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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Mexico’s proposal to phase out glyphosate, GM corn spurs ‘across-the-board’ farmer opposition, USDA says
On December 31, 2020, Mexico published a decree which announced a revocation of existing permits for genetically engineered (GE) corn, ...
Podcast: Save the earth—get a vasectomy? Glyphosate science vs emotion; Will Biden ban safe pesticides?
For the sake of women's rights and the environment, increasing numbers of men are getting vasectomies. How could this impact ...
Biden Administration backs aerial glyphosate spraying to combat Colombia’s cocaine trade, drawing criticism from some drug policy experts
Biden’s administration celebrated Colombia’s decision to restart aerial eradication of coca in its annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. Colombian ...
Bayer won’t appeal first glyphosate-cancer verdict to the U.S. Supreme Court
Bayer will not appeal a $20.5 million Roundup verdict—the first Roundup verdict in the nation—to the U.S. Supreme Court, the ...
Viewpoint: Biden Interior Secretary’s opposition to pesticides and GM crops puts endangered species in jeopardy
Deb Haaland’s nomination to head the Interior Department has advanced to the full Senate, but the New Mexico representative weathered ...
Viewpoint: USDA data show the predicted ‘Beepocalypse’ has been postponed another year
The latest numbers on honeybee colonies have been released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and they show that the ...
French court upholds sugar beet grower exemption from neonicotinoids insecticide ban
Condemned as "bee killers," [neonicotinoid pesticides] have been officially banned in France since 2018. However, faced with the jaundice crisis ...
Glyphosate on trial: In an ‘unequal contest’ between science and emotion, can evidence overcome pesticide-cancer fears?
Recently, I was asked to speak about the weedkiller glyphosate on Radio Colombia. As is often the case with media ...
Viewpoint: Dirty Dozen? It’s time for Environmental Working Group to abandon pesticide scare tactics
Dramatic health benefits combined with low consumption figures underscore the need and importance of multiple efforts and resources to improve ...
EU ‘Green Deal’ could mandate 50% cut in pesticide use, include tax on ‘most dangerous’ chemicals
The [European] Commission proposed a 50 percent cut in the risk and use of pesticides by 2030 as part of ...
Viewpoint: Glyphosate weedkiller is dangerous and should be banned, or the $11 billion Roundup settlement is a legal ‘shakedown’
Plaintiffs allege that glyphosate—a widely used herbicide—is carcinogenic. Though it looks like Bayer will end up paying nearly $11 billion ...
Facing tighter pesticide restrictions, Italian fruit growers hope biotechnology can help protect their orchards
Fruit growers are on the alert. “Once again we fruit growers find ourselves facing .... the consequences of other people’s ...
Viewpoint: Fact-checking anti-GMO activist Vandana Shiva’s ‘Poison-Free, Fossil-Free’ food lecture
The event was a missed opportunity to have the more nuanced discussion that such an important topic deserves ...
Viewpoint: Evidence or ‘junk science’—Will the Biden Administration ban essential pesticides experts say are safe?
Within days of being sworn in, President Joe Biden elevated the science adviser to the president to Cabinet rank, with ...
GM, drought-tolerant, insect-resistant corn could save Nigeria $168 million in pesticide imports annually
Nigeria could save $168 million worth of chemical import annually from the production of the new maize variety. [TELA maize ...
EPA blocks state-level attempts to ease restrictions on drift-prone dicamba weedkiller
EPA said it intends to deny an attempt by North Carolina to extend the cutoff dates for dicamba to accommodate ...
8 advocacy organizations and websites spreading misinformation about technology, chemicals, food and environmental risk
Are you worried about the environment and the 'proliferation of unnecessary chemicals'? Concerned that CRISPR and other forms of genetic ...
‘Realistic’ exposure to insecticide sulfoxaflor poses no notable risk to honeybees, study shows
Recent evidence suggests that one of the most prominent replacements of the banned neonicotinoids – the insecticide sulfoxaflor - harms ...
Viewpoint: Free speech vs science—Should colleges invite anti-GMO speakers they ‘know’ spread misinformation?
In the face of climate change, the expectation for evidence is doubled because of the dramatic implications ...
Viewpoint: New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof echoes scientifically dubious fears about falling sperm counts and ‘endocrine disrupting’ chemicals
The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof has shown an admirable commitment over the years towards highlighting under-reported stories. He fights ...
Viewpoint: Eco-hypocrisy—Mexico bans GM corn and glyphosate to promote sustainability while subsidizing fossil fuels
Imagine for a moment that the US government banned smart phones and tablets and forced everyone to use home telephones ...
Urine test to detect glyphosate weedkiller is a marketing ‘hoax,’ French farmers say
Are the Elisa tests used by environmental associations to analyze the level of glyphosate present in urine .... reliable? No, ...
GMOs in Bangladesh: Insect-resistant eggplant a sustainability success. Here’s how the country can safeguard its progress
In the seven years since Bangladesh approved its first genetically modified crop — insect-resistant eggplant (Bt brinjal) — the number ...
25 years of GM crops: Biotechnology a blessing to many farmers, but not without costs
Brent Rendel, who started farming in the early 1990s, easily remembers how magical Roundup Ready crops seemed and the awe ...
New Zealand farmers experience 25% lower cancer rates than city dwellers, study shows, challenging misleading environmentalist claim they face higher pesticide cancer risks
The good news [in the 2020 New Zealand] State of Cancer report is that the overall incidence of cancer is ...
Spray-on viral treatment can ‘fine-tune’ crops as they grow, without genetic engineering
[W]ith climate change in action across the globe, forecasting temperature and rainfall is becoming more challenging. Hence during the crop ...
Farmer lawsuits could block Mexico’s proposed glyphosate weedkiller and GMO crop bans
The Mexican government’s plan to stop importing genetically modified (GMO) corn as well as the widely-used herbicide glyphosate will likely ...
