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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GLP podcast/video: Did COVID vaccine mandates work? AI spreads glyphosate misinfo; Africa’s ‘Green Revolution’ has failed? No
Viewpoint: UK’s The Guardian fearmongers over PFAS ‘forever chemicals’
Open letter to New York Governor Hochul: ‘The only thing the Birds and Bees Protection Act would protect are seed corn maggots’
Viewpoint: Misguided attacks on glyphosate ‘dangers’ ignore how the weedkiller enables sustainable soil systems in prairies and grasslands
Monsanto wins 9th consecutive court case in glyphosate litigation
Reshuffling the deck: How agro-chemical suppliers are repositioning weed-killing products
Video: Are synthetic pesticides harmful to the environment and human health? Here’s a nuanced review of the science
‘Industrial’ seed oils are killing you? Here’s the health story behind cooking oils
GMOs aren’t increasing food allergies? 10 common misconceptions about genetic modification, debunked
‘It’s now a jungle’: Take a look at what happened after an English seaside town banned glyphosate
Viewpoint: In debate over ‘dangerous’ chemicals — from aspartame to glyphosate — advocates cash in peddling pseudoscience
Insects are disappearing from UK farms. Why, and what can be done?
Fertilizers are critical for farming — but they are often environmentally costly. Synthetic biology may offer a solution
Another GMO approval: Philippines approves commercial growing of Bt insect resistant cotton
Viewpoint: ‘California’s plan to choose politics over science on pesticides will dump millions more tons of carbon and threaten food security’
Pesticides and Food: It’s not a black or white issue — How do organic pesticides compare to synthetic pesticides?
Viewpoint: Why hyped ‘dangers of glyphosate’ is not a story in Slovenia
Reduce synthetic fertilizers and improve yields? The microbiome revolution comes to agriculture
Viewpoint: ‘What would a future without the weed-killer glyphosate look like?’
Canadian farmers abandon organic certification because approved ‘natural’ chemicals can’t control devastating grasshoppers
Aspartame panic illustrates how scare-narratives can take root
Insect-resistant Bt GMO crops have helped cut pesticide use. Now Nature is pushing back
Viewpoint: ‘Sugar is a far more dangerous enemy’ — Dentist explains why banning aspartame in foods and drinks is a reckless idea
Potential glyphosate ban: Calculating economic consequences if Europe’s most widely used pesticide is banned
Pesticides and Food: It’s not a black or white issue — Part 5: Soil health ― When synthetic pesticides are more sustainable than ‘natural’ organics
Climate-smart genetically-engineered seeds may be Nigeria’s only viable way to confront farming disruptions brought on by climate change