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: Scientific American article claiming pesticides harm beetles and earthworms is ‘more hype than substance’
I picked up a Scientific American that came last August and thumbed my way to page 12, where alarm bells ...
GLP Podcast: Chemical risks doubled in five years? Vaccines from plants; Henrietta Lacks’ stolen cells
A recent meta-analysis has alleged that the health risks linked to chemical exposure have doubled in the last five years ...
Viewpoint: Gilles-Éric Séralini, Vandana Shiva, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — Anti-GMO characters join together in book diatribe misrepresenting the science about glyphosate and Monsanto
The recent court victories against the former Monsanto involving glyphosate constitute a major cause célèbre for anti-GMO activists. Now, another ...
Viewpoint: Challenging the damaging myth that agrochemicals are the biggest threat to bees
Regardless of the plant breeding method, products used to improve modern farming that could potentially harm bees could be used ...
GMO crops have reduced pesticide poisoning among farmers, report finds
Many countries have enjoyed improved economies and healthier populations by farming genetically modified (GM) crops, according to a report from ...
GLP Podcast: At-home dementia test raises concerns; mRNA flu vaccines? Chemical-free pesticides
A new at-home dementia test may help predict your risk of cognitive impairment late in life, though some experts fear ...
Supreme Court set to consider addressing lower court ruling that found Bayer’s Roundup herbicide caused applicator’s cancer
Bayer AG’s effort to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review a key trial loss in the nationwide Roundup litigation ...
Glyphosate does not kill bumble bees and is unlikely to cause health problems, latest comprehensive study finds
Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the world, and is widely used in agriculture. While glyphosate has been ...
GMO crops and glyphosate use can offer carbon sequestration benefits, Canadian study suggests
University of Saskatchewan research has concluded that genetically modified canola and the use of glyphosate have increased carbon sequestration in ...
Thankful for science: How pesticides made your Thanksgiving meal possible
This year, you're going to pay 24 percent more for a turkey, a tough bite out of the wallet for ...
‘Monsatan’ resurrected: Washington Post bungles review of misguided (and erroneous) new book
What better time than the Halloween season to indulge anxieties about mortality and its discontents and give running room to ...
Glyphosate herbicide helps reduce carbon emissions in agriculture, academic study finds
In the early 1990s, tillage was the leading form of weed control, with minimum/zero-tillage management practices incapable of long-term continuation ...
California court upholds $86.2 million settlement against Bayer for alleged damages caused by Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller
The state Supreme Court rejected a challenge by Monsanto Co. on [November 17] to $86.2 million in damages to a ...
Seed Speaks Video: Getting beyond the myth that synthetic pesticides do more harm than good
With questions about sustainability and safety from consumers, and efficacy and longevity from farmers, pesticides have many questions that need ...
Replacing chemical pesticides? Sprays made from RNA may be the next generation of plant pest control
The downsides of existing fungicides and pesticides are well-known: Residue from the sprays can build up in the environment and ...
EPA concludes three commonly-used herbicides can harm endangered species and their habitats
The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized biological evaluations concluding that three common herbicides can adversely affect endangered species or their ...
95% fewer insecticide applications? How integrated pest management (IPM) strategies can improve crop yields while slashing pesticide use
We used a 4-y experiment using commercial-scale fields replicated across multiple sites in the midwestern United States to evaluate the ...
Class action tort reform: Why ‘outrageous’ judgements against Bayer in glyphosate cancer scare makes a case for dramatic legal changes
Legal reform advocates nationwide recognize October as “Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Month.” This year, the U.S. Supreme Court can help highlight ...
Fruits, vegetables and nuts: USDA-EPA-agricultural industry-public partnership project endorses continued support for neonicotinoids in specialty crops
The IR-4 project established by the USDA provides information to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support use of neonics ...
Sri Lanka pauses organic-inspired ban on synthetic fertilizers
Barely six months after Sri Lanka’s overnight flip to complete organic cultivation and ban on chemical fertiliser imports, several stumbling ...
GLP Podcast: Poison ivy vaccine; Exercise doesn’t always cause weight loss; Essential oil videos debunked
Poison Ivy plagues outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Is a vaccine on the horizon? Exercise is great for your health, but a ...
Viewpoint: ‘There is nothing chemical-free’ — Organic foods and farming present numerous unacknowledged hazards
[Alexandra Correia:] What do you think when you hear “chemical free product”? [Nuno Maulide, Director of the Institute of Organic ...
GLP Podcast: Smoking prevents COVID? CRISPR and nuclear weapons; Bayer wins first glyphosate case
Smokers appear to face a reduced risk of catching COVID-19. Does their deadly habit offer them some sort of protection? ...
Viewpoint: UK’s ‘unreasoned ban pesticides approach’ must give way to an informed debate on which technologies best serve society and the environment
We stand at a real crossroads in our response to the challenge of developing new and better pesticides. The unreasoned ...
Honeybee losses in Canada hit 10-year low, raising doubts about need for neonicotinoid bans to protect pollinators
The percentage of Ontario honeybee colonies dying over the winter declined for a third straight year, as hive mortality fell ...
Risk vs. hazard: Current regulatory structures rely on outdated and flawed Precautionary Principle to assess potential dangers of chemicals
There has been a long running controversy about the relative merits of hazard-based versus risk-based approaches in managing the potential ...
Church of Scientology key driver of glyphosate class action suits
If it is now established that there would never have been a "glyphosate" case without the decisive impetus given by ...
