The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first rigorous nationwide analysis Wednesday of the effects of pesticides on endangered species, finding that 97 percent of the more than 1,800 animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act are likely to be harmed by malathion and chlorpyrifos, two commonly used pesticides. Another 78 percent […]
Before Inauguration Day, the Trump era has opened with an extremist agenda that poses an alarming threat to our people, our environment and the core values we share about justice, fair play and our commitment to leave future generations a livable world. Already, we’ve seen a set of cabinet nominees dominated by fossil fuel advocates, […]
In the midst of three pending mega-mergers between agrichemical corporations, Donald Trump‘s recent pick of Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris to head the American Manufacturing Council signals yet more serious potential conflicts of interest in top government posts that could damage American farmers, the health of the public and the environment. The council serves as […]
Monsanto shareholders voted to approve the company’s $66 billion takeover by German pesticide and pharmaceutical corporation Bayer AG on Tuesday. The acquisition faces intense regulatory scrutiny in the U.S., the European Union and other markets, as combining the two multinational juggernauts would form the world’s largest seed and chemical company. As Reuters reported, the combined […]
By Sarah McColl I was on a bright, brisk winter walk recently in my Brooklyn neighborhood when I saw a folksy hand-painted sign lashed to a chain-link fence: “Organic Christmas trees.” It was like learning I’d been singing the wrong Bon Jovi lyrics for 20 years, another recent revelation. My Christmas tree needs to be […]
By Reynard Loki Editor’s note: The terms GE (genetic engineering) and GMO (genetically modified organism) are often used interchangeably, but their meanings are different. GMOs, which are produced when plant breeders select genetic traits that may also occur naturally, have been around for centuries. Common examples are seedless watermelons and modern broccoli. The subject of […]
Missouri’s largest peach grower is suing Monsanto over claims that dicamba drift caused widespread damage to the farm’s peach trees. This is Monsanto’s first lawsuit over the illegal spraying of the herbicide on its genetically modified (GMO) cotton and soy that’s suspected of causing extensive damage to non-target crops across America’s farm belt. Peach tree […]
A judge in the Northern District of California delivered a crushing blow Monday to the nation’s beekeepers and imperiled honeybees. The judge ruled against the beekeepers and public interest advocates in a lawsuit seeking to protect honeybees and the broader environment from unregulated harms caused by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) lax policies for […]
By Carey Gillam As Americans gather with their families for Thanksgiving this week, new government data offers a potentially unappetizing assessment of the U.S. food supply—Residues of many types of bug-killing pesticides, fungicides and weed killing chemicals have been found in roughly 85 percent of thousands of foods tested. Data released last week by the […]