The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a new “working definition” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. The updated definition is narrower, leaving out many chemicals in pharmaceuticals, pesticides and even some refrigerants. Scientists are concerned that the agency’s redefining of PFAS makes these chemicals seem less toxic, and critics have […]
Two environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect bees and other pollinators from deadly pesticides. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) of North America filed the lawsuit Tuesday demanding that the EPA close a loophole that allows seeds coated with neonicotinoids to escape labelling and registration […]
A new study shows just how dangerous pesticides can be for bees. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America this month, found that bee populations can take a hit for generations if a bee is exposed just once to a common pesticide during its […]
By Brett Wilkins As Big Ag fumed Monday over a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determination that herbicides including the endocrine-disrupting atrazine and carcinogenic glyphosate are likely to harm more than 1,600 protected plant and animal species, environmentalists pointed to the agency’s findings as proof of the need for stricter limits on the use of […]
Is your tap water safe to drink? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has updated its Tap Water Database for the first time since 2019, which allows U.S. residents to enter their zip code and view the contaminants in their water supply. The update reveals 56 new contaminants identified by regulators and utilities, The Guardian reported, […]
Millions of people drink coffee each morning, but the impact this drink has on the planet is often not top of mind. While there are certifications for coffee growers working to lessen their carbon footprints, much of the coffee the world consumes depends on deforestation, fertilizers, pesticides, and a lot of energy to make it […]
Winemakers must pay close attention to their soil, the rain, the heat, and the sunlight. But rodents like gophers and mice can wreak havoc on a vineyard. Rather than turning to rodenticides to deter pests, graduate students at Humboldt State University in California are testing a more natural approach by using owls. The experiment is […]
“Save the bees!” You’ve heard this call to action before, but what’s the buzz really about? Turns out, bees are incredibly important in nature and in human food production. According to an EarthDay.Org report, there are more than 20,000 distinct bee species worldwide. In the U.S., there are native bees (more than 4,000 species) and […]
It is widely known that the controversial pesticide chlorpyrifos harms children’s brains, yet despite this, it was not banned on food in the U.S. until August of this year. A little more than a week later, new science published in Nature Communications revealed the controversial pesticide could be contributing to another public health crisis. “[I]ts […]