First Bees, now Birds in Danger from Insecticides

Prairie bird populations are falling in many Midwestern states, from ring-necked pheasants to horned larks to sparrows. Scientists now say insecticides are a primary culprit.

Cleanest and the Most Toxic Produce of 2014

The Environmental Working Group's 2014 "Shopper's Guide" to pesticides in produce was published earlier this year. In the graphic above we list their "Clean 15," and in the graphic below we list their "Dirty Dozen." Two-thirds of produce samples in recent government tests had pesticide residues. Their guide lists the results of pesticide residues in conventionally-grown produce in the U.S.

Cut Flowers: A Major Yet Little-Known Source of Toxic Pesticides

Are you giving toxic flowers to your sweetheart? Cut flower growers are among the heaviest users of agricultural chemicals, including pesticides that are suspected of being among the most toxic. The pesticide problem is not restricted to cut flowers. More than half of garden plants attractive to bees and sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s are pre-treated with pesticides that could be lethal to bees. Learn how to get safe, non-toxic flowers.

Dow Chemical Readies for a New Era of Superweeds – By Getting USDA to Approve Older Toxic Pesticide for GMO Seeds

One of the empty promises originally made when genetically modified technology was developed was that crops would need fewer pesticides. More than ten years later, however, we are seeing that not only have the genetically modified seeds developed resistance to pesticides, but so have many weeds, as we are seeing a new breed of superweeds that are resistant to Monsanto's glyphosate (Round-up Ready). Now, Dow Chemical has petitioned U.S. regulators to allow them to use an older pesticide on their genetically modified corn and soybean seeds, 2,4-D, which was part of the infamous "Agent Orange". Agent Orange was the Vietnam War defoliant that was blamed for numerous health problems suffered during and after the war. Although the main health effects of Agent Orange were blamed on the other component of the mixture (2,4,5-T) and dioxin contamination, critics say 2,4-D has significant health risks of its own. Earlier this month (January 2014), the USDA gave Dow Chemical the green-light to proceed after issuing an Environmental Impact Statement.

Scientists Discover Fungicide and Pesticide are Killing Bees―and It’s Worse Than You Thought

Researchers analyzed pollen from bee hives and found 35 different pesticides along with high fungicide loads. Each sample contained, on average, nine different pesticides and fungicides, although one contained 21 different chemicals. While previously assumed to be safe for bees, bees fed pollen contaminated with high levels of fungicides had a significant decline in the ability to resist infection with the Nosema ceranae parasite, which has been implicated in Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). In the US, the “Save America’s Pollinators Act” has been introduced; if passed, this bill, HR 2692, would require the EPA to pull neonicotinoid pesticides, also implicated in bee die-offs, from the market until their safety is proven.

As Biotech GMO Seed Falters, Insecticide Use Surges In Corn Belt

Across the Midwestern corn belt, a familiar battle has resumed, hidden in the soil. On one side are tiny, white larvae of the corn rootworm. On the other side are farmers and the insect-killing arsenal of modern agriculture. It appears that farmers have gotten part of the message: Biotechnology alone will not solve their rootworm problems. But instead of shifting away from GMO corn, or from corn altogether, many are doubling down on insect-fighting technology, deploying more chemical pesticides than before. Companies like or that sell soil insecticides for use in corn fields are reporting huge increases in sales: 50 or even 100 percent over the past two years. Steiner, the Nebraska crop consultant, usually argues for another strategy: Starve the rootworms, he tells his clients. Just switch that field to another crop. "One rotation can do a lot of good," he says. "Go to beans, wheat, oats. It's the No. 1 right thing to do." But large industrial farmers seem unwilling to give up the lucrative corn cash crop.

Seeds of Discontent: A Texas Organic Cotton Farmer Takes On Monsanto

by Eva Hershaw
TexasObserver.org and ReportingTexas.com

This story was produced as part of a joint venture with Reporting Texas, an online publication at the University of Texas-Austin’s School of Journalism.

Through the windows of LaRhea Pepper’s pickup, turnrows of blooming Texas cotton stretched to the horizon under an impeccably blue sky. We barreled down a dirt road toward her brother-in-law […]

Demand Growing for Non-GMO Corn Seed Among Farmers

 

by The Organic & Non-GMO Report

Excerpts:

Farmers questioning the value of GMO traits in corn.

Interest and demand for non-GMO corn seed among US farmers is growing, according to seed suppliers who say that higher yields and returns, less cost, dissatisfaction with genetically modified traits, and better animal health are driving the demand.

Tim Schneider, a sales representative for Tom […]

Could Monsanto’s Roundup be Leading to the Overgrowth of Deadly Bacteria in Animals and Humans Consuming GMO Foods?

by Sayer Ji
GreenMedInfo.com

Could Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup be leading to the overgrowth of deadly bacteria in animals and humans consuming genetically-modified food contaminated with it?

This question follows from a new study published in the journal Current Microbiology titled, “The Effect of Glyphosate on Potential Pathogens and Beneficial Members of Poultry Microbiota In Vitro,” which found that the […]

Dr. Oz Slanders Families Who Choose Safe Organic Food for Their Children

Dr. Oz in Time Magazine Slandering Families Who Choose Safe, Organic Food for Their Children