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.
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Viewpoint: Mass litigation targeting glyphosate could put beet farmers out of business
Glyphosate is used on 98% of Idaho's sugar beet acres, allowing those farmers to contribute over $385 million to our ...
GLP podcast: Should scientists endorse political candidates? Debate erupts over Scientific American’s support for Kamala Harris
"Vote for Kamala Harris to Support Science, Health and the Environment," Scientific American wrote in an incendiary September 16 editorial ...
The Spanish Flu killed 50 million people. It’s frightening that terrorists can create a synthetic version of the pathogen
“The Terrorism Warning Lights Are Blinking Red Again,” according to former CIA Deputy Director Mike Morell, who delivered that message ...
Can household products induce early puberty? Study raises questions
Girls exposed to certain chemicals that are common ingredients in household products may be starting puberty comparatively early, a new ...
Canadian researchers in the early stages of developing effective and comparably inexpensive alternatives to glyphosate
Fifty-nine weed species around the world have developed some resistance to glyphosate, according to data from the International Survey of ...
Viewpoint: Marriage made in heaven? What would happen to science and farming if Trump wins and RFK, Jr. is rewarded with EPA cabinet post?
Could [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] serve inside a potential second Trump administration? ... Trump voters and disaffected Democrats don’t care ...
COVID vaccine hesitancy: With fewer parents willing to have their children vaccinated, pediatricians are throwing away trays of expired pandemic vaccines
When pediatrician Eric Ball opened a refrigerator full of childhood vaccines, all the expected shots were there — DTaP, polio, ...
Cloud seeding nanomaterials: Desert countries are trying to wring rain out of wisps of clouds. How are they doing?
In a gold-trimmed command center on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, scientists are seeking to wring moisture from desert skies ...
Australian glyphosate class action suit with 20,000 plaintiffs dismissed, judge says evidence supporting cancer claims lacking
This past July 24, Judge Michael Lee ruled on the carcinogenicity of RoundUp in a class action involving over 20,000 ...
GLP podcast: Youth cancer rates ‘soaring’? No. Will AI help or harm mental health care? Confronting vaccine ‘rejectionists’
The media claims that cancer rates are "skyrocketing" among young people. Experts beg to differ. Artificial intelligence is bringing major ...
Viewpoint: The EPA just banned a crop chemical. What does that say about activist claims that the agency has become a dupe of the chemical industry?
Last month, the EPA issued an emergency suspension of the herbicide Dacthal and has initiated a process to cancel all ...
Can Ozempic and other GLP-1 weight loss drugs make you suicidal
Is it even biologically plausible that Ozempic could lead to suicide? I think it is, actually. First off, we know ...
Viewpoint: Challenging more misinformation about glyphosate: No, it does not cause Celiac disease or alter gluten structure
I can’t wait for the day when anti-science activists decide to cling to an entirely different pesticide to fixate on ...
Viewpoint: Nuclear power, pesticides, obesity and global warming: Examining the politics behind four contentious science debates
Gaslighting has now become a popular term again based on telling people not to believe what their lying eyes are telling them ...
‘Chemical-free weed management has presented challenges’: London council’s decision to ban glyphosate flops, leads to urban weed jungle
As any gardener who has spent the summer bent over their patio knows, tackling weeds is no easy feat. So ...
Is glyphosate weedkiller a danger to humans, bees and the environment? Addressing 10 controversial claims
Agricultural advances have made farming and our foods safer and more abundant than at any other time in history. Everyone ...
How to reduce chemical usage? European study concludes GM and gene-edited crops are a solution, proposed relaxed EU regulations would limit innovation
Can modern breeding technologies, such as genome editing, contribute to reduced pesticide usage? This question has been accentuated by a ...
Europe’s bioindustry 4.0: ‘The upside of biotechnology is that it can offer a cleaner alternative to traditional chemical manufacturing’
Biotechnology, which uses living organisms to create different products or processes, remains important in today’s production of food and drink ...
GLP podcast: Hot dogs probably don’t cause dementia; Subsidize plant burgers? Drinking fathers might damage fetal brain development
Processed read meat could increase your risk for dementia, a recent study contends. How robust are the results? Can the ...
Viewpoint: ‘Dismissive of science and the real-world impact of their decisions’ — SCOTUS has taken a troubling turn against evidence and expertise
The American public's trust in the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has significantly waned in recent years. The most recent Gallup ...
Clickbait viral headlines claim that chemicals are sending cancer rates soaring. That’s not what the science says
Cancer is widely misunderstood by most people. If you talk to anyone, they would know the term cancer. Most people ...
GLP podcast: Treating brain diseases with parasites; FDA rejects ecstasy treatment for PTSD; $6 billion—the cost of baby powder lawsuits
A parasite that causes deadly infections may help doctors treat Parkinson's Disease. The FDA wants better evidence before it approves ...
Glyphosate poisoning oatmeal? Independent fact checker challenges viral social media video and claims
Social media users are actively discussing the various qualities—both good and bad—of foods, particularly grains and other related products. However, ...
Viewpoint: The word “toxic” brandished by Environmentalist crusaders causes fear and anxiety — but chemistry has proven that dose makes the poison
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say: “oh, I don’t use product [X], that is toxic!” Maybe you’ve even uttered a similar ...
Bayer’s latest Roundup court victory could provide protection in tort suits if upheld
[August 15] the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling in Monsanto’s favor in the Schaffner v. Monsanto case, ...
Bayer lobbies Congress to pass legislation protecting it from billions of dollars in lawsuits claiming glyphosate caused cancers
German chemical giant Bayer is seeking protection in the latest farm bill from lawsuits involving its Roundup weedkiller, according to ...
Viewpoint: ‘Herbicide hustlers’: Tort firm’s email blast seeks expert witnesses to testify against herbicide paraquat herbicide that EPA finds safe-as-used
With money-hungry attorneys filing herbicide lawsuits, a “Don’t Miss Out on This Paid Consulting Opportunity” note started showing up in ...
