administration issued no announcement when sending it to the United Nations. When journalists asked President Bush about it, he dismissed it as “a report put out by the bureaucracy” (Seelye 2002). • In September 2002, the White House removed a section on climate change from the EPA’s annual report on air pollution (EPA 2002), even though the five previous reports had addressed the topic. An investigation by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) uncovered emails from CEQ chief of staff Philip Cooney showing that CEQ had “vetoed” the entire climate change section (Waxman 2007). • In June 2003, the New York Times reported that the White House had tried to substantially alter the section on climate change in the EPA’s draft Report on the Environment (EPA 2003; Revkin and Seelye 2003). Administration officials, including Cooney, demanded that the EPA remove reference to a temperature record covering 1,000 years, statements referencing numerous scientific studies showing that human activity is contributing significantly to climate change, and a summary statement that “climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment.” Cooney also inserted references to a study by Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas, funded by the American Petroleum Institute, disputing the scientific consensus on climate change. In an April 21, 2003, memo to Kevin O’Donovan in the Office of the Vice President, Cooney noted that, “CEQ just inserted a reference to [Soon and Baliunas] in the final draft chapter on global climate change contained in EPA’s first ‘State of the Environment’ report... With both the National Academy and IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) holding that the 20th Century is the warmest of the past thousand years (see below), this recent study begins to provide a counterbalance on the point to those two authorities”. According to an internal EPA memo, White House officials demanded that the report include so many qualifying words—such as “potentially” and “may”—that it would have implied “uncertainty... where there is essentially none.” Jerry Mahlman, a former official of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who served as a reviewer for the EPA report, noted in an interview with UCS, “It was obvious that senior EPA officials felt compelled to water down the conclusions” . In the end, the report released for public comment lacked the entire section on climate change. According to internal EPA documents and UCS interviews, agency staff members chose this path rather than compromise their credibility by misrepresenting the scientific consensus. • The EPA’s climate change website remained virtually unchanged from 2002 to 2006. The agency finally posted a new website on October 19, 2006 (EPA 2008d). The new site includes accurate scientific information on climate change, but it lacks references to important reports such as the National Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and the U.S. Climate Action Report. As of April 2008, the site also prominently features a discussion of uncertainty in climate change science. • In July 2002, CEQ official Sam Thernstrom edited an op-ed by EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman scheduled to appear in Time magazine. Thernstrom inserted the claim that signing the Kyoto Protocol would put 5 million Americans out of work. EPA Associate Administrator Tom Gibson objected that the figure assumed unrealistic implementation of the protocol, and that “it is also the high end of the numbers that were expressed as a range.” Thernstrom consulted with CEQ chief of staff Cooney and CEQ head James Connaughton, and quickly replied that “the figure is taken directly from the President’s 2-14 speech, and Jim Connaughton’s Senate testimony last week. Using merely an abstract dollar figure may not be as compelling” (Waxman 2007). Administrator Whitman removed the offending statistic later that day, but the CEQ apparently overruled her. Published in Time on August 26, 2002, the op-ed claimed that “Kyoto would put millions of Americans out of work.” According to the Waxman report, CEQ officials were still making such inflated claims as late as 2005.
June 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Les conclusions du rapport constituent une condamnation de la politique environnementale arrêtée par la Maison Blanche dès l’élection de Georges W. Bush, par exemple en refusant, en mars 2001, de ratifier le protocole de Kyoto.
www.letemps.ch/monde/washin...
www.universalis-edu.com/evenement/28...
Georges W. Bush refuse de ratifier le protocole de Kyoto.
June 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM
silentmayday.bsky.social
Au printemps 2002, Georges W. Bush affiche sa distance avec un rapport de l’EPA concluant explicitement à une cause anthropogénique au réchauffement climatique.
#PrintempsSilencieux

www.nytimes.com/2002/06/05/u...

nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cg...
U.S. Climate Action Report – 2002 Third National Communication of the United States of America Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
June 5, 2025 at 4:15 PM