US farmers are planting more and more acres with seeds coated with neonicotinoid pesticides. An ecologist explains why this approach is overkill and may be doing more harm than good.
Chris Sellers, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Lindsey Dillon, University of California, Santa Cruz et Phil Brown, Northeastern University
Government agencies are supposed to listen to the industries they regulate, but what if they tune out everyone else? Scholars call this regulatory capture, and some staffers see it happening at EPA.
Did Rachel Carson catalyze the organic farming movement, as many advocates claim? Or would she reject their ban on synthetic fertilizer and see organic as an inefficient way to feed the world?
Chemical companies touted synthetic insecticides and herbicides as miracle products in the 1940s and 1950s. But farmers and cropdusting pilots didn’t always buy the sales pitch.
Australian bees have so far avoided the ‘colony collapse’ devastating hives around the world, but there’s growing pressure for a ban on certain insecticides blamed for bee deaths.
California produces 90 percent of the US strawberry crop, but growers face curbs on toxic chemicals that have helped their industry expand. Can a system centered on mass production become more sustainable?
Bed bugs make us shudder and cringe. So arm yourself with the courage to learn about the biology and successes of Cimex lectularius – as well as the ways to get rid of it.
If warmer weather is your sign to reach for the pesticide, think again. From better soil to your own army of beneficial bugs, here are five reasons to put down the insect spray.
The U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission has recommended a wide-spread ban on an entire class of flame retardants. Here’s how Canada could follow suit.
Australian mosquitoes, unlike their Asian and American counterparts, can still be controlled by insecticides like pyrethroids. What lessons are there for managing pesticide resistance in insects?
Phil Lester, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Two large-scale studies confirm that neonicotinoid pesticides can harm bees. But the effects vary widely in different countries, suggesting that calls for a world ban would be premature.
Roll-your-own tobacco contains additives to stop it from drying out. So, it’s hardly a “natural” or “healthier” alternative to factory made cigarettes.
Reports about trace amounts of pesticides, like the EWG’s Dirty Dozen, can leave people afraid to buy fruits and vegetables. But the hype is often overblown.
Artificial turf has become popular for kids’ sports as well as for professional players. The little black crumbs that help support the blades of fake grass may not be so harmless.