The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Crescent City Times.com By Amy Van Saun at Center for Food Safety – April 22, 2026 TODAY, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2026 IS EARTH DAY. At Center for Food Safety, we’re fighting an industrial agricultural system that treats life as collateral damage. Bird populations across the country are declining faster than ever, and pesticide use could be a major driver. We’re about to file the next piece of our lawsuit to force EPA to close the loophole that allows bird-killing neonicotinoid coated seeds to go without ample regulation. For Earth Week, can you pitch in to fuel this vital work? Have you ever seen a meadowlark? Did you grow up in a home with a bird feeder—and the quiet joy of seasonal migratory guests arriving at your window? I did. And those feeders, more and more, are empty. What once felt constant—the return of birds with the seasons, the chorus of morning song—is fading. Not all at once, but slowly enough that you might question your own memory. Was it always this quiet? No. A new study entitled, “Acceleration hotspots of North American birds’ decline are associated with agriculture” published in Science confirms what so many of us are already seeing: bird populations across North America are in continued or accelerating decline. We already know why this is happening. Habitat has been stripped away—replaced by vast, chemical-dependent monocultures. Crop seeds are coated in neonicotinoids—systemic insecticides that turn entire plants and their surrounding soil, water, and wild plants into poison. Herbicides like glyphosate, atrazine, and dicamba are sprayed on a massive scale, wiping out the insects and native plants that birds depend on for survival. And the laws meant to protect wildlife are being weakened. A gutted Endangered Species Act means fewer protections—and more species pushed quietly toward extinction. This crisis is not a mystery. It is the direct result of an industrial agricultural system that treats life as collateral damage. At the Center for Food Safety, we are not standing by. We’re about to file the vital next piece in our lawsuit to finally force the EPA to close a loophole that allows neonicotinoid coated seeds to be used without the safety testing and regulations that all other pesticides need to abide by. We are watchdogging federal agencies every day—holding them accountable when they ignore science and fail to protect pollinators and endangered species. We are in the courts—challenging the approval of toxic pesticides and forcing the government to comply with the law. We are fighting back against pesticide companies that are trying to rewrite the rules and escape liability for the harm they cause. This is a fight for the web of life itself—and for our place within it. Because once the birds are gone, the silence doesn’t stop with them. This Earth Day, we need to raise $50,000 to continue challenging toxic pesticides in court this year so we can protect birds and other vital pollinators. Thanks to a generous group of donors, all gifts will be MATCHED this week to help us reach our goal, but time is running out. We know what is causing this. We know how to fight it. What we need—right now—is the power to keep going. Amy van Saun is Senior Attorney at Center for Food Safety