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.
‘Unintended consequences’: UK restrictions on neonicotinoid insecticides may have harmed bees
One of Britain’s biggest beekeepers says he must relocate hundreds of hives because cabbage stem flea beetle has destroyed so ...
Trace amounts of glyphosate in Canadian foods spur more questions about safety of Monsanto’s Roundup
Data obtained and analyzed by the CBC show that more than one third of the [food] samples tested by the ...
Séralini pseudoscience syndicate: Lessons learned from decade-long assault on biotechnology orchestrated by French geneticist
A look at Séralini's modus operandi can equip journalists and other interested observers to turn a critical eye on Séralini ...
Glyphosate meta-analysis appeared to raise legitimate concerns that Monsanto’s Roundup may cause cancer, then Genetic Literacy Project pointed out study’s fatal flaws
In the new study, by a group of scientists from UC Berkeley, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and the University of ...
How global climate change makes it harder to farm: Higher CO2 levels, warmer temperatures may spur glyphosate resistance in some weeds
Herbicides are the most commonly used means of controlling weeds. Recently, there has been growing concern over the potential impacts ...
‘Eco-friendly’ fungus capsules could help potato farmers fight destructive wireworm pest
An EU-funded INBIOSOIL project has developed a new, eco-friendly method to control wireworm in potatoes that can be used in ...
Despite controversial new study, there’s still no evidence Monsanto’s Roundup causes cancer, epidemiologist says
News stories have exploded recently.... screaming that glyphosate [the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup] is a cancer-causing evil that causes a 41% increase in people ...
Will Canada rethink its proposed ban on neonicotinoid pesticides?
Health Canada scientists have been studying water monitoring data, from across the country, and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency may ...
41% glyphosate-cancer increase claim under fire: Did authors of new meta-study deliberately manipulate data or just botch their analysis?
Among other lapses, The Zhang paper does not mention the serious science and ethical questions raised pertaining to IARC’s assessment ...
Why neonicotinoid pesticides don’t deserve a ‘deadly to bees’ label
While some activists blame the popular class of pesticides for bee deaths, research suggests there are many contributing factors. And ...
Video: How Bt insect-resistant eggplant helped farmers in Bangladesh beat back an invasive pest
A new study confirms that genetically modified, pest-resistant Bt eggplant (brinjal) has helped smallholder farmers in Bangladesh greatly reduce their ...
Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer boosts cancer risk? New analysis challenges scientific consensus on glyphosate
Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have published a new scientific analysis of glyphosate (PDF), the active ingredient in Monsanto’s ...
Viewpoint: How ‘lazy journalists’ helped anti-pesticide biologist Tyrone Hayes needlessly scare the public
What do you do when....someone asks to see the raw data that your dubious claims are based on? This was ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why we don’t have to worry about a world without insects
Recent headlines about the coming collapse of the insect world are another case of extrapolation from inadequate data ...
Monsanto weed killer Roundup harms beneficial gut bacteria, lawsuit claims
Monsanto Co. has been sued by thousands of farmers and others who blame their cancers on its massively popular Roundup ...
New Hampshire considers ban on pesticides some claim are toxic to bees
New Hampshire lawmakers on [February 12] will take up a proposal to ban most uses of pesticides that are toxic ...
Another 2-year GMO corn and Roundup study finds no evidence of increased cancer, again repudiating Séralini’s retracted 2012 study
In 2012, a controversial study on the long-term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and the glyphosate-tolerant genetically modified (GM) maize ...
Talking Biotech: How AAAS, world’s largest science organization, promoted ‘data-less conspiracy’ linking glyphosate to kidney disease
There is no evidence that glyphosate causes kidney disease. Why does the AAAS say otherwise? ...
Neonicotinoid insecticide clothianidin unlikely to harm healthy honeybee colonies
Interactions between multiple stressors have been implicated in elevated honeybee colony losses. Here, we extend our landscape-scale study on the ...
20 plus years of data show Bt insect-resistant crops to be ‘powerful,’ sustainable pest management tools
Genetically engineered (GE) crops producing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (mainly Cry proteins) have become a major control tactic for a ...
Modern farming isn’t driving insect declines, agricultural industry says
A new piece of research, carried out by Francisco Sánchez-Bayo and Kris Wyckhuys, reviewed 73 historical reports of insect declines from ...
Deep dive into the science and history of Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weed killer
The science behind the product, the fight over glyphosate, and the research behind the formulations ...
Monsanto wins arbitration ruling against Indian seed company in dispute over GMO cotton patent
German drugmaker Bayer AG’s Monsanto unit has won proceedings against Indian seed maker Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd (NSL) in a royalty ...
Viewpoint: A closer look at Friends of the Earth’s study that found ‘toxic’ pesticides in food
Friends of the Earth....teased us in a media kit with the promise of a science study about finding various weedkillers ...
Federal judge dismisses ‘key’ claims against Monsanto in dicamba drift lawsuit
A federal judge in Missouri dismissed several claims in a class action brought by farmers claiming agrochemical giant Monsanto sold ...
Viewpoint: Do organic farms really produce ‘chemical free, healthier food’?
The multi-billion-dollar organic industry is thriving in large part because of dishonesty ...
Brazilian case study highlights dramatic sustainability and economic benefits of GMO Bt insect-resistant cotton, corn and soybeans
Without access to insect resistance technology, inserted into Bt cotton, corn and soybean seeds, Brazilian farmers could lose [approximately $23 ...
