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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‘Living paints’: GMO bacteria could be used to make biodegradable paints
Now here's a bright idea. Researchers in Europe have developed a technique for growing genetically modified bacteria that can be used as ...
On India’s black market, herbicide-tolerant GMO cotton seeds sell for 1.7 times what Monsanto charged
[W]hile the government wanted to keep prices low for Indian farmers, as [the South Asia Biotechnology Centre] points out, the ...
‘The taste of pesticides in wines’: Dissecting Gilles-Eric Seralini’s latest ethically and scientifically questionable study
The notorious Gilles-Eric Seralini published a paper recently called “The Taste of Pesticides in Wines.” As a part of the ...
Viewpoint: Why environmentalists should support GMO crops
[G]enetic modification increases corn yields, by a lot. This is not surprising: pests account for a loss of almost one-third ...
Neonicotinoid insecticides pose risks to wild bees and honeybees, European Food Safety Authority says
The world’s most widely used insecticides pose a serious danger to both honeybees and wild bees, according to a major ...
Viewpoint: Bans on neonicotinoid insecticides may not actually help bees
Public pressure is growing in Australia to ban the sale of pesticides called neonicotinoids because of their harmful effects on bees. The ...
Federal judge halts California’s plan to require cancer warning label on glyphosate products
A federal judge on Monday halted California’s plan to require Monsanto to place warning labels on its Roundup products, saying scientists haven’t ...
Video: How GMO cotton helps farmers save fuel and water—and reduces pesticide use
When I think of cotton, I think of the southern United States. Australia may not come to mind, but they ...
Viewpoint: How ‘Big Food’ co-opted the organic movement
I was recently dispatched to a Target to buy some Goldfish, which was a more daunting task than you might ...
Canadian beekeepers sue Bayer and Syngenta, blame neonicotinoid manufacturers for bee deaths
A Quebec class-action lawsuit against two producers of neonicotinoids — commonly used insecticides that have been linked to a declining population of honeybees — ...
Neonicotinoid, fipronil insecticides largely ineffective as pests develop resistance, study says
A new study raises questions about the effectiveness of the two most popular types of agricultural pesticides, noting overreliance on ...
Sri Lanka lifts ban on glyphosate herbicide after farmers protest
In its first reform act after the humiliating defeat it suffered in the local bodies elections held on February 10, ...
Viewpoint: Dissecting the Food Babe’s anti-‘natural flavors’ pseudoscience
Our good friend the Food Babe has published an interesting piece of pseudoscience writing entitled ‘Are Natural Flavors Really That ...
Farmers, environmental advocacy groups disagree on neonicotinoids’ impact on bees
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group is among the organizations lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the pesticides, known ...
Farmers, ag companies launch court challenge of California’s Prop 65 listing of glyphosate
On [Feb. 20], a national agricultural coalition presented arguments for a preliminary injunction before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern ...
Non-GMO herbicide-tolerant canola to be grown in Canada this year
Supporting modern agriculture while also selling into the market for non-genetically modified food seems like a contradiction. But an American ...
Viewpoint: Total ban on ‘bee-harming’ neonicotinoid insecticides is not the best path forward
Calls to ban ‘bee-harming pesticides’ heightened last year following the release of new field studies on the effects of neonicotinoids, ...
Biotech startup Indigo Ag aims to upend agriculture with microbiology
[David Perry, CEO of Indigo Ag, an agricultural-technology startup headquartered in Boston] sees an opportunity for Indigo Ag to lead ...
Farmers in Quebec, Canada will now have to get permission to use neonicotinoid insecticides on crops
Quebec is introducing new restrictions on pesticides considered harmful to honeybees. Under the changes, farmers will have to get permission from a certified ...
Review of Whitewash (or Hogwash?): Carey Gillam’s glyphosate book betrays science, undermines our understanding of cancer
Last fall a new book hit the shelves, timed to coincide with public hearings on the European Union’s re-authorization of ...
Anti-GMO group Moms Across America attacks food brands over trace parts per billion of glyphosate
[G]lyphosate [is] in the spotlight again as anti-GMO activist group Moms Across America released test results suggesting trace levels of ...
Viewpoint: From coffee to BPA to glyphosate, California activists misrepresent cancer risks
Coffee is only the latest example of a trend that has become all too common. Activists who profess concern for ...
Viewpoint: How European activists lobby for a glyphosate ban despite findings of its safety
In January, the European Parliament announced that it will set up a Special Committee on the Union’s authorization procedure for ...
What non-farmers should know about the risks and benefits of herbicide-resistant GMO crops
Editor's note: Graham Scoles is a plant scientist at the University of Saskatchewan While engaging in an online debate around genetically ...
Proposed California ballot initiative ignores scientific consensus on GMOs, vaccine safety
A proposed ballot initiative takes Golden State wackiness to the next level. ... This fall, Californians may have the opportunity ...
Sri Lanka’s tea industry calls on government to lift ‘arbitrary’ ban on glyphosate herbicide
In a strongly-worded statement, Sri Lanka’s tea industry stakeholders, including state-run Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda, called ...
Herbicide resistance management strategies may not be enough to slow weeds’ evolution, UK study suggests
Editor's note: In the study, the authors note that this research contrasts current industry advice and scientific literature on herbicide resistance management ...
