President Donald Trump shakes the hand of EPA chief Scott Pruitt after he announcing the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement on June 1, 2017. Pruitt submitted his resignation in July 2018 after a series of scandals.
Win McNamee/AFP
Conservatives have long tried to attack regulators such as the EPA with “weaponized transparency”. Coupled with the inflation of uncertainty, the intent is to make regulations impossible.
Soybean seeds treated with neonicotinoids (blue) and treated corn seeds (red) versus untreated seeds.
Ian Grettenberger/PennState University
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.
Protesters at a rally on the state of the EPA organized by the American Federation of Government Employees union, April 25, 2018, in Washington, D.C.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Chris Sellers, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York); Lindsey Dillon, University of California, Santa Cruz e 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.
‘Silent Spring’ author Rachel Carson testifies before a Senate Government Operations Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. on June 4, 1963. Carson urged Congress to curb the sale of chemical pesticides and aerial spraying.
AP
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.
Lacewings are fantastic predators and are easy to rear and release.
Dan Papacek & Tony Meredith (Bugs for Bugs)
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.
Suspected infestation of Macrophomina phaseolina, a “novel” soil pathogen, in the non-fumigated buffer zone of a strawberry field.
Julie Guthman
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.
Think of what your clothes are doing to the planet.
Joe Giddens/PA Archive
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.
A U.S. agency has warned the public about the dangers of flame retardants known as organohalogens that are found in baby toys, mattresses, furniture and electronics.
(Pexels)
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.
Mosquitoes are the main vectors for dengue and zika. Insecticides are our best weapon against them.
Anja Jonsson/Flickr
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?
The global food system has been operating in post-truth mode for decades.
Two papers published today report that neonicotinoids have negative effects on honey bees and wild bees in realistic field experiments.
from www.shutterstock.com
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 more additives than factory made cigarettes. So let’s not kid ourselves it’s safer.
from www.shutterstock.com
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.
Three-quarters of Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.
Cropped from jwajennalex/flickr
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.