Everyday, new information about negative health, climate, and economic impacts of chemical-intensive agriculture abound, while new reports emerge showing the benefits of organic agriculture and lifestyle. Read about them here.
Organic & Regenerative Agriculture
Maryland Advances Legislation on PFAS in Pesticides
TreeHugger
This May, Governor Moore signed legislation establishing a 6-month three-agency study to research & verify currently existing testing methods for PFAS in pesticides used in Maryland. This wouldn’t have been possible without the huge support this bill had received from all of you!
Chemical Pesticide Causing Antimicrobial Resistance
TreeHugger
Antimicrobial resistance was already contributing to millions of deaths per year before the pandemic. Now overzealous use of disinfectants, especially with products containing “”quats” — quaternary ammonium compounds, threaten to make antimicrobial resistance worse.
Why We Want Some ‘Pests’ In Our Organic Garden
TreeHugger
Though pest species may cause some problems for you as a gardener, they are also a crucial part of the garden ecosystem upon which you, as a gardener, depend. This article argues for letting some pests stay in your organic garden.
Enforcement Rules for Organic Standards Far Surpass Those in Chemical-Intensive Agriculture
Beyond Pesticides
New USDA requirements in the Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule aim to strengthen the integrity of the National Organic Program through both enhanced oversight and enforcement of existing program regulations, and the introduction of new ones to address occurrences of fraud in the organic supply
What does an Organic Reset look like?
Beyond Pesticides
Paying organic farmers and ranchers a fair price for what they produce. Including them in financial rewards for sequestering atmospheric carbon in soils, plants and trees. Recognizing the value of providing key environmental services – preserving clean water, improving soil fertility, protecting biodiversity, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and rehydrating and reforesting parched landscapes.
Origins of Organic Food
Pesticides Smart
Here’s a view on the origins of organic farming and food, fascinating insights into why organic living is so important that still apply today.
How pesticides intensify global warming
Grist
A new study from Pesticide Action Network North America identifies how pesticides, from the manufacturing stage to the application stage, are a key contributor to global warming.
Maryland’s Largest Organic Grain Grower: How It Happened
Pesticides Smart
Maryland’s largest organic grain grower, Mason’s Heritage Farm tells how they transitioned from conventional grain production to organic regenerative practices, benefitting soil health and the farm’s bottom line
Avoid greenwashing and harmful pesticides in lawn care
Environmental Health News
Companies are looking to cash in on consumers’ desires for friendly options by ‘greenwashing’ dangerous products with labels like ‘natural’.
Planet-Score: New eco-label factors in pesticides, biodiversity and animal welfare
The Counter
A new eco-scoring system for food products has been developed in France that takes into account pesticide use, climate impact, biodiversity & animal welfare
Mexico is phasing out imports of glyphosate and GMO corn. Supporters say that could reverse years of damage from U.S. trade policy.
The Counter
An order by Mexico’s president calls for the phase-out by 2024 of 2 pillars of American agribusiness.
To Simplify or Diversify? On Today’s Farms, That Is the Question.
CivilEats
Shifting away from large-scale farming would build resilience in the face of climate change & other crises. The authors of new research want to show how to make it happen
Americans Spend $1.1 Trillion on Food But Hidden Costs Are 3 Times As Much
Treehugger
Every year Americans spend around $1.1 trillion collectively on food. But when you factor in the environmental & health impact that food production, distribution, and consumption have on U.S. society, the cost is tripled.
650,000 acres of soybeans damaged by dicamba this summer, state estimates
NWA Online
Just one US state suffers astonishing crop losses because of toxic & drift-prone
New Study: Organic Farming Lessens Reliance on Pesticides and Promotes Public Health
Food Integrity Now
Organic Farming Reduces Reliance on pesticides and Promotes Public Heath by Lowering Dietary Risks, according to new scientific study
Organic Farming Massively Reduces Dietary Risks from Pesticide Residues on Food
Sustainable Pulse
A key conclusion of this research is that by converting the 1.2% of US cropland growing fruits and vegetables to organic production, the nation’s farmers could dramatically reduce pesticide dietary exposures & risk.
Pesticides & Mosquito Control: Dangers & Safe Management
An outline of several non-toxic ways to manage mosquitoes.
“As our climate continues to change, mosquito-borne diseases will be an increasing public health challenge for which we must prepare.”
“As the impact of climate change worsens—longer warm and wet seasons—we must prepare to deal with an increase in mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases that affect people, wildlife and our waterways.”
Managing Mosquitoes Without Pesticides
AG Funder News
There are safer ways to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes! Don’t let mosquitoes spoil your fun!
“As the impact of climate change worsens—longer warm and wet seasons—we must prepare to deal with an increase in mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases that affect people, wildlife and our waterways.”
Bell & Evans teams with Cargill, Rodale Institute to transition 50,000 farm acres to organic
AG Funder News
The Rodale Institute announced a great new initiative with Bell & Evans and Cargill to transform 50,000 farm acres to organic.
Organic poultry producer Bell & Evans is hoping to increase the supply of organic grain for feeding its birds through a new partnership with agribusiness giant Cargill and the organic-focused nonprofit Rodale Institute.
Roundup causes high levels of mortality following contact exposure in bumble bees
Straw el. al. 2021
This study finds that RoundUp formulations with certain inert ingredients kill exposed bumblebees at high rates.
“Pollinators underpin global food production, but they are suffering significant declines across the world.”
A Lush Lawn Without Pesticides
Consumer Report
The truth about the toxic pesticides and other chemicals that keep your lawn green, and how to create a healthy oasis without them.
“Shortly after Lydia Chambers had her first child, in 1995, her family moved to a new home in Ohio.”
Best Practices: How Regenerative & Organic Agriculture and Land Use Can Reverse Global Warming
Regeneration International
Regenerative organic agricultural practices sequester CO2 and store it in the soil and above ground as organic matter with perennial polycultures, agroforestry and reforestation sustaining and increasing both above ground and below ground carbon.
“Hardly anyone had heard of regenerative agriculture before September 2014, when Regeneration International was founded by a small group of international leaders in the organic, agroecology, holistic management, environment, and natural health movements with the goal of changing the global conversation on climate, farming, and land use.”
Can Agricultural Soils Sequester More than 100% of CO2 Emissions?
No Till Farmer
If all cropland and pastureland were converted to regenerative ag practices, they could sequester more than 100% of global annual CO2 emissions, according to an important research by the Rodale Institute.
“Late in 2020, the Rodale Institute issued a white paper titled “Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution.””
Opinion: Landowners Are Driving Organic Production
Lancaster Farming
Landowners are driving organic production as they want to use their land to support certified organic and regenerative organic agriculture. Some landowners understand the environmental impacts that conventional farming can have on the environment and human health, and they do not want to be a part of it any longer.
“Part of that trend is coming from landowners that want to use their asset to support certified organic and regenerative organic agriculture.”
Opinion: Protecting Those Who Feed Us
Maryland Matters
For too long, the essential workers in Maryland’s agricultural sector have labored under substandard conditions, lacking the critical workplace protections and benefits afforded workers in other industries.
If you eat, you should care about farm workers.
Common mosquito pesticide packed with PFAS
EE News
A pesticide being used for mosquito control widely throughout Maryland and other states has been found to contain PFAS.
“A pesticide widely used for mosquito control in Maryland and other states contains so-called forever chemicals — including a notorious compound phased out of U.S. production years ago due to health concerns — according to recent test results.”
Biden Administration Promises Regulatory Changes for Pesticide Industry
JDSUPRA
The Biden administration may act on regulatory changes for pesticide industry.
“In his first day in office, President Biden sent a strong signal that changes could be in store for the pesticide industry by issuing a sweeping Executive Order directing a review of a lengthy list of Trump-era regulations, including 48 health and environmental rules.”
More Than 100 Organizations Call for Expeditious Action to Ban Chlorpyrifos
Human Rights Watch
A letter to the US EPA urging the agency to go back to EPA’s plan to ban chlorpyrifos.
“The undersigned 101 farmworker, public health, environmental, labor, and faith organizations urge the EPA to immediately revoke all food tolerances for chlorpyrifos and initiate the cancellation process to end all uses of this neurotoxic pesticide.”
New Study Shows the Growing Risks of Pesticide Poisonings
Civil Eats
Researchers have put hard numbers to unintentional pesticide poisonings and fatalities.
“Last December, four researchers from Germany, Malaysia, and the United States published the results of a systematic review estimating the number of unintentional pesticide poisonings and fatalities globally.”
Buying Bee-Safe Plants
Xerces Society
Xerces Society Buying Bee-Safe Plants helps you find plants free from harmful pesticides and includes tips and questions for the nursery.
“Creating a welcoming home for local pollinators in your home garden or city park habitat is reason enough to choose plants free from harmful pesticide residues.”
Ten Ways For Farmers To Support Pollinators
Honey Bee Haven
Ten different ways farmers can help pollinators on their farms.
“One of the things we have committed ourselves to at our farm is providing a diverse and healthy habitat for what we like to refer to as “beneficial critters.” “
Neonic soil treatment hurts ground-nesting bees, 1st of its kind study finds
CBC
Neonic soil treatment hurts ground-nesting bees, first of its kind study finds, especially for those that pollinate squash and pumpkins.
“A new study shows the behavior and reproduction of ground-nesting bees, like those that pollinate squash and pumpkins, is severely impacted when farmers treat the soil with neonicotinoid insecticide at the time of planting.”
Pesticide breakdown products found in hundreds of US streams
C&EN
Extensive environmental survey of pesticides and their transformation products reveals potential for hidden toxicity.
“When toxic pesticides break down in the environment, the threat they may pose to aquatic life does not simply disappear—instead, they spawn a deluge of derivatives known as transformation products, which can be just as toxic as their parent molecules.”
Pesticide Exposure, Agricultural Work Linked to Increased Risk of IPF
PF News
Our farmworkers are relied on for our food, but they work under harsh conditions and are at increased risk for severe respiratory disease from pesticide exposure–worsened in the pandemic.
“Exposure to certain work- and environment-related elements may be the cause of some idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) cases, a recent meta-analysis shows.”
How the Loss of Soil Is Sacrificing America’s Natural Heritage
Yale
A new study points to a stunning loss of topsoil in the Corn Belt from farming practices that have depleted this once-fertile earth. Diminished agricultural productivity & more carbon in the atmosphere, its a catastrophic loss of an irreplaceable resource.
“Geologically speaking, I grew up in a small farm town on the Des Moines lobe, a huge tongue-shaped remnant of glacial activity that reaches south across central Iowa.”
New study pinpoints practices that boost carbon sequestration by double digits!
Organic Center
New study by the University of Md and The Organic Center, digs into the specific ways organic farmers can take their climate change fighting power to the next level.
“Organic agriculture’s proven ability to lock carbon away in the soil is a critical tool for combatting climate change.”
What a 40-year experiment can tell us about organic food
Peeled
Rodale Institute is doing the longest running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional farming in the world.
“In Eastern Pennsylvania, fields of corn that stretch endlessly towards the horizon are a common sight.”
Food Companies Step Up Funding for Organic Farming Research
CivilEats
Food companies are stepping up to the plate and funding organic food production research to counter the system that favors conventional agriculture.
“For almost 20 years, Stephen Jones developed wheat varieties for white commodity wheat flour, but he never liked it much.”
What Biden’s Climate Plan Means For Regenerative Ag
Rodale
President Biden has introduced an ambitious climate plan for the United States. Could regenerative agriculture help us get there?
“President Biden has pledged to spend up to $2 trillion on climate change initiatives.”
How California Crops Fought Off a Pest Without Using Pesticide
Modern Farmer
Californian broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale farmers fought off a crop pest without using pesticides but rather using fungi.
“California is the nation’s leading grower of crops in the Brassica family, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale, and it isn’t particularly close.”
Rodale Enlists Cargill in Unlikely Alliance to Increase Organic Farmland
CivilEats
Unusual partnership launches the U.S. Organic Grain Initiative to transition 50,000 acres of corn and soy to organic to help fill a growing gap in domestic organic animal feed.
“Rodale Institute—one of America’s most renowned organic institutes—announced today it will help transition more than 50,000 acres of farmland to organic production by forming an unlikely alliance with Cargill, the largest privately owned agribusiness company in the country, and chicken producer Bell & Evans.”
How Non-Native Plants Are Contributing to a Global Insect Decline
Yale
Displacement of flora has led to decrease in bird & insect populations
Widespread displacement of native plant communities by non-native plants in U.S. agriculture, agroforestry, and horticulture is a key cause of insect declines, and affecting birds.
New research reveals measurable benefits of organic cotton production
Organic Trade Association
Cotton is one of the most important choices we think the least about.
Organic cotton is one of the most important choices we can make for the environment because it supports a healthy ecosystem and prevents the use of toxic synthetic chemicals.
A drastic revolution in the way we eat and farm could limit habitat lost to agriculture to a mere 1%
Anthropocene Magazine
“As populations grow and food demand goes up, agricultural expansion is set to usurp several million square kilometers of wild habitat across the planet by 2050.”
If we don’t change our food systems, according to new research, the fate of almost 20,000 species–birds, amphibians, and mammals–hangs in the balance.
Five states sue EPA over rule limiting pesticide safety enforcement
The Hill
Thank you, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh!
Maryland’s AG joined with four other states to sue Trump’s EPA for weakening farmworker protections from pesticides.
Old guard, old problems – will Biden administration challenge corporate grip on ag?
The Daily Yonder
President-elect Joe Biden’s rural platform calls for strengthening anti-monopoly enforcement in agriculture. Some advocates question whether Tom Vilsack is the right Secretary of Agriculture for the job.
Implementing these market reforms would fall largely on the shoulders of Biden’s pick for Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. Many reformers say because of his track record, Vilsack’s selection does not bode well for prioritizing fair markets and agribusiness accountability.
Farmworkers left behind by broken labor and disaster aid systems
Southerly Mag
Unfair labor laws just got worse
In the 1930s, agriculture was excluded from federal labor laws in a process now known as agricultural exceptionalism. In 2020, the Trump administration pushed for more H-2A farmworker visas during the pandemic claiming it was necessary to ensure ample food supply. But the administration also proposed a decrease in already low farmworker wages.
Maryland delegation members urge governor Hogan to implement Coronavirus workplace protections for Marylanders
The Southern Maryland Chronicle
Thank you for demanding Gov. Hogan protect workers during this pandemic
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Jamie Raskin, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, and David Trone in urging Governor Hogan to implement coronavirus workplace protections for Marylanders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case for edible public spaces in cities
The Modern Farmer
Australian landscape architect, Joshua Zeunert, says the time is now.
Urban food production shouldn’t be limited to what’s being grown privately within four walls. Could community gardens or orchards be filling our public parks, rooftops and town squares?
Abuses in Maryland’s crab picking industry continue to threaten workers during the Covid-19 pandemic
Centro De Los Derechos Del Migrante
How Maryland’s migrant crab pickers continue to be picked apart.
Current shocking conditions are faced by migrant women crab pickers on the Eastern Shore.
Virus’s unseen hot zone: the American farm
The Washington Post
Across the country, fruit growers blocked testing of seasonal farmworkers and told those who caught the coronavirus to keep it quiet. County and state officials were largely unable to stop them.
At the height of harvest season, growers supplying some of America’s biggest agricultural companies and grocery store chains flouted public health guidelines to limit testing and obscure coronavirus outbreaks, according to thousands of pages of state and local records reviewed by The Washington Post.
Eleven states have introduced mandatory protections for farmworkers.
The New Food Economy
Maryland’s governor refuses to do so.
California, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin have introduced mandatory protections for farmworkers during the pandemic, while Maryland hasn’t. Let Maryland’s governor know you want him to follow the lead of these states. View the video: watch here and sign the petition: Sign here.
Regenerative agriculture could save soil, water, and the climate
The New Food Economy
Here’s how the U.S. government actively discourages it
Cover crops and other regenerative agriculture practices are still pigeonholed as conservation practices, not as good farming practices. But if farmers want crop insurance, they have to play by the rules.
Buy organic food to help curb global insect collapse, say scientists
The Guardian
Urging political action on pesticide use is another way to help stem ‘collapse of nature’
Buying organic food is among the actions people can take to curb the global decline in insects, according to leading scientists. Urging political action to slash pesticide use on conventional farms is another, say environmentalists.
Intensive agriculture and heavy pesticide use are a major cause of plummeting insect populations, according to the first global review, revealed by the Guardian on Monday. The vanishing of insects threatens a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems”, the review concluded, because of their fundamental importance in the food chain, pollination and soil health.
Three crises, one solution: change the way we produce food
Organic Consumers Association
World hunger is on the rise. Scientists just moved up the deadline for addressing the looming climate crisis. Small independent farms are failing at an alarming rate. According to three recent studies, one big change could go a long way toward addressing all three of these crises.
By transitioning, on a global scale, to organic regenerative agriculture, we could feed more people, sequester more carbon and improve the economic prospects for farmers.
Three crises, one solution—a solution that will require a massive overhaul of food and farming policy, and a paradigm change in consumer behavior.
Can we act in time?
New groundbreaking study shows organic farms store more carbon
Sustainable Pulse
A new groundbreaking study proves soils on organic farms store away appreciably larger amounts of carbons – and for longer periods — than typical agricultural soils.
The important study, directed by The National Soil Project at Northeastern University in collaboration with the Organic Center, provides a new significant proof point that organic agricultural practices build healthy soils and can be part of the solution in the fight on global warming.
Salisbury-based Perdue aims to break organic price barrier with new chicken brand
The Baltimore Sun
Growth in demand for organic food in more traditional channels has only helped the sales of small grocers that focus on organic products.
Consumers want to buy organic food, but often they can’t because it’s too expensive. Perdue Foods, the Salisbury-based chicken giant, aims to break that price barrier with a new organic brand it’s launching at a time when organic food is growing nearly six times as fast as the overall food market.
How organic can be a solution to soil pollution
Organic Without Boundaries
Soil pollution is a worldwide problem which degrades our soils, poisons the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Every minute of every day the equivalent of 30 football fields of fertile soil is lost, partly due to irresponsible farming practices.
This is having a huge impact on food security, public health, and well-being, as well as our planet. The good news is sustainable farming practices can heal the soil, build soil fertility, and also increase carbon capture in the soil.
Farming down
Patagonia | The Cleanest Line
The promise of regenerative organic agriculture
The good news is that this is one very significant component of climate change that appears to be well within our grasp.
Should “Regenerative” agriculture get its own label?
Civil Eats
Some groups want to compete with the organic label and raise the standards for eco-conscious consumers. But others worry that another label could end up sowing market confusion.
Eating Organic
U.S. organic sales soar to new high of nearly $62 billion in 2020
FoodPrint
The Organic Trade Association has released a survey which that the pandemic and home cooking has driven a boom in the industry.
GMO Soy Linked to Liver, Pancreas Damage
Sustainable Pulse
A recently uncovered 2008 study shows the most widely grown GMO soy was linked to liver, pancreas, and testes damage in mice.
Building Your Garden from the Ground Up: Basic Tips for Improving Garden Soil Quality
National Garden Bureau
Basic tips for improving garden soil quality to help grow a gorgeous garden filled with fresh food and beautiful blooms.
Engage the Senses With a Sensory Garden
Treehugger
A garden that appeals to all the senses helps one feel fully immersed in the natural world.
Stop Eating Pesticides
Consumer Reports
Consumer Report’s ratings to get the health benefits from fruits & vegetables while minimizing your risk from toxic pesticides.
Top Sustainable Garden Trends for 2021
Treehugger
One great thing to come out of this terrible pandemic is that…more and more people are valuing their gardens and making the most of all that they can provide.
Get rid of the “Dirty Dozen” in 2021
EWG
A list of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables that should be bought organically.
Check out FoodPrint’s Tips for Sustainable Grocery Shopping!
FoodPrint
Tips by FoodPrint on how to shop for groceries sustainably.
“Meatloaf, roast chicken, chickpea stew: what’s for dinner tonight?”
Levels of brain-damaging pesticide drop 61% after a week on an organic diet
GoOrganic
Two recent peer-reviewed studies provide fresh evidence that we are exposed to pesticides in our daily food, many which are carcinogenic or toxic to our brains and hormone systems and once an organic diet is adopted there is a 61% drop in pesticide levels within our bodies.
Why Choosing Organic Tea Is Essential
Only Organic
A study found 91% of Celestial Seasonings tea tested, had pesticide residues.
“The colder months always inspire us to warm up with a nice cup of tea and a good book near the fire.”
Roadmap points Europe toward safer, sustainable chemicals
Environmental Health News
Bravo! European Union for releasing its ambitious strategy for getting hormone-disrupting chemicals–including pesticides–out of food, products & packaging
Gene-silencing pesticides pose massive environmental risks – new report
Sustainable Pulse
Mega-corporations like Bayer have a stranglehold on our food system. They are poisoning our planet with toxic pesticides. Now these corporations are developing “gene-silencing pesticides” that pose unique risks to surrounding ecosystems and pollinators.
FDA must do more to regulate thousands of chemicals added to your food, petitioners say
FoodPrint
Some 10,000 chemicals–including pesticides and endocrine disruptors–are allowed to be added to our foods. American Academy of Pediatrics warns that chemical exposures can lower a baby’s IQ.
Steps to fight climate change with the foods you eat
FoodPrint
Humans are to blame for the current pace of climate change, so, it falls to us to do something about it. Thankfully, there’s something very simple you can do every day to make a difference:
By making small changes to your diet, you can significantly decrease your impact on our climate.
Reminder: the word “natural” means absolutely nothing on food labels
Modern Farmer
Of all the meaningless terms in the food labeling world—and there are a lot—”natural” might be one of the worst. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) recently sued Hormel, the company behind brands like Applegate and Dinty Moore, for misleading customers with its “natural” label.
Organic farming curbs the spread of foodborne pathogens
Sustainable Pulse
Organic farming promotes natural resistance to common food-borne human pathogens, according to a study that evaluates the benefit of soil organisms. By protecting valuable species of dung beetles and soil bacteria, organic farming systems naturally act to clean up and decompose potentially pathogen-bearing animal feces.
Bad news: the Impossible burger ushering new era of genetically engineered foods
Natural Health 365
The Impossible Burger, a new “plant-based burger” marketed by Impossible Foods, is now appearing on diners’ plates in selected California restaurants. The appearance of these GMO burgers signals a new wave of genetically engineered foods created by gene editing – a technique that natural health experts say is insufficiently tested. Now, many consumers – blissfully unaware of the “burger’s” GMO origins – are already chowing down on the Impossible Burger.
Organic beef is more nutritional than conventional beef
The Organic Center
Choosing organic when you’re shopping for beef at the supermarket may be a good way to boost the nutrition in your meals, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Good news if you buy organic food — it’s getting cheaper
Associated Press
U.S. shoppers are still paying more for organic food, but the price premium is falling as organic options multiply.
Last year, organic food and beverages cost an average of 24 cents more per unit than conventional food, or about 7.5 percent more, according to Nielsen. That was down from a 27 cent, or 9 percent, premium in 2014.
Health News
Five ways Monsanto kept toxic Roundup On the Market
Environmental Health News
Despite strong scientific evidence of its harm to people and the environment, Monsanto continued to keep Glyphosate on the market for years.
New Roundup cancer trial starting in California
US Right to Know
Lawyers representing a woman suffering from cancer are facing off against Monsanto and its German owner Bayer AG in a California courtroom in what is set as the 4th trial over allegations Monsanto’s toxic Roundup pesticides cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hazardous Pesticide Breakdown Chemicals Found in Streams Nationwide, Raising Health Concerns
Beyond Pesticides
Pesticide breakdown products are just as pervasive as their parent compounds in urban streams in the US, says the U.S. Geological Survey. Recent findings spotlight long-term impacts of pesticides on health and the environment.
“Parents must protect kids from harmful ‘forever’ chemicals | READER COMMENTARY”
Baltimore Sun
Dr. Ichniowski, Md Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, alerts us in this Baltimore Sun opinion piece about the life-long dangers from exposure to PFAS forever chemicals (especially for children) and his concern about our exposure to Permanone 30-30 during mosquito season.
Suspect Screening, Prioritization, and Confirmation of Environmental Chemicals in Maternal-Newborn Pairs from San Francisco
Wang et. al. 2021
A new study finds over 100 chemicals present in U.S. pregnant women’s blood and umbilical cord samples, igniting concerns over prenatal exposure to chemicals widely used in consumer and industrial products.
Residential proximity to pesticide application as a risk factor for childhood central nervous system tumors
Science Direct
Study shows pregnant women living within 2.5 miles of agricultural pesticide applications have an increased risk that their child will develop central nervous system tumors.
German cabinet approves legislation to ban glyphosate from 2024
Trust.org
Farmers in Germany will have to gradually reduce their use of glyphosate and stop using it completely from 2024 in order to preserve clean habitats for insects, under draft legislation passed by the country’s cabinet on Wednesday
How to avoid the toxic kitchen chemicals that could damage your fertility
Washington Post
The kitchen is often the hub of the home — and one of the biggest sources of exposure to phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), agents that essentially hijack hormones in the body’s endocrine system.
Popular flea collar linked to almost 1,700 pet deaths. The EPA has issued no warning.
USA Today
The popular Seresto flea and tick collars have been linked to roughly 1,700 pet deaths and the EPA has issued no warning regarding such.
Falling sperm counts ‘threaten human survival’, expert warns
The Guardian
Falling sperm counts and changes to sexual development caused by exposure to endocrine disrupting substances, including some pesticides are threatening human survival, a leading epidemiologist has warned.
Revealed: Monsanto owner and US officials pressured Mexico to drop glyphosate ban
The Guardian
Internal government emails reveal Monsanto/Bayer AG and CropLife America have been working closely with US officials to pressure Mexico into abandoning its intended ban on glyphosate and so far, it’s not working.
Another Roundup study finds links to potential human health problems
U.S. Right to Know
New research examining the potential health impacts of this cancer-causing pesticide found links between exposure and an increase in a type of amino acid known to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Toxic Chemicals Threaten Humanity’s Ability To Reproduce
The Intercept
In their new book, epidemiologist Shanna Swan looks at the impact of environmental chemicals and the changes they’re causing on human sexuality and reproductive systems.
Glyphosate-induced changes to sperm
Sustainable Pulse
Glyphosate exposed laboratory rats could be used as biomarkers for determining propensity in subsequent generations for prostate and kidney diseases, obesity, and incurring multiple diseases at once as a result of glyphosate exposure.
Maryland pediatrician, medical toxicologist and Emery School of Medicine professor emeritus Lorne Garrettson urges Montgomery Co. to stop its use of glyphosate
Washington Post
This Op-ed is by Lorne Garrettson and is advocating for Montgomery County, MD to stop using glyphosate in its parks.
“Amid a pandemic, protecting people’s health has become a value and priority.”
Op-ed: A push for answers about the environmental causes of child cancer
Environmental Health News
A first-of-its kind study aims to tease out the link between exposure to toxic chemicals (including pesticides) and cancer in children in the places they live, learn & play.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide Packaging
the EPA
The EPA confirms: PFAS (‘forever chemicals’) are found in pesticide products.
“As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) extensive efforts to address PFAS, the agency is making new information available about EPA testing showing PFAS contamination from fluorinated containers.”
Op-ed: The reckless embrace of banned pesticides in the US
Environmental Health News
The EPA is at a crossroads given how widely banned pesticides have been embraced across the US and in this Op-ed such widespread use is discussed and critiqued.
Pesticides and Pesticide Degradates in Groundwater Used for Public Supply across the United States: Occurrence and Human-Health Context
Bexfield et. al., 2021
A USGS study of groundwater that feeds public drinking water supply finds pesticides in 41% of supply wells.
Biden to emphasize chemicals concerns of ‘frontline’ communities
Bloomberg Law
His EPA likely to examine how people and wildlife are exposed to chemicals and how they are harmed by them. The more scenarios the EPA examines, the greater chance more uses of chemicals could be restricted or banned.
Common fungicide causes a decrease in antioxidant responsible for defense against diseases like COVID-19
Beyond Pesticides
Common fungicide causes decreases in human body’s ability to defend itself against illnesses such as COVID, and promoted disease permanency.
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in pesticide used on millions of Mass. acres when spraying for mosquitoes
MSN News
Toxic ‘forever chemical’ PFAS found in Sumethrin, used on millions of acres when spraying for mosquitoes. Sumethrin is in the same class of pesticides as the pesticide permethrin, applied by Dept. of Agriculture in communities signed up for its mosquito control program and used by private companies here in Maryland. To be determined: whether permethrin also contains PFAS.
Pesticide poisoning booms globally with 385 million cases a year
Sustainable Pulse
Scientists report that pesticide poisonings on farms around the world have risen dramatically in 30 years. Based on an evaluation of poisoning data from countries all over the world, the researchers conclude that there are about 385 million cases of acute poisonings each year.
Philly parks are going organic with ban on synthetic weed-killers
The WHYY (PBS, NPR)
Maryland cites and counties take heed: Philly parks are going organic with a ban on synthetic weedkillers.
EPA reapproves dozens of ultra-toxic pesticides
Center for Biological Diversity
Some of World’s Most Dangerous Pesticides OK’d Despite Incomplete Assessments, Evidence of Far-ranging Harms to People, Protected Wildlife
The U.S. still uses many pesticides banned in other countries
Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Some 150 agricultural pesticides the UN World Health Organization considers hazardous to human health are used in the USA.
EPA forced to study glyphosate, finds pesticide could injure or kill 93% of endangered species
Natural Blaze
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft biological evaluation last week finding that glyphosate is likely to injure or kill 93% of the plants and animals protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Glyphosate exposure could disrupt human gut microbiome
Forbes
Exposure to glyphosate, the main ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, could adversely affect the microbes in our gut, which could lead to poor health.
Toxic PFAS chemicals discovered in hundreds of products
The Intercept
Climbing ropes, guitar strings, and hand sanitizer are among the newly reported uses for the toxic “forever” chemicals.
EPA: widely used pesticide atrazine likely harms more than 1,000 endangered speciess
The Center for Biological Diversity
Finding Comes Two Months After Agency Reapproved Herbicide for 15 Year
The U.S. still uses many pesticides banned in other countries
Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Some 150 agricultural pesticides the UN World Health Organization considers hazardous to human health are used in the USA.
EPA questions science linking widely used pesticide to brain damage in children
The Hill
The move could enable years of continued use of the poison pesticide.
Firms making billions from ‘highly hazardous’ pesticides, analysis finds
The Guardian
Use of harmful chemicals is higher in poorer nations, according to data analysed by Unearthed
Fraud in German laboratory casts doubt on 2017 EU re-approval of glyphosate
The Guardian
A new study has found that a German toxicology lab committed fraud in a series of regulatory tests that led to the European Union’s controversial re-approval of this cancer-causing pesticide for use in Europe.
The Playbook for Poisoning the Earth
The Intercept
Details the pesticide industry’s vast strategy to influence academics, beekeepers and regulators – and to divert attention away from harm caused by pesticides.
New York bans brain-damaging pesticide chlorpyrifos
Earthjustice
Victory: Chlorpyrifos, linked to intellectual disabilities in children, will be phased out in 2021
Are organic tampons the best choice for women’s health?
Longevity
In addition to fragrances and chemicals used in the bleaching process, the risk of pesticide exposure may be the biggest reason to switch to organic tampons.
Opt out of industrial meat
Center for Food Safety
Consuming meat raised in intensive factory farms impacts on our health and the environment. This website gives you the how, what, and why.
New guide: Securing a non-toxic work environment
Center for Progressive Reform
Workers should be able to earn a paycheck without putting their lives or their health and well-being on the line. Yet every day, an estimated 137 U.S. workers succumb to diseases caused by on-the-job exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances, and hundreds of thousands more suffer from nonfatal illnesses. In fact, more people die annually from toxic exposures at work than from car crashes, firearms, or opioids.
Chemicals on our food: When “safe” may not really be safe
Environmental Health News
Toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, who directs the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), has called for “an overall reduction in the use of agricultural pesticides” due to multiple concerns for human health, stating that “existing US regulations have not kept pace with scientific advances showing that widely used chemicals cause serious health problems at levels previously assumed to be safe.
You can cut your cancer risk by eating organic, a new study says
CNN
Those who frequently eat organic foods lowered their overall risk of developing cancer, a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine finds. Specifically, those who primarily eat organic foods were more likely to ward off non-Hodgkin lymphoma and postmenopausal breast cancer compared to those who rarely or never ate organic foods.