Bee The Change Petition Hits UK Parliament

We’re grateful for the opportunity to chat with cause leaders on a regular basis. So it’s with great excitement that we share news of cause leader Malcolm and his cause, Bee The Change. Last week, members of Parliament in the United Kingdom discussed the use of a pesticide known as neo-nicotinoid and its affects on the world bee population. Parliament cited a petition Malcolm published on Causes.com, which includes more than 20,000 signatures, in a debate about the possibility of banning the pesticide for its adverse effects on bee populations in the country.

Malcolm informed us in an email this week that Bee The Change belongs to a wider network of charities that focus on threats to food supplies around the world. Malcolm created his petition through his cause to engage people worldwide to talk about falling bee populations in the world. After a surge of petition signers, Malcolm knew the next step was to file the petition with the government. In his eyes, the power of social media didn’t fall on deaf ears. “I really think that one of the reasons [the petition] was accepted [to Parliament] was because it came from a social media site.”

In official Parliamentary records, the session from that day specifies Bee The Change’s petition as official written evidence. “The petition was accepted and so read by all members of the Inquiry. These are 10 or so elected representatives that belong to the ‘Environmental Audit Committee (there are about 500 Parliament Members for the entire UK).”

Earlier this year, Malcolm discovered Causes after one of his friends sent him an invitation to join a cause. He soon realized Causes was a good way to raise awareness about his own passions, including his campaign to get neonicotinoid banned in both the UK and the United States. After creating his own cause and petition, he found himself sending invites around as well. The cycle of collective action had come full circle and he says that the first signs of success came in the form of awareness about the word neo-nicotinoid. “Another success is that the Bee The Change cause petition has raised awareness through social media. Before, people had never heard of neo-nicotinoid systemic pesticides and about the issue of bee decline.”

Next week, Parliament reconvenes and will assess neo-nicotinoid’s influence on bee populations. Malcolm told us in an email this week that success will come in the form of a pesticide ban, but having Parliament hear his cause is already a reason for cheers. “This is close to the Bee The Change mission statement which is about protecting pollinators, and getting [members of Parliament] to get out there and act according to existing laws,” said Malcolm.

Visit Bee The Change to learn more and tell us what you think about Malcolm’s campaign in the comments section below.