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By Daniel Raichel
Industry would have us believe that pesticides help sustain food production — a necessary chemical trade-off for keeping harmful bugs at bay and ensuring we have enough to eat. But the data often tell a different story—particularly in the case of neonicotinoid pesticides, also known as neonics.
<p>Despite being the most widely used family of pesticides in the United States, research has shown that the largest uses of these neurotoxic chemicals do little to nothing to help crop yields or farmers' bottom lines.</p><p>If we look closer, it's easy to see why: The vast majority of neonics are applied as coatings on seeds for crops like corn, soybean, and wheat — where they are most often used indiscriminately, rather than in response to specific pest problems. For many conventional seed varieties, farmers have no choice but to buy neonics-treated seeds, thanks to the near monopolies enjoyed by agrochemical giants, which manufacture both the seeds and the pesticides.</p>
<p>The result? Tens to hundreds of millions of acres are needlessly sown with bee-toxic seeds. And while these wasteful practices may spell good news for the profit margins of chemical manufacturers — to the tune of more than <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/37/22609#ref-3" target="_blank">$3 billion per year</a> — they are catastrophic news for the surrounding ecosystems.</p><p>That's because neonics are pervasive ecosystem contaminants. When coated on seeds, they're absorbed "systemically" as plants grow — up through the roots and into the nectar, pollen, and fruit itself — which then get eaten by other wildlife. What doesn't make it into the plant (usually more than 95 percent of the toxic seed coating) leaches out into the soil, where it can travel long distances, carried by rain and agricultural runoff into new soil, plants, and water supplies. Once in the ground, neonics are long-lived — building up in the soil over time and continuing to harm or kill bugs and other wildlife for years after application.</p><p>Unsurprisingly, our agricultural system is now <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0220029" target="_blank">48 times more harmful</a> to insect life than it was just two decades ago, with neonics accounting for more than 90 percent of that increase. That's why it's also no surprise that neonics have been recognized as a <a href="http://www.bulletinofinsectology.org/pdfarticles/vol67-2014-125-130lu.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">primary cause</a> of the massive losses of U.S. honey bee colonies every year — the unfortunate new normal. Neonics are also linked to mass die-offs of <a href="https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/rpbb/FAQsProposedListing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">native bees</a>, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/09/widely-used-pesticide-makes-birds-lose-weight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">birds</a>, <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6465/620" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fish</a>, and harm to other important insects and earthworms, which keep our soil healthy and nutrient-dense.</p>
<p>This contamination poses a clear ecological crisis but it's also a crisis for how we eat.</p><p>In <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0922" target="_blank">a recent study out of Rutgers University</a>, researchers looked at seven different crops in 131 commercially managed fields across North America to see how many crops were "pollinator-limited" — i.e., crops whose yields would be higher were there more pollinators.</p><p>Distressingly, five out of every seven crops they analyzed were pollinator-limited — including favorites like apples, cherries, and blueberries. "Honeybee colonies are weaker than they used to be and wild bees are declining, probably by a lot," <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/29/bees-food-crops-shortage-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said the paper's senior author, Rachael Winfree</a>. "Fewer bees, in turn, mean less food, and more pressure on struggling honeybee populations to replace pollination from native bees."</p><p>As Winfree notes, this reliance on a single species is risky, "setting us up for food security problems." Worse yet, the study shows the likely impact of neonics on our food supply isn't decades away; it's already happening right now.</p><p>For the present, industries can use stopgap solutions—like breeding and shipping out more honeybees to make up for lost colonies — but these strategies may ultimately fail if we don't address the source of the vast and wasteful neonic contamination.</p><p>Looking into the future, low yields may mean that some of our favorite foods become far pricier or unavailable entirely — an outcome with high human and economic costs.</p><p>In the United States, the production of crops that rely on pollination is valued at more than <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0922" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$50 billion annually</a>. Indeed, one in every three bites of food is reliant on pollinators. Food workers — an umbrella term for a behemoth industry that includes everyone from farm workers to restaurant cooks and servers to grocery store clerks — could experience increased job disruptions, too, should the markets for these foods become upended.</p><p>Recently, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/letter_from_new_york_chefs_on_neonics_01202021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a group of local New York chefs</a> — recognizing their reliance on bees and an abundant and diverse food supply to keep restaurants open, workers employed, and their food healthy and delicious—asked state legislators to rein in wasteful neonic use statewide.</p><p>Faced with rising food costs, more families may also struggle to put food on the table. Already, more than <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10.5 percent of all U.S. families</a> — or more than 35 million Americans — experienced food insecurity at some point in 2019. During the COVID-19 crisis, that <a href="https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/54-million-people-america-face-food-insecurity-during-pandemic-it-could-have-dire-consequences-their" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">number has ballooned</a>. For those unsure where their next meal may come from, even moderate increases in food costs are felt acutely. Potentially significant changes to food costs or availability — particularly for our most nutrient-dense produce — would likely <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23946342/#affiliation-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hit low-income families hardest</a>.</p><p>The stakes are high, but the solution is simple: We must rein in needless neonic use that threatens our food supply and contaminates our land and water on a vast scale.</p><p>In the same turn, we must also support <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/resources/regenerative-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">regenerative agriculture</a> practices, which eliminate the need for synthetic pesticides like neonics. A more just and sustainable food system that protects workers, consumers, and the wild world also protects our food security — it's what we need and <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/arohi-sharma/regenerative-agriculture-part-1-philosophy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">it's within reach</a>.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/daniel-raichel" target="_blank">Daniel Raichel</a> is a staff attorney and a member of the Lands & Wildlife program, focusing on protecting our nation's bee populations from the ever-growing threats to their health and existence—in particular, the use of bee-toxic pesticides. Before joining the Wildlife team, Raichel was codirector of NRDC's Community Fracking Defense Project and an advocate for the cleanup of industrial pollution in the New York region. Prior to that, he was a member of the Columbia Environmental Law Clinic. Raichel holds a bachelor's degree in English from Cornell University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He works out of the Chicago office. </em></p>
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A bee hovers near flowers in St. James's Park in central London on May 21, 2020. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP via Getty Images
The UK government is facing backlash after it approved the emergency use of a pesticide thought to kill bees.
<p>In 2018, the EU <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/bees-neonicotinoids-ban-europe-2563782231.html" target="_self">widened a ban</a> on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/neonicotinoids" target="_self">neonicotinoid</a> pesticides because of their impact on bees and other <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pollinators" target="_self">pollinators</a>. At the time, the UK government pledged to keep the ban in place after leaving the EU, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/09/pesticide-believed-kill-bees-authorised-use-england-eu-farmers?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR1YSWraHwiYRbL-Is-uTzJfawa9szFKDi69kljjVjA89a6NR3oZ-Jxnh9o#Echobox=1610199380" target="_blank">The Guardian pointed out</a>. But on Friday, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/neonicotinoid-product-as-seed-treatment-for-sugar-beet-emergency-authorisation-application/statement-on-the-decision-to-issue-with-strict-conditions-emergency-authorisation-to-use-a-product-containing-a-neonicotinoid-to-treat-sugar-beet" target="_blank">approved</a> the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam for emergency use on sugar beets in 2021.</p><p>"We are very upset," <a href="https://www.buglife.org.uk/" target="_blank">Buglife</a> CEO Matt Shardlow said in a <a href="https://www.buglife.org.uk/news/wildflowers-to-be-contaminated-with-banned-insecticide-uk-government-says-herbicide-use-will-stop-flowers-poisoning-bees/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statement</a>, "this is an environmentally regressive decision by Defra."</p>
<p>The decision was made in response to requests from the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and British Sugar to give sugar beets extra protection from a virus causing an ailment called virus yellows disease, The Guardian explained.</p><p>"Virus yellows disease is having an unprecedented impact on Britain's sugar beet crop, with some growers experiencing yield losses of up to 80%, and this authorisation is desperately needed to fight this disease. It will be crucial in ensuring that Britain's sugar beet growers continue to have viable farm businesses," NFU chairman Michael Sly told The Guardian.</p><p>Other countries still currently in the EU have also allowed emergency use of the product, including Belgium, Denmark and Spain.</p>
<p>But environmental advocates argue that any use of the pesticide is too risky at a time when insect populations are in peril. A <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/insect-land-decrease-study-2645822562.html" target="_self">2020 study</a> found that land-based insects had declined 50 percent in the last 75 years. The UK alone lost a third of its bees in the last decade, according to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bees-kill-pesticide-insect-sugar-neonic-b1784693.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a>. The decline of UK bees since 2007 coincided with the introduction of thiamethoxam, according to The Guardian. Studies have shown that the pesticide can weaken bees' immune systems and harm the brains of young bees, making it harder for them to fly.</p><p>"Insects perform vital roles such as pollination of crops and wildflowers, and nutrient recycling, but so many have suffered drastic declines. Evidence suggests we've lost at least 50% of insects since 1970, and 41% of all insect species are now 'threatened with extinction'", the <a href="https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/" target="_blank">Wildlife Trust</a> said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/WildlifeTrusts/status/1347600583423877123" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter thread</a> responding to the news.</p>
<div id="0de70" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6383bf82f42216e4e811db6fb14ec5c0"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1347600580592676865" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Bad news for bees: The Government has bowed to pressure from the National Farmers Union to agree the use of a highl… https://t.co/W8k7Tl9p4J</div> — The Wildlife Trusts (@The Wildlife Trusts)<a href="https://twitter.com/WildlifeTrusts/statuses/1347600580592676865">1610127990.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Other outraged citizens <a href="https://www.change.org/p/uk-government-stop-the-uk-from-allowing-eu-banned-bee-killing-pesticide-to-be-reintroduced?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=signature_receipt&recruited_by_id=2c54c790-531e-11eb-a9d2-4b93bcde0ccc" target="_blank">launched a petition </a>calling on the government to reverse its decision.</p><p>"This pesticide is lethal to bees and other pollinators which our environment desperately needs to pollinate flora and fauna. Bees pollinate up to 3/4 of crops which makes the use of this pesticide incredibly counter-intuitive," the petition stated.</p><p>The petition earned signatures from celebrities including comedienne Sue Perkins, <a href="https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/petition-launched-to-stop-eu-banned-bee-killing-pesticide-being-reintroduced-in-uk/10/01/" target="_blank">The London Economic noted</a>.</p>
<div id="3f778" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bfde1980182adfd79d6d5ad3351030eb"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1348217949946048514" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">2017: ‘The principal public good we will invest in is environmental enhancement.” Gove
2020: Introducing banned pe… https://t.co/uUS9Cz3feo</div> — Sue Perkins 💙 (@Sue Perkins 💙)<a href="https://twitter.com/sueperkins/statuses/1348217949946048514">1610275182.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In its statement, Buglife said it was especially concerned about a provision allowing farmers to destroy wildflowers around the beets and a lack of information about plans to keep the pesticide from polluting rivers. It noted that a similar application for emergency use was denied in 2018 due to its potential impacts on bees.</p><p>"Nothing has changed scientifically since the decision to ban neonics from use on sugar beet in 2018, they are still going to harm the environment," Shardlow said.</p>
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For many people, the holidays are rich with time-honored traditions like decorating the Christmas tree, lighting the menorah, caroling, cookie baking, and sipping from the unity cup. But there's another unofficial, official holiday tradition that spans all ages and beliefs and gives people across the world hope for a better tomorrow: the New Year's resolution.
<p>It's believed that ancient Babylonians were the <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions-and-celebrations/#:~:text=4%2C000%20years%20ago%20in%20Babylon%20(around%202000%20B.C.)&text=Most%20historians%20believe%20Babylonians%20were,accordance%20with%20an%20agricultural%20year." target="_blank">first people to make New Year's resolutions</a> some 4,000 years ago. Over time, the popular practice shifted in scope from making promises to the gods about repaying debt to making promises to ourselves about self-improvement. Anyone who has ever made a New Year's resolution probably included something like get more sleep or be less stressed. And though it might not immediately come to mind when you brainstorm strategies for reaching your New Year's goals, it turns out that chamomile tea could be the answer for many of them. </p><p>If you've ever asked yourself why everyone is drinking chamomile tea, we've got the answer here. Read on to learn some of the reasons why this herbal beverage is all the rage.</p>
<p><em>Josh Hall has been a professional writer and storyteller for more than 15 years. His work on natural health and cannabis has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
Benefits of Chamomile Tea
<p><strong>Sleep More Soundly</strong></p><p>Pick your grandmother's brain about the best way to fall asleep, and she might tell you to down a nice glass of warm milk. But if you consult with science, research shows that chamomile might be a better option. That's because it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia and other sleep problems</a>.</p><p>Two research studies even confirmed the power of chamomile throughout the day and before bed. In one of those studies, postpartum women who drank chamomile for two weeks <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26483209" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">experienced better sleep quality than the control group who didn't</a>. Another research effort measured how fast people could fall asleep. Those results illustrated that participants who consumed 270 milligrams of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198755/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fell asleep 15 minutes faster than the control</a>. The chamomile group also had considerably fewer sleep disruptions. </p><p><strong>May Be Able to Keep Your Gut Healthy</strong></p><p>Though the following studies used rats as the subjects, research shows that chamomile can potentially play a beneficial role in digestive health. According to that research, the anti-inflammatory properties in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463157" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chamomile extract may be able to protect against diarrhea</a>. Additionally, chamomile may be an effective way to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4177631/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stop the growth of bacteria in our stomachs that contribute to ulcers</a>.</p><p><strong>Reduces Stress and Anxiety</strong></p><p>Few things are more relaxing than curling up with a good cup of tea, so it's logical that chamomile tea can serve a stress reducer. While it lacks the potency of a pharmaceutical drug, long-term use of chamomile has been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27912875" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">"significantly" reduce general anxiety disorders</a>. In general, chamomile can act almost like a sedative, and many people enjoy the tea because it puts them in a calm and relaxed state almost immediately. </p><p><strong>Boosts Immune Health</strong></p><p>Vitamin C and zinc are common over-the-counter supplements that people often turn to when they're hoping to avoid becoming sick. While scientists admit that more research must take place to prove chamomile's impact on preventing ailments like the common cold, the existing studies do show promise in this area. </p><p>One study had 14 participants drink five cups of the tea every day for two consecutive weeks. Throughout the study, researchers collected daily urine samples and tested the contents before and after the consumption of the tea. Drinking chamomile resulted in a significant increase in the levels of hippurate and glycine, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">both of which are known to increase antibacterial activity</a>. Inhaling steam from a pot of freshly brewed chamomile tea may also ease the symptoms of nasal congestion.</p><p><strong>Minimizes Menstrual Cramps</strong></p><p>This one may come as a surprise, particularly to readers who have tried every possible over-the-counter treatment to reduce period pain. Several research studies have proven that chamomile tea may be able to minimize the pain and cramps that occur during menstruation. Women in that same study also dealt with lower levels of anxiety that they typically felt because of menstrual cramps.</p><p><strong>Help Diabetes and Lower Blood Sugar</strong></p><p>For people with diabetes, regulating blood sugar levels can be a matter of life or death. And while chamomile will never replace prescription-strength drugs, it's believed that it can prevent an increase in blood sugar. A 2008 study on rats showed that chamomile could have a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf8014365" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">moderate impact on the long-term risk of diabetes</a>.</p><p><strong>Might Improve Your Skin</strong></p><p>Ever wondered why there's been an influx of chamomile-infused cosmetic products? The reason why so many manufacturers now include chamomile in their lotions, soaps, and creams is because it <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5074766/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acts as an anti-inflammatory on our skin</a>. That means it may be able to soothe the puffiness that plagues us as we age. Those same anti-inflammatory properties can be vital in restoring skin health after we've received a sunburn. </p><p>Before discarding your used chamomile tea bags, try chilling them and placing them over your eyes. Not only will this help with the puffiness, but it can drastically light the skin color around the eye.</p><p><strong>Help With Heart Health</strong></p><p>Some of the most beneficial antioxidants we put into our bodies are what are known as flavones, and chamomile tea is chock full of them. Flavones have the potential to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which, when elevated, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814348/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">can lead to heart disease</a>.</p>Why Everyone Is Drinking Chamomile Tea
<p>Now that you know so much about the wonders of chamomile, it shouldn't come as a surprise why the tea is so popular with people of all ages. In addition to tasting great, chamomile offers up benefits that boost the health of body parts both inside and out. As you ponder your own New Year's resolutions, think about how healthy and natural vitamins, supplements, plants, and oils can help guide you on your own personal path to improvement. Happy New Year!</p>An Organic, Eco-Conscious Brand to Try
<div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="0da9d8545ec44ebf1a31d6044181ed9e" contenteditable="false"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2F8718?tag=ecowatch-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank"> <img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41B2ANHhsdL.jpg" class="amazon-assets-widget__image widget__image"> </a> </div> <p>FGO tea bags are made of hemp fiber paper, free of dyes, adhesive, glue, and chlorine bleach. The tea is also certified USDA Organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).</p>From Your Site Articles
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Morning breaks over Smithfield Market, one of London's busiest Meat suppliers as an Extinction Rebellion environmental activist offshoot Animal Rebellion wake up after a night occupying the space which is usually open from 2 a.m. - 8 a.m. to supply London's wholesale food industries on Oct. 8, 2019 in London. Ollie Millington / Getty Images
"Industrial meat production is not only responsible for precarious working conditions, it also pushes people off their land, leads to deforestation, biodiversity loss and the use of pesticides — and is also one of the main drivers of the climate crisis."
Such were the words of Barbara Unmüssig of green think tank, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, at the Berlin presentation of the so-called "Meat Atlas 2021."
<p>Across 50 pages, the atlas — which is collaboratively published by the foundation, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and the international monthly newspaper Le Monde diplomatique — outlines trends and the implications of global meat production on both human and planetary health. </p><p>It highlights, for example, how the over-use of antibiotics in <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/the-conditions-are-catastrophic-inside-germanys-factory-farms-on-the-green-fence/a-55349478" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">intensive animal farming</a> is leading to increasingly resistant germs, thereby threatening the effectiveness of drugs used for humans.</p><p>Similarly, the clearing of forests for animal feed is held up as a threat to human health. As habitat loss brings animals and humans into closer proximity with one another, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-pandemic-linked-to-destruction-of-wildlife-and-worlds-ecosystems/a-53078480" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">viruses can be transmitted more easily</a>. This, in turn, can lead to new <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/after-coronavirus-our-relationship-with-meat-and-the-next-pandemic/a-55594449" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pandemics</a>. </p><p>In a survey for the report, young people between the ages of 15 and 29 were asked about their thoughts on meat. The majority said they rejected the meat industry in its current form.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTI2My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDQ2NDg4Mn0.qN_OXydVYlh8UK0xFUW6LY5uEnreJtVEBX9y1AAdCzM/img.png?width=980" id="49a82" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a3dc0e46513e0db25cc4853f1199cc06" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="1738" />
Germany Plays Leading Role in the Meat Industry
<p><span>Olaf Bandt, chairman of BUND, says policymakers must take account of society's desire to </span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/can-you-be-a-good-christian-and-eat-meat/a-55410685" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restructure the sector</a><span>. "This requires far-reaching political realignment of agricultural policy," he said. "But there can be no agricultural transition without a food transition."</span></p><p>Bandt describes Germany as a key player in the production of pork and milk, with a 20% share of the EU market. </p><p>"Huge amounts of meat are exported," he said, adding that this reliance on international markets is having a detrimental effect on the environment, livestock and farms. "More and more animals live on ever fewer farms, further exacerbating the pollution of groundwater in those regions." </p>Meat Devours Rainforest
<p>Global population and economic growth are the drivers behind increasing demand for meat. In 1960, the planet was home to just 3 billion people and, according to the report, meat consumption at that time was around 70 million metric tons. That equated to an annual per capita global average of 23 kilograms.</p><p><span></span>By 2018, however, when the population had grown to 7.6 billion people, meat consumption had risen seven-fold to around 350 million metric tons — or a global average of 46 kilograms per person annually.</p><p>A key problem with this trend is that <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/eating-meat-is-no-longer-a-private-matter/a-55515722" target="_blank">meat production</a> requires vast areas of land. According to the German Environment Agency (UBA), the country's central environment authority, 71% of global arable land is currently used for livestock feed. That is four times the amount required for direct food growth (18%) or other raw materials such as cotton (7%) and energy crops like corn for biogas (4%). </p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTI4MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzY3ODE3M30.bzrJxdzNQIFQ6l70d2InrAMt_IPO68FjvCZuNbvtc5E/img.png?width=980" id="3601b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5e0bedbcf3921365156f8612ef04429b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="2414" /><p>As global demand for meat continues to grow, so does the pressure on available arable land. As a result, huge areas of forest in countries such as Brazil are being lost to create land on which to grow animal fodder.</p><p>In order to feed the world's population and stop rainforests from being cleared, while simultaneously designating land for reforestation, experts are calling for a dietary rethink: less meat and more <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/will-plant-based-meat-become-the-new-fast-food/a-55578740" target="_blank">plant-based foods</a> that require much smaller areas.</p><p>In a report on the health of the planet published last year, leading global scientists such as Johan Rockström, director at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) suggested dietary changes that would equate to an average of 16 kilograms of meat and 33 kilograms of dairy products per person per year. Current meat consumption in North and South America as well as in Europe can be as much as seven times that amount.</p>
The Problem With Pesticides
<p>Besides revealing the power and global impact of the international meat industry, authors of the "Meat Atlas" also illustrate links to the global chemical industry. They write that dangerous and sometimes banned pesticides are exported by large chemical companies. Among the producers and exporters of such chemicals are European players, Bayer Crop Science, BASF, and Syngenta, as well as U.S. companies Corteva and FMS. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTI5MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2Njg2NDMxMX0.0aKA3OQjDEKgl9Y088j9WLfsB9H_ilSNhjgSmScpO6o/img.png?width=980" id="43f23" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4fb04eda49e57f1b7c4a6f05c7e56deb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1920" data-height="2520" /><p>According to Unmüssig, the use of such pesticides threatens thousands of lives, which is why, Bandt says the "German government must do everything it can to ensure that German companies no longer export toxins that have been banned in the EU."</p><p>Unmüssig warns that the planned <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/merkel-amazon-deforestation-threatens-eu-mercosur-deal/a-54651194" target="_blank">EU-Mercosur agreement</a> would exacerbate the use of dangerous substances. "Dismantling tariffs would lead to more pesticides being delivered to Latin America and more <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rainforest">rainforest</a> would be cleared for soy plantations and meat production."</p><p>The experts conclude that establishing a way to farm animals in a cruelty-free way that doesn't harm the climate or the environment, requires a far-reaching shift in agricultural policy as well a rethink in consumption and production. </p><p>"As yet, we have not seen the start of any real meat transition," Unmüssig said. </p><p><em>This article was adapted from German.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/meat-atlas-its-time-to-rethink-what-we-eat/a-56145352" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle</a>.<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2649770271#/" target="_self"></a></em></p>
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The Trump administration cites 161 vulnerable species that are already waiting in line ahead of monarch butterflies. Steve Satushek / Getty Images
The Trump administration said Tuesday that federal protection for monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act is still a few years away. The reason? The administration cited 161 vulnerable species that are already waiting in line ahead of monarchs.
<p>Monarchs will likely have to wait until 2023 to be added by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wildlife-monarch/u-s-says-monarch-butterflies-deserve-protection-but-must-wait-in-line-idUSKBN28P2UB" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> reported. The federal agency oversees listing endangered species. </p><p>"Protection for monarchs is needed — and warranted — now," said George Kimbrell, legal director at the Center for Food Safety, Reuters reported.</p><p><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/monarch-butterflies" target="_blank">Monarch butterfly</a> populations have exponentially decreased in the past decade, mostly due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. For example, North America's Eastern monarch butterflies traditionally migrate up to 3,000 miles every year from the eastern U.S. to Mexico to spend the winter, but <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monarch-butterfly-populations-2645571715.html" target="_blank">migration numbers are falling</a>. <br></p><p>Overall, the Western monarch population declined by more than 97 percent to fewer than 30,000 between 1997 and 2019, Reuters reported, while the Eastern U.S. population declined 84 percent during the same period.</p>
<p>"We conducted an intensive, thorough review using a rigorous, transparent science-based process and found that the monarch meets listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-delays-endangered-species-protection-threatened-monarch-butterfly/" target="_blank">CBS News</a>. "However, before we can propose listing, we must focus resources on our higher-priority listing actions." </p><p>Monarch butterflies may not have the time to wait.</p><p>"Forty-seven species have gone extinct waiting for their protection to be finalized," Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, told CBS News. "This decision continues the delay in implementing a national recovery plan which monarchs desperately need."</p><p>A decline in milkweed plants partly explains the falling monarch numbers. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed, but the plants are being killed off thanks to farmers spraying Roundup, a common herbicide, on their crops, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/15/climate/monarch-butterflies-endangered-species-list.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported. Milkweed generally grows in between crops and cannot survive <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/monsantos-roundup-ready-crop-system-puts-monarch-butterflies-at-brink--1882011134.html" target="_blank">Roundup</a>. It doesn't help that affected farmland is also prime monarch breeding ground. </p>
<p>In the meantime, there are numerous environmental groups and citizen efforts working to protect the species, including farmers paid by the federal government to maintain pollinator habitats. As adults, monarch butterflies pollinate many types of wild flowers. However, monarchs will have to wait for federal protection before herbicide use is regulated in their habitats. This is key to saving monarchs from extinction.</p><p>"One, we restore a lot of habitat," Chip Taylor, founder and director of <a href="https://www.monarchwatch.org/" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a>, told the New York Times.</p><p>"And two, we try to convince our fellow citizens and particularly our politicians that we have to do something about greenhouse gases."</p>
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Shasta dam and lake near Redding, California. Kelly M. Grow / California Department of Water Resources
By Tara Lohan
In the aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, President Donald Trump has tried every trick in the book to avoid facing the reality of his loss. A barrage of lawsuits accompanied by disinformation campaigns has attempted to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
<p>But a close look at regulatory actions and executive moves shows that, even as Trump makes a show of refusing to concede or transition power to the incoming Biden administration, his team is pushing through a slew of last-minute rules and regulations.</p><p>Many of these changes will harm the environment and public health.</p><p>It isn't surprising that an administration that has attempted to roll back more than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html" target="_blank">100 environmental protections</a> in the past four years would step up its assault in its waning months. But that doesn't make the continued attacks any less important. Here's some of what's at risk:</p>
<h3>1. Tribal Lands</h3><p>Tribes and environmental groups have fought for decades against a proposed copper mine in an area of Arizona known as Oak Flat, which is a sacred site for a dozen tribes, including the San Carlos Apache.</p><p>Now the Trump administration is pushing to fast-track a deal that would transfer ownership of the land, which is in the Tonto National Forest, to Resolution Copper, a firm owned by mining companies Rio Tinto and Billiton BHP.</p><p>"Last month tribes discovered that the date for the completion of a crucial environmental review process has suddenly been moved forward by a full year, to December 2020, even as the tribes are struggling with a COVID outbreak that has stifled their ability to respond," <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/24/trump-mining-arizona-holy-land-oak-flat-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an investigation</a> by The Guardian found. "If the environmental review is completed before Trump leaves office, the tribes may be unable to stop the mine."</p>
<h3>2. FERC Shakeup</h3><p>Just days after the election, Trump switched up the leadership of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has a hand in regulating hydroelectric projects, as well as interstate transmission of electricity, oil and natural gas.</p><p>Chairman Neil Chatterjee was replaced by fellow Republican James Danly, who has a <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/trump-replaces-ferc-chairman-neil-chatterjee-with-commissioner-james-danly" target="_blank">more conservative view</a> on federal energy policy. <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/neil-chatterjee-ferc-energy-transition" target="_blank">Chatterjee</a>, once known as a "coal guy," had recently advocated for policies supporting distributed energy and for regional grid operators to embrace carbon pricing as a market-based solution for addressing climate change.</p>
<h3>3. Hamstringing LWCF</h3><p>The Great American Outdoors Act, a major <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation">conservation</a> bill signed into law in August, allocated $9.5 billion to help fix national park infrastructure and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund.</p><p>But despite (falsely) hailing himself as a conservation hero at the law's signing, Trump has already begun undermining the legislation's effectiveness. An order signed by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Nov. 9 allows state and local governments to veto any land or water acquisitions made through the fund.</p><p>Chris D'Angelo at HuffPost <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-undercuts-public-lands-law_n_5fb81630c5b6cf1e0f07fc6d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called the move</a> a "parting gift to the anti-federal land movement." Montana Sen. Jon Tester, who advocated for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, <a href="https://www.tester.senate.gov/files/Letters/2020-11-13%20Interior%20LWCF%20letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wrote a letter</a> to Bernhardt urging him to rescind the order. "This undercuts what a landowner can do with their own private property, and creates unnecessary, additional levels of bureaucracy that will hamstring future land acquisition through the Land and Water Conservation Fund," he wrote.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk1Njg0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzIzNDYzMH0.qY-l-4Cw-EcxGh5DPTV-GVzlaQLfs5t5RVbheEaTZhk/img.jpg?width=980" id="d73c1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0eff7410b6bce6c900e1f04c6e74c3c2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="534" />
Senator Jon Tester at a press conference to discuss the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 2018. Public domain
<p>In another blow, officials and conservation groups in New Mexico were surprised to learn that <a href="https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2020/12/03/political-retribution-the-doi-rejected-100-of-new-mexicos-proposed-lwcf-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">none of their projects</a> proposed to receive funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund were selected by the Department of the Interior. Some believe the move is political retribution for being critical of the Trump administration and its policies.</p>
<h3>4. Dam Raising</h3><p>On Nov. 20 the Trump administration<a href="https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2020/11/20/stories/1063719067?utm_campaign=edition&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eenews%3Agreenwire" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> finalized a plan</a> to raise the height of Northern California's 600-foot Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet, which would allow for more water storage. The reservoir feeds the federally run Central Valley Project, which funnels water hundreds of miles south to cities and farms. That includes the politically connected Westlands Water District in the San Joaquin Valley, which formerly employed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt as a lawyer and lobbyist.</p><p>The state of California has strongly opposed the effort to raise the dam's height because it would flood the McCloud River, protected as wild and scenic. Conservation groups also say the plan would threaten endangered species such as Chinook salmon, delta smelt and Shasta salamanders.</p><p>California Rep. Jared Huffman <a href="https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2020/12/03/stories/1063719719" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called</a> it the "QAnon of water projects, meaning it's laughably infeasible and just not real."</p><p>The staunchest opposition has come from the <a href="https://www.winnememwintu.us/journey-to-justice/shasta-dam-raise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Winnemem Wintu</a> Tribe, which lost 90% of its sacred sites with the construction of the dam and faces the loss of its remaining sites and burial grounds if the reservoir is expanded.</p>
<h3>5. Pesticide Changes</h3><p>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>) announced on Nov. 20 it was taking away a tool states can use to control how pesticides are deployed. The action could further <a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/2020/11/20/trump-epa-removes-tool-states-use-to-protect-farmworkers-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">endanger farmworkers and wildlife</a>.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/guidance-fifra-24c-registrations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Section 24 provision</a> of the Federal, Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act lets states set stricter restrictions on federally regulated pesticides in response to local needs and conditions. But after numerous states sought to limit the use of the weed killer dicamba, the agency will now no longer allow states to set more protective rules for any pesticides.</p>
<h3>6. Migratory Birds</h3><p>A gutting of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 took a big step forward at the end of November, clearing the way for the administration to finalize the rule change by the end of Trump's term.</p><p>The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/527735-trump-administration-proceeds-with-rollback-of-bird-protections?" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">released its Final Environmental Impact Statement</a> to redefine the scope of the law to no longer penalize the energy industry or developers for "incidentally" killing migratory birds.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk1Njg2My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzgwNjU5NX0.YmWS3FpbEfdow2E1sfNKCCZctkp4gSsIStTu8Mo9wVw/img.jpg?width=980" id="060b0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4605240abe50bf6e322195cf512208be" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="800" data-height="600" />
Pied-billed grebe on an oil-covered evaporation pond at a commercial oilfield wastewater disposal facility. Pedro Ramirez Jr. / USFWS
<p>The agency's own analysis found that the rule change would "likely result in increased bird mortality" because — without penalties — companies wouldn't take additional precautions to help make sure birds aren't killed by their operations.</p><p>That's already proving true. "Since the administration began pursuing its looser interpretation of the law in April 2018, hundreds of birds have perished without penalty, according to documents compiled by conservation groups this year," The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/27/migratory-bird-treaty-act/" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p>
<h3>7. ANWR Auction</h3><p>The Bureau of Land Management announced on Dec. 3 that oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would go on sale on Jan. 6, following a shortened time frame for the nomination and evaluation of potential tracts to be drilled.</p><p>"Once the sale is held, the bureau has to review and approve the leases, a process that typically takes months," The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/climate/arctic-refuge-lease-sales.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>. "But holding the sale on Jan. 6 potentially gives the bureau opportunity to finalize the leases before Inauguration Day. That would make it more difficult for the Biden administration to undo them."</p><p>Despite the fact that the Trump administration is intent on opening the door to drilling in the 1.6 million-acre coastal plain — one of the wildest places left in the United States — it's still unclear how interested the oil industry will be. Or how readily they'll be able to finance their operations. All the <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/every-major-bank-has-now-ruled-out-funding-arctic-drill-1845782346" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">major U.S. banks</a> have said they'll no longer fund new oil and gas exploration in the Arctic.</p>
<h3>8. Dirty Air</h3><p>One week into December, the administration finalized its decision <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/epa-overrides-scientists-calls-for-tougher-pollutant-limit/2020/12/07/c21bdf0e-38d7-11eb-aad9-8959227280c4_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">declining to enact stricter standards for regulating industrial soot</a> emissions.</p><p>This came despite the fact that the administration's own scientists found that maintaining the current limits on tiny particles, known as PM 2.5, results in tens of thousands of early deaths each year. And despite the fact Harvard researchers found that those who have lived for decades with high levels of PM 2.5 pollution are at a<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/climate/trump-epa-soot-covid.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> greater risk of dying from COVID-19</a>.</p>
<h3>9. Border Wall</h3><p>The incoming Biden administration has vowed to not build another foot of the border wall, but the borderlands ecosystem remains under threat as the Trump administration is continuing to push ahead.</p><p>In some cases wall builders are even attempting to speed up the work.</p><p>"That's happening from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to Arizona's stunning Coronado National Memorial and Guadalupe Canyon, a wildlife corridor for Mexican gray wolves and endangered jaguars," <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/16/934784015/trumps-border-wall-builders-carry-on-even-though-projects-may-never-be-completed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NPR reported</a>. "At $41 million a mile, the Arizona sections are the most expensive projects of the entire border wall."</p><p>In Arizona they're needlessly razing vegetation and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-mountains-blasted-for-trump-wall-no-time-build-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blasting mountains</a> for roads in remote areas to help enable construction that likely won't even take place.</p>
<h3>10. Harming Whales and Dolphins</h3><p>Trump may be leaving office, but marine mammals won't be able to rest easy. NOAA Fisheries issued a rule on Dec. 9 allowing the oil and gas industry to harm Atlantic spotted dolphins, pygmy whales, dwarf sperm whales, Bryde's whales and other marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico while using seismic and acoustic mapping, including air guns, to gather data on resources on or below the ocean floor.</p><p>In an effort to further efforts for oil and gas drilling, nearly 200,000 beaked whales and more than 600,000 bottlenose dolphins could be "disturbed." And "pygmy and dwarf sperm whales are expected to be harassed to the point of potential injury, with a mean of 308 whales potentially harmed per year, according to the final rule," E&E News <a href="https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2020/12/09/stories/1063720311" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk1Njg3MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTQwNjc0NX0.pN11eW0akk0qeDUOjrcTXZZgEktLkRv4QP7lYP3DSZ8/img.jpg?width=980" id="fa50b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="34515b25bbefa366cc39a268ae5062a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="799" data-height="559" />
Dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. Carey Akin / CC BY-SA 2.0
<h3>11. More Lease Sales</h3><p>The Arctic isn't the only place where the rush is on to exploit public lands. On Dec. 9 the Bureau of Land Management <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/70767/510" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">updated </a>an environmental assessment for a <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2020/12/10/feds-fast-track-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2013 plan for leases</a> to extract climate- and water-polluting tar sands on 2,100 acres in northeastern Utah. But then just days late it hit the pause button on the effort.</p><p>While that one may be on hold, the administration <em>did</em> kick off the sale of leases for oil drilling on <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-12-09/trump-california-oil-leases-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4,100 acres of federal land in California's Kern County</a> on Dec. 10. The first such sale in the state in eight years could be canceled by the Biden administration and if not, would face legal challenges from environmental groups.</p>
<h3>12. Cost-Benefit Rule</h3><p>One of the administration's biggest parting gifts to industry — the "cost-benefit" rule — was finalized on Dec. 9. It would require the EPA to weigh the economic costs of <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/air-pollution">air pollution</a> regulations but not many of the health benefits that would arise from better protections.</p><p>"In other words, if reducing emissions from power plants also saves tens of thousands of lives each year by cutting soot, those 'co-benefits' should be not be counted," in the EPA's new analysis, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/12/09/trump-air-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">explained</a>.</p><p>The rule would be a big blow to efforts to improve public health and curb pollution.</p><p>"The only purpose in making this a regulation seems to be to provide a basis for future lawsuits to slow down or prevent future administrations from regulating," Roy Gamse, an economist and former EPA deputy assistant administrator for planning and evaluation, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-costs/trumps-epa-to-finalize-rule-making-it-harder-to-issue-new-curbs-on-air-pollution-source-idUSKBN28I36K" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told Reuters</a>.</p><p>Slowing down the Biden administration will continue to be a big part of Trump's last month in office — along with the finalization of more rule changes to add insult to injury.</p><p><a href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/clee/reversing-environmental-rollbacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Legal experts</a> have begun mapping which rollbacks will be quick and easy to undo and those that will take sustained effort. But one thing is certain: There's a long road ahead to reverse dangerous regulations, restore scientific integrity and make up for lost ground on climate change, extinction and other cascading crises.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/trump-attacks-election/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' Were Dropped Over Millions of Acres via Aerial Pesticide, Tests Reveal
02 December 2020
Health + Wellness
A plane sprays pesticide over the Wynwood neighborhood in the hope of controlling and reducing the number of mosquitos, some of which may be capable of spreading the Zika virus on Aug. 6, 2016 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By Jessica Corbett
A national nonprofit revealed Tuesday that testing commissioned by the group as well as separate analysis conducted by Massachusetts officials show samples of an aerially sprayed pesticide used by the commonwealth and at least 25 other states to control mosquito-borne illnesses contain toxic substances that critics call "forever chemicals."
<p>Officially known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas" target="_blank">PFAS</a>), this group of man-made chemicals — including PFOA, PFOS, and GenX — earned the nickname because they do not break down in the environment and build up in the body. <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pfas">PFAS</a> has been linked to suppressed immune function, cancers, and other health issues.</p><p>Lawmakers and regulators at various levels of government have worked to clean up <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water">drinking water</a> contaminated by PFAS. The newly released results of pesticide testing by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) generated alarm about the effectiveness of such efforts.</p><p>"In Massachusetts, communities are struggling to remove PFAS from their drinking water supplies, while at the same time, we may be showering them with PFAS from the skies and roads," PEER science policy director Kyla Bennett, a scientist and attorney formerly with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>), <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/01/aerially-sprayed-pesticide-contains-pfas-forever-chemicals-potentially-spread" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement Tuesday.</p><p>"The frightening thing is that we do not know how many insecticides, herbicides, or even disinfectants contain PFAS," added Bennett, who arranged for the testing. "PEER found patents showing chemical companies using PFAS in these products, and recent articles discuss the variety of pesticides that contain PFAS as either an active or an inert ingredient."</p>
<div id="d4091" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="64ed42ca263b7280932e8f8d4e445802"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1333816394283065344" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW: @PEERorg found that toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” were sprayed on millions of acres in MA & 25 other states.… https://t.co/TcR3vCuXna</div> — Food & Water Watch (@Food & Water Watch)<a href="https://twitter.com/foodandwater/statuses/1333816394283065344">1606841584.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The product tested initially by PEER and subsequently MADEP, once the nonprofit alerted the department of its findings, is Anvil 10+10, produced by the Illinois company Clarke.</p><p>Karen Larson, Clarke's vice president of government affairs, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/01/metro/toxic-forever-chemicals-found-pesticide-used-millions-mass-acres-when-spraying-mosquitos/" target="_blank">told</a> the Boston Globe that "when this was first brought to our attention, we conducted an internal inquiry of our manufacturing and supply chain to ensure that PFAS was not an ingredient in the production, manufacturing, or distribution of either the active or inactive ingredients of Anvil."</p><p>"No PFAS ingredients are used in the formulation of Anvil, nor in the production of any source material in Anvil. PFAS components are not added at any point in the production of Anvil," she said. Larson added that while it is unclear why the Clarke pesticide contained PFAS, the company "will continue to work closely with the EPA to conduct our own testing."</p>
<p>PEER executive director Tim Whitehouse detailed the recent testing results in a <a href="https://www.peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MA-DEP-Ltr-Anvil-11-25-20-1.pdf?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1c783f1a-fbb9-4fe2-b9b5-a694dc19b99e" target="_blank">letter</a> sent last week to MADEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg that called for halting the use of Anvil 10+10, ensuring any replacement does not contain forever chemicals, and requiring pesticide companies to comprehensively test their products for PFAS:</p><blockquote>This fall, PEER conducted several tests for PFAS of a 2.5 gallon jug of Anvil 10+10, the pesticide used in the aerial spraying programs of Massachusetts and many other states. Our tests revealed that Anvil 10+10 contains roughly 250 parts per trillion (ppt) of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and 260–500 ppt of hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), a GenX replacement for PFOA. Both these results are hovering around the detection limits of the laboratory's equipment, but there is no doubt that these PFAS are in the insecticide. While PFAS may be useful when added to pesticides as surfactants, dispersants, and anti-foaming agents, it is unclear whether the PFAS found in Anvil 10+10 is an ingredient added by the manufacturer, contained in one of the ingredients supplied to Anvil's manufacturer by other companies, or whether it is a contaminant from the manufacturing/storage process. Moreover, since we were only able to test for 36 PFAS out of the 9,252 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) inventory, it is impossible to know how many other PFAS might be in Anvil 10+10.<br>[...]<br>When PEER obtained its first positive PFAS results on Anvil 10+10, we immediately contacted DEP because of the far-reaching implications. MADEP independently tested nine samples of Anvil 10+10 from five different containers, and found eight different PFAS, including PFOA and PFOS. Some PFAS levels were over 700 ppt. As such, there appears to be no doubt that there are PFAS in the pesticide Massachusetts has chosen for mosquito control.</blockquote>
<p>Whitehouse noted that Massachusetts aerially sprayed 2.2 million acres with Anvil 10+10 last year and more than 200,000 acres this year. The Boston Globe explained that "most of the <a href="https://www.mass.gov/service-details/mosquito-control-and-spraying?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1c783f1a-fbb9-4fe2-b9b5-a694dc19b99e" target="_blank">spraying</a> has been done in the southeastern part of the state, where EEE, a rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease, has been most prevalent."</p><p>The EPA, which has been lambasted by lawmakers as well as environmental and public health advocates for its handling of PFAS contamination on a national scale, is working on "an analytical method" to detect the forever chemicals in pesticides and plans to conduct its own tests of Anvil 10+10, according to the newspaper.</p><p>"There are significant unanswered questions about the data currently available," Dave Deegan, a spokesperson for the federal agency's offices in New England, told the Boston Globe. "EPA will continue to work closely with and support the state on this issue. Aggressively addressing PFAS continues to be an important, active, and ongoing priority for EPA."</p>
<p>Bennett and other critics of the EPA's response to PFAS reiterated concerns about the agency in the wake of the revelations in Massachusetts.</p><p>"This PFAS fiasco shows that public trust in EPA having a full accounting of these materials and their safety is utterly misplaced," said Bennett. "Until EPA acts, states need to adopt their own safeguards and chemical disclosure requirements because they certainly cannot depend upon the diligence of EPA."</p><p>In a statement about the testing on Tuesday, Food & Water Watch executive director Wenonah Hauter <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/12/01/pfas-discovered-common-pesticide-sprayed-millions-acres" target="_blank">declared</a> that "these findings shock the conscience — states likely have unknowingly contaminated communities' water with PFAS hidden in pesticides. Once again, the EPA has failed to protect the American people from harmful pollution."</p><p>Emphasizing that "we need to stop the introduction of toxic forever chemicals into the environment and our water sources to protect public health," Hauter said that "the EPA must ban all pesticides with PFAS components, designate PFAS as hazardous substances to hold polluters accountable for cleanup of contamination, and set strong enforceable standards for PFAS in our drinking water."</p><p>"The GOP-controlled Senate must step up and pass the PFAS Action Act, which passed the House in January, to regulated these toxic compounds and hold polluters accountable, and Congress must pass he WATER Act to provide the financial relief to community water providers and households with wells to remove PFAS from drinking water or find alternative sources where treatment fails," she added. "Now is the time for decisive action to protect people's health and safety."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/01/tests-reveal-toxic-forever-chemicals-aerial-pesticide-showered-over-millions-acres" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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An aerial view from a drone shows an auger cart being used to transfer soybeans to a transport truck in a field at the Bardole & Son's Ltd farm on October 14, 2019 in Rippey, Iowa. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
By Scott Faber
The staggering number of food and farm workers who have died from Covid-19 has laid bare the Trump administration's disastrous policies on food and farm issues.
<p>President Trump's failure to provide these workers with protections from the coronavirus was the latest bad decision that made our food and the people who produce it less safe, increased hunger, increased the health care costs caused by poor diets and the pollution caused by farms, and made it harder for all Americans to decide how to feed their families.</p>
<p>Now President-elect Biden has a chance to change course. Here's what should be on the menu.</p><p>First, Biden should make it a <a href="https://frac.org/news/frac-congratulates-presidentelectbiden" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">priority to end hunger</a>. As a result of the pandemic, millions more are <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/05/06/the-covid-19-crisis-has-already-left-too-many-children-hungry-in-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">facing hunger</a>, including one in five children.</p><p>The Trump administration has actually been undermining programs to alleviate hunger. Last year, the Department of Agriculture proposed to kick nearly <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/12/trump-snap-food-stamps-cuts/603367/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">700,000</a> people out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as well as implementing <a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/targeting-snap-expanded-public-charge-rule-could-worsen-food-insecurity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">other rules</a> designed to reduce participation in the program, commonly known as food stamps. Just weeks before the election, the administration went to court to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/26/trump-blocks-pandemic-food-aid-432560" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">block pandemic food aid</a> for the poor.</p><p>Biden has <a href="https://joebiden.com/joe-biden-urges-donald-trump-to-address-hunger-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pledged</a> to increase the standard SNAP benefit by 15 percent, <a href="https://joebiden.com/covid19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">supports</a> free school meals and wants to <a href="https://joebiden.com/covid19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rescind</a> rules that limit participation in anti-hunger programs. But increasing SNAP benefits and participation alone will not end hunger. A Biden administration must also address income and housing challenges.</p><p>Second, Biden should make it a priority to protect food and farm workers from Covid-19. According to the Food and Environmental Reporting Network, at least <a href="https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">72,000</a> of these workers have gotten sick and <a href="https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">327</a> have died.</p><p>Biden has <a href="https://people.com/politics/joe-biden-says-no-workers-life-is-worth-me-getting-a-cheaper-hamburger/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>, "[N]o worker's life is worth me getting a cheaper hamburger," and <a href="https://joebiden.com/empowerworkers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pledged</a> to support policies that protect workers from Covid-19, expand their ability to organize, and provide a $15 minimum wage. To make good on his pledge to protect workers threatened by Covid-19, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, must quickly require basic personal protections for workers, boost enforcement and ensure that workers have safe housing and transportation. When food and farm workers get sick from Covid-19, they should receive sick pay so they can stay home. And when they take risks to keep us fed, those risks should be rewarded through premium pay.</p><p>Third, Biden should make it a priority to support healthy diets.</p><p>Poor diet is now the <a href="https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/why-good-nutrition-important" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leading cause of Americans' death</a>, and obesity rates <a href="https://sites.tufts.edu/foodnutritionandhealth2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">continue to climb</a>, increasing <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/economic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health care costs</a>. The diseases caused by poor diets – such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease – have <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2021264" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">significantly increased</a> the risks posed by Covid-19.</p><p>As a candidate, Biden has not had much to say about diet. But <a href="https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/report/reset-the-table-meeting-the-moment-to-transform-the-u-s-food-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food leaders</a> have had a lot to say about <a href="https://www.tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">steps</a> we can take to support healthy diets. And Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has been an outspoken supporter of <a href="https://www.cnsnews.com/article/national/susan-jones/harris-would-change-dietary-guidelines-food-labels-discourage-red-meat" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">food policy reforms</a> designed to improve our health. For starters, a Biden-Harris administration should immediately restore tough standards for food sold in schools.</p><p>Fourth, Biden should revamp Trump's farmer bailout programs to help farmers in real need and restore rules that ensure a farmer gets a fair price.</p><p>Trump's policies have been a disaster for farmers. His <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/what-is-the-toll-of-trade-wars-on-u-s-agriculture" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">trade war</a> closed markets that had taken decades to open. His <a href="https://foodpolicyaction.org/will-congress-repeat-the-mistakes-of-trumps-farmer-bailout/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bailouts</a> have favored the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/agmag/2020/10/get-big-or-get-out-how-trump-s-farm-bailouts-are-fueling-farm-consolidation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wealthiest farmers</a> at the expense of family farms, and rules designed to ensure that farmers get a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/14/trump-usda-meatpacking-proposal-098352" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fair price</a> have been shelved. His inhumane immigration policies have created <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/nyregion/ny-farmers-undocumented-workers-trump-immigration.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">labor shortages</a> that have harmed both farmers and food manufacturers.</p><p>The modest tweaks to ethanol programs Biden has proposed won't make a difference to most farmers. His agriculture secretary must rescind and rewrite the rules for the USDA's Covid-19 response programs to help farmers facing economic ruin and reform other farm subsidy programs to level the playing field for family farmers.</p><p>But that's not all. President-elect Biden should also make good on his<a href="https://joebiden.com/rural-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> plan</a> to address long-standing and ongoing discrimination against Black farmers. Farm subsidy reform alone will not be enough to address the <a href="https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/equity-farmers-of-color" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long legacy of racial discrimination</a> in farm programs. We must also transform the culture at the USDA, provide land and credit to Black farmers and lift the veil of secrecy that hides the <a href="https://civileats.com/2020/07/03/op-ed-the-farm-bureau-says-it-wants-to-fight-racism-heres-where-to-start/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">racial makeup</a> of farm subsidies.</p><p>Fifth, Biden should make it a priority to keep our food safe.</p><p>Contaminated food kills more than <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/cdc-and-food-safety.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3,000 Americans</a> a year, and a recent <a href="https://www.gao.gov/key_issues/food_safety/issue_summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">audit</a> shows no progress is being made to reduce foodborne illness. But Trump's Department of Agriculture <a href="https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/research/safe-food-coalition-comments-to-usda-on-its-proposal-to-eliminate-hog-carcass-cleaning-rules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eliminated</a> a requirement to clean hog carcasses, <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/attacks-on-science/usda-increases-line-speeds-endangering-poultry-processing-plant" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased</a> line speeds at meat-processing plants and <a href="https://cspinet.org/news/usda-publishes-final-rule-deregulate-meat-inspection-jeopardizing-food-safety-20190917" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deregulated</a> food safety inspections. His Environmental Protection Agency <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/climate/epa-chlorpyrifos-pesticide-ban.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reversed</a> a ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to brain damage in children, and <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/epa-reapproves-dangerous-drift-prone-dicamba-pesticides-recently-banned-federal-court-causing-widespread-economic-harm-farmers-2020-10-27/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extended</a> the life of dicamba, another toxic pesticide.</p><p>Biden should immediately restore the ban on chlorpyrifos and reverse other Trump administration decisions that fail to protect consumers and farmworkers from pesticides. But the Biden-Harris administration should go further and fix our broken system for reviewing the safety of <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/flawed-epa-approval-process-IB.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pesticides</a> and other <a href="https://www.edf.org/health/unsafe-and-untested-chemicals-are-our-food" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">chemicals</a> in food.</p><p>We must also do much more to reduce foodborne illness. We must not only require growers to test irrigation water for pathogens but also combat <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2019/05/opportunities-to-improve-food-safety-from-farm-to-fork" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the growing threat of pathogens</a> in meat and poultry. We must <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases-and-statements/2017/07/17/pew-safer-meat-requires-reducing-risks-where-food-animals-are-raised" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">address these risks where they start</a> – in the massive confined feedlots that have taken over much of farm country.</p><p>Sixth, the new agriculture secretary should immediately declare a climate emergency and use the resources of the Commodity Credit Corporation to reward farmers who reduce emissions and permanently store carbon in the ground.</p><p>Farmers can play a much <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/437193-how-corn-farmers-and-cows-can-help-avert-the-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bigger role</a> in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Historic storms have placed farmers on the front lines in the fight against the climate crisis, and legislators have proposed <a href="https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/with-fdrs-new-deal-as-blueprint-booker-introduces-climate-change-bill-focused-on-investing-in-farm-conservation-programs-reforestation-and-wetlands-restoration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bold ideas</a> to reward farmers who take meaningful and measurable steps to address it. Expanding and reforming voluntary farm stewardship programs to make the climate crisis a top priority and linking farm subsidies to a <a href="https://www.ewg.org/research/fooling-ourselves" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">basic standard</a> of environmental care will also help keep our drinking water clean and safe.</p><p>The Covid-19 crisis has shined a spotlight on Trump's food and farm policy failures. Workers are getting sick, and our food supply chains are being tested. Trump's policy failures have also made more consumers sick and pushed many farmers to the brink of financial ruin. A Biden-Harris administration can – and should – do better.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.ewg.org/experts/scott-faber.php" target="_blank">Scott Faber</a> is the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group.</em></p>
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An employee sprays toxic pesticides on a corn field. D-Keine / Getty Images
An herbicide commonly used in corn and sorghum fields to kill grasses and weeds is being reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency as being harmful to endangered species, according to a biological evaluation draft currently open for public comment.
<p>The exact number of species the herbicide <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/atrazine" target="_blank">atrazine</a> affects is unknown. However, many environmental groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, say more than <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/epa-widely-used-pesticide-atrazine-likely-harms-more-1000-endangered-species-2020-11-05/" target="_blank">1,000 species</a> could be at risk. For example, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/107/10/4612.full" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">frog</a> and fish species that are exposed to atrazine show damaged reproductive systems, even at very low concentrations. </p><p>"Finally the EPA has been forced to acknowledge atrazine's far-reaching harms," Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity said in a <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/epa-widely-used-pesticide-atrazine-likely-harms-more-1000-endangered-species-2020-11-05/" target="_blank">statement</a>. "This alarming assessment leaves no doubt that this hideously dangerous pesticide should be banned in the U.S., just as it is across much of the world."</p><p>The new report, released Nov. 5, details how the herbicide's reach is measured. The EPA "considers overlap of the species range (or critical habitat) with areas directly treated with atrazine and those receiving spray drift," the executive summary explained. </p>
<p>"To address uncertainties associated with how treated acres may be distributed within a state (relative to a species range or critical habitat), and the magnitude of usage on any given year, approaches are employed to represent a central estimate of overlap."</p><p>In addition to its use on crop fields, atrazine is also frequently used on household lawns. In September, the agency <a href="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pesticides/US-EPA-reapproves-atrazine/98/i37?ref=search_results" target="_blank">reapproved</a> continued use of the weed killer for two years, with prohibitions in Hawaii, five U.S. territories and Christmas tree farms.</p><p>Atrazine is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/why-is-this-hormone-disrupting-pesticide-banned-in-europe-but-widely-u-1891121997.html" target="_blank">banned </a>throughout the European Union. After glyphosate, an herbicide that has been used for more than 45 years, atrazine is the most common weed killer in the U.S. Swiss-based Syngenta is the largest worldwide manufacturer of atrazine. </p>
<p>It was noted earlier <a href="https://vtdigger.org/2020/02/03/overall-pesticide-usage-down-weedkiller-atrazine-on-the-rise/" target="_blank">this year in Vermont</a> that while overall herbicide use is decreasing, farmers increased using atrazine due to its lower price.</p><p>In 2018 the EPA<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OPP-2013-0266-1160" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> concluded</a> that atrazine and two other herbicides "share a common neuroendocrine mechanism of toxicity which results in both reproductive and developmental alterations," in humans. It is often designated a pollutant in ground and drinking water. </p><p>The Rural Coalition Pesticide Action Network North America, the Center for Food Safety and the Center for Biological Diversity's Beyond Pesticide action group recently filed <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/rural-coalition-et-al-petition-for-review-final_76454.pdf" target="_blank">a lawsuit</a> to ban atrazine's use in the U.S.</p><p>The EPA is accepting public comments until Jan. 5. If the final evaluation proves harm through exposure, the agency, working with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, will determine the endangered species most at-risk and propose ways to curtail exposure. </p>
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Otters Can Learn From Each Other and This Might Help Them Survive, Study Finds
11 November 2020
Animals
Asian short-clawed otters. wrangel / iStock / Getty Images Plus
The Asian short-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) is the world's smallest otter, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). But what they lack in size, they make up for in brain power.
<p>The approximately three-foot long otters can learn from each other, and show the capacity for long-term memory, a new study published Wednesday by <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201215" target="_blank">The Royal Society found</a>.</p><p>"Our study is the first to show evidence of social learning and long-term memory in Asian short-clawed otters – which may be good news in terms of their adaptability and future survival," lead author Alex Saliveros, who works from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/research/facilitiesandcentres/cec/" target="_blank">Centre for Ecology and Conservation</a> at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus, said in a <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_825233_en.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p>
<div id="82594" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a9cbb9aae32c001632a5ce3b79cffcec"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1326453583924121600" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Researchers have found that #otters learn from each other when solving puzzles. They gave groups of otters puzzles… https://t.co/4MzsT67ZF5</div> — University of Exeter (@University of Exeter)<a href="https://twitter.com/UniofExeter/statuses/1326453583924121600">1605086153.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>To test the otters' learning abilities, the researchers provided the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/animals/" target="_self">animals</a> with different transparent containers filled with meatballs. To access the snacks, the otters had to learn how to twist or pull a lid or handle.</p><p>The researchers discovered that once one otter figured out how to open the container, their friends were also more likely to solve the puzzle. This is evidence of what the researchers call "social learning."</p><p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scientists" target="_self">scientists</a> also tested the otters' long term memory by giving them access to the same puzzles after a several-month gap. The otters were able to get into the food 69 percent faster than when they first encountered the containers. This is evidence that the otters have long-term memory.</p>
<p>The findings don't just teach scientists more about a unique animal species. They also may help them to save them. The otters, who are found in South and Southeast Asia from the Himalaya foothills of India to Indonesia and the Philippines, are considered vulnerable by the IUCN and their population is in decline. The primary forces driving this decline are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/deforestation" target="_self">deforestation</a>, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/overfishing" target="_self">overfishing</a> of their prey and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture" target="_self">agriculture</a>, including the use of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides" target="_self">pesticides</a> that poisons the waters they fish in.</p><p>"Asian short-clawed otters are declining in the wild, partly due to overfishing and pollution affecting the crustaceans and small fish they feed on," Saliveros said in the press release. "With that in mind, we wanted to understand more about how they learn and remember information about new food sources. Being able to catch new prey in new ways, and to pass on that knowledge, could be important in terms of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" target="_self">conservation</a>."</p>
<p>The research builds on an a <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.170489" target="_blank">2017 study</a> from the University of Exeter, which found that smooth-coated otters could learn to open food puzzles by copying each other. However, that study found no evidence of that Asian short-clawed otters learned from each other.</p><p>"Now that we know Asian short-clawed otters do so as well, we can start investigating how we might transmit critical survival information regarding new foods and predators through wild otter groups more generally," senior author Dr. Neeltje Boogert, who was involved with both studies, said in the press release.</p>
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A bee gathers pollen on thyme on a balcony in Paris, France. ERIC FEFERBERG / AFP via Getty Images
The European Court of Justice on Oct. 8 found that France did not violate EU rules when it banned certain chemicals considered harmful to bees.
<p>The legal row between the French Crop Protection Association and France goes back to 2018, when the government banned some pesticides belonging to the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/neonicotinoids">neonicotinoid</a> group.</p><p>The ban placed France at the forefront of a campaign against chemicals blamed for decimating crop-pollinating bees.</p><p>With its ban on five neonicotinoids outdoors and in greenhouses, France went further than the European Union, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/eu-court-upholds-ban-on-pesticides-threatening-bees/a-43821344" target="_blank">which agreed to outlaw three in crop fields.</a></p><p>Opponents of the ban have said that it prevents farmers from protecting their sugar beet crops, which have been decimated by an infestation of green aphids. Sugar beet farmers argue that neonicotinoid chemicals are the only solution to combating such infestations.</p>
<h3>A Ban 'Incompatible With EU Regulations'</h3><p>The Crop Protection Association brought the case to court, arguing that the French decree was incompatible with an EU regulation on the family of chemicals.</p><p>The French government has since rowed back on parts of the controversial ban following pressure by beetroot growers.</p><p>However, on Thursday, the EU's top court ruled that France's initial ban had satisfactorily demonstrated the need to curb a "serious risk to human or animal health or to the environment."</p><p>Last week, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pesticides">pesticides</a> were at the center of a legal battle between the French government and the left-wing and green opposition, which accuses President Emmanuel Macron of neglecting to fulfill his environmental commitments.</p>
<p>On Oct. 6, the French National Assembly approved a proposal to give beetroot growers an exemption from the ban on the pesticides until July 2023.</p><p>France is Europe's top producer of beets used to make sugar and the sector provides 46,000 jobs.</p><p>Introduced in the mid-1990s, lab-synthesized neonicotinoids are based on the chemical structure of nicotine, and attack the central nervous system of insects.</p><p>They were meant to be a less harmful substitute to older pesticides, and are now the most widely-used to treat flowering crops. However, in recent years, bees started dying off from "colony collapse disorder," a mysterious disease partly blamed on the use of such chemicals.</p><p>Studies have since shown that neonicotinoids harm bee reproduction and foraging, while exposure also lowers their resistance to disease.</p><p>The UN has warned that nearly half of insect pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies, risk global extinction. </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/european-top-court-upholds-french-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides/a-55204286?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Trump’s EPA Dismisses Agency’s Own Findings That Chlorpyrifos Harms Children’s Brains
24 September 2020
Politics
Moms Clean Air Force members attend a press conference hosted by Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announcing legislation to ban chlorpyrifos on July 25, 2017. Moms Clean Air Force
The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a risk assessment for toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos Tuesday that downplayed its effects on children's brains and may be the first indication of how the administration's "secret science" policy could impact public health.
<p>Several studies have found that babies exposed to chlorpyrifos in the womb can suffer from lower birth weights, attention deficit disorder, autism spectrum disorder, lower IQ and limited working memory, <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/epa-ignores-evidence-chlorpyrifos-causes-permanent-damage-to-childrens-brains" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Earthjustice pointed out</a>. But the EPA on Tuesday discounted those findings, ruling instead that the science on chlorpyrifos' brain-damaging effects "remains unresolved." In doing so, it reversed the findings of EPA scientists from previous administrations.</p>
<p>"This shows that E.P.A. has completely abandoned any commitment to protecting children from this extremely toxic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals" target="_self">chemical</a> when their own scientists recommended twice to ban it," <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> senior director for health Erik D. Olson told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/climate/epa-pesticide-chlorpyrifos-children.html?fbclid=IwAR1oVHFXSRiLg7sx1wgirelbWGK5jBoZ6b_NO0diW0o-RBfJRUTDU4itq6w" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "The science is being overridden by politics."</p>
<p>In Tuesday's conclusion, the EPA discounted several epidemiological studies, including a prominent one conducted by Columbia University that found a connection between chlorpyrifos exposure in utero and developmental disorders in toddlers. This suggests the agency is moving forward with its proposed "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-limits-science-public-health-2645395622.html" target="_self">secret science</a>" policy that would reject or at least give less weight to the conclusions of studies that do not make their underlying data public. However, several long-term health studies do not publish such data in order to preserve their subjects' privacy. The "secret science" policy has not yet been made an official EPA rule, but the agency already seems to be applying it in the case of the chlorpyrifos assessment. EPA spokesperson James Hewitt said the agency had not been able to confirm the conclusions of the Columbia study.</p><p>"The EPA is ignoring decades of science by leading universities and in doing so, it's neglecting its duty to protect children from pesticides," Earthjustice managing attorney Patti Goldman said in a statement. "Ignoring the demonstrated harm to children doesn't make chlorpyrifos safe, it just shows a commitment to keep a toxic pesticide in the market and in our food at all cost."</p>
<p>EPA scientists sounded the alarm on chlorpyrifos in 2014 and 2016, recommending it be banned from use on food, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/517654-epa-questions-science-linking-widely-used-pesticide-to-brain-damage" target="_blank">according to The Hill</a>. (It was already banned for household use in 2000). But in 2017, the EPA under Trump <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-pesticide-ban-chlorpyrifos-2338511186.html" target="_self">halted</a> the process of banning the chemical. This <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pesticide-chlorpyrifos-2458558122.html" target="_self">triggered a round of lawsuits</a>, leading eventually to Tuesday's risk assessment.</p><p>"They kicked the decision back to scientists and said they're reanalyzing it so that's how they got around the courts telling them to decide whether to ban it or not," <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank">Center for Biological Diversity</a> senior scientist Nathan Donley told The Hill.</p><p>He said Tuesday's assessment suggests it is unlikely that the agency will ultimately decide to ban the pesticide.</p><p>Meanwhile, states including <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/california-chlorpyrifos-ban-2636704080.html" target="_self">California</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/chlorpyrifos-ban-hawaii-2578016885.html" target="_self">Hawaii</a> have taken matters into their own hands and banned the chemical. Corteva, the pesticide's No. 1 maker, has said it will stop producing it by the end of 2020, according to The New York Times. Despite this, Earthjustice pointed to <a href="https://beta.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0850-0938" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EPA documents</a> showing that Corteva has been lobbying the agency.</p>
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'Greenhouse Gaslighting': Trump Declares Himself the #1 Environmental President
09 September 2020
Politics
Trump exits from the stage after speaking at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse on Sept. 8, 2020 in Jupiter, Florida. Joe Raedle / Getty Images
President Trump told a crowd in Jupiter, Florida Tuesday that he is an environmental president, claiming that "it's true: number one since Teddy Roosevelt. Who would have thought Trump is the great environmentalist?" according to the White House transcript of the speech. He added, "And I am. I am. I believe strongly in it."
<p>The dubious claim was made as he vowed to sign a 10-year moratorium on offshore oil and gas <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/offshore-oil-drilling" target="_self">drilling</a> off the Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina coast. Essentially, he is signing a moratorium that is already in place that his own administration proposed lifting, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/us/politics/trump-drilling-environment-florida.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>The New York Times also noted how dubious the claim Trump made is when he called himself a great environmentalist after he has abandoned the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a>, rolled back clean air and clean water initiatives, lowered emissions standards on vehicles, allowed toxic pollution to spew into the atmosphere, and warmly embraced a toxic pesticide known to cause brain damage in children.</p>
<p>When he signed the measure Tuesday at the campaign stop near the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, he said, "This protects your beautiful gulf and your beautiful ocean, and it will for a long time to come," as <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-claims-environmental-progress-weakened-rules-72878809" target="_blank">ABC News</a> reported. And yet, at no time during the speech did he note that he tried to expand offshore drilling coast-to-coast, but only dialed it back after then Florida Governor Rick Scott asked the President not to lift the moratorium for his state.</p><p>In the speech, Trump tried to cast himself as a great protector of the environment in a state that is crucial to his reelection. While he and Joe Biden are in a statistical dead heat in Florida, the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> is an issue that weighs on the minds of both Republicans and Democrats in the state. Florida, which is mostly at sea level, is often battered by hurricanes, susceptible to heat waves, and vulnerable to rising oceans, according to The New York Times.</p>
<p>Trying to claim the mantle of environmentalism, Trump said, "My administration is proving every day that we can improve our environment while creating millions of high-paying jobs. This is a really sharp contrast to the extreme, radical left that you've had to deal with." Without citing any evidence, he added, "Joe Biden's plan would destroy America's middle class while giving a free pass to the world's worst foreign polluters like China, Russia, India, and many others. They don't have to clean up their lands, but we have to clean up ours. The left's agenda isn't about protecting the environment, it's about punishing America."</p><p>Trump also failed to mention his recent consideration of opening up the Gulf of Mexico to expanded drilling, as <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/10/interior-drilling-florida-waters-november-election-310595" target="_blank">POLITICO</a> reported. Nor did he mention that signing a moratorium for oil and gas exploration off the Atlantic Coast is purely theater since any declaration would have to go through Congress, which is extremely unlikely to take up the issue prior to Election Day, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-09-08/trump-recasting-a-dubious-record-declares-himself-the-great-environmentalist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>Trump's bizarre claims of environmentalism after a track record of reducing protections stunned environmentalists who often see Trump as the president with one of the worst environmental legacies in history.</p><p>"He's ignoring science, he's ignoring experts and now he's even ignoring his own record," said Pete Maysmith, a senior vice president for the League of Conservation Voters, a nonprofit group, to the Los Angeles Times. "Florida is ground zero for climate change with extreme weather and hurricanes in particular. Donald Trump has attempted to roll back over 100 environmental protections, including dozens related to climate change and clean water. He's an environmental disaster and Florida's paying the price."</p><p>The Sierra Club zeroed in what Trump has done to the environment in Florida.</p><p>"Failing to adequately fund Everglades restoration, attempting to sell off our waters to corporate polluters and rolling back more than 100 environmental protections doesn't make you anything other than the worst president ever for the environment and climate," said Ariel Hayes, the political director of the Sierra Club, as The New York Times reported. "Voters in Florida and across the country have watched Trump achieve this status for nearly four years, and no amount of greenhouse gaslighting will change that."</p>
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