Chemical Controversies
Pesticides are substances that prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce the severity of pests. Pests are living things that occur where they are not wanted or that cause damage to humans, crops, or animals. Pests can be insects, rodents, unwanted plants, bacteria, viruses, or different types of fungus. Pesticides can vary in how toxic they are to humans and the environment. Some are persistent in the environment, animals, and birds, lasting for years; others break down soon after they are released. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants licenses, or registrations, to pesticides that it has found do not pose unreasonable risks to human health and the environment; it has registered at least 865 pesticides, which are used in thousands of pesticide products.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Viewpoint: Here’s how Environmental Working Group’s Carey Gillam, Le Monde and the Oak Foundation destroy reputations while promoting the tort industry
Viewpoint: Junk science—The corrupting dangers of predatory journals, absent peer review and ideologically-tainted research
Viewpoint—Undermining science: RFK, Jr.’s war on expertise
Food and beverage companies are overhauling their brands as RFK, Jr.’s ‘transparency campaign’ escalates
GLP spaces on X: Graying Lady—How the New York Times and other outlets lost America’s trust
The Longevity Business Is Booming—and Its Scientists Are Clashing”
Viewpoint: Another top NIH food scientist quits, citing RFK, Jr.’s political interference and science censorship
National security challenge: China poised to overtake the U.S. as the global leader in biotechnology innovation
Food industry moves to reformulate spices, dyes and other products in response to RFK, Jr.’s controversial attacks on safe additives
GLP podcast: NPR’s chemophobic hypocrisy; Could MAGA stifle mRNA vaccine progress? AI could shift human evolution
Organic produce now costs as much as 53% more than conventional alternatives, and the price disparity is getting worse
Swamped by lawsuits targeting its weedkiller paraquat, Syngenta reaches mass settlement but reaffirms global regulatory consensus that the chemical is safe-as-used
Viewpoint: Every independent risk agency in the world has concluded that the herbicide glyphosate is safe as used. What about its impact on wildlife, soil and watersheds?
Fighting over the science facts: Legislative battles over PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ intensify
Viewpoint: We have a successful playbook to beat measles. RFK, Jr. is doing mostly the opposite
CRISPR offers unique food safety tools
What causes autism? It’s not vaccines, but a new study finds one driving factor
What’s the recipe for healthier food? Healthier soil?
GLP spaces on X: How California’s Prop. 65 wreaks havoc on US science and industry
Combinations of some sweeteners and food additives slightly increase health risks
Foreign entities are partnering with American tort forms to fund environmental lawsuits that undermine science and U.S. national security
Toxic tort opportunists: What’s behind the ballooning number of court cases targeting ‘dangerous’ chemicals?
Viewpoint: RFK, Jr. declares he will personally determine the cause of autism by September—which means he will generate rigged and fraudulent research
Human ‘bodyoids’: We will soon be able to manufacture brain-less human bodies to generate replacement organs
Viewpoint: Agroecology is a cult dogma that is taking global agriculture hostage
Viewpoint: ‘It’s going to get worse’: More than 12.6 million infants and children are highly susceptible to getting measles