In conventional farming, the most frequently used herbicides for weed control have a negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, organic farmers enlist machines to battle unwanted growth. These machines guzzle fuel and produce CO2, while their tyres compact soil and damage its…
An analysis of 727 mass die-offs of nearly 2,500 animal species from the past 70 years has found that such events are increasing among birds, fish and marine invertebrates. At the same time, the number of individuals killed appears to be decreasing for reptiles and…
Scientists have developed new geochemical tracers that can identify hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids that have been spilled or released into the environment. The tracers, which were created by a team of U.S. and French researchers, have been field-tested at a spill site in West Virginia…
Organisms can be negatively affected by plastic nanoparticles, not just in the seas and oceans but in freshwater bodies too. These particles slow the growth of algae, cause deformities in water fleas and impede communication between small organisms and fish. These are the results of…
Diverse plant communities are more successful and enable higher crop yields than pure monocultures, a European research team headed by ecologists from the University of Zurich has discovered. The scientists are convinced that the cultivation of crop mixtures in agriculture and forestry will play a…
by Alanna Ketler Did you know that the air inside your home is often more toxic than the air outside? In fact, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, our indoor air environment is two to six times more polluted than the outdoor air environment. Considering…
Herbivores, not herbicides, may be the most effective way to combat the spread of one of the most invasive plants now threatening East Coast salt marshes, a new Duke University-led study finds. Phragmites australis, or the common reed, is a rapid colonizer that has overrun…
by Arjun Walia It’s been pretty big news for quite a few years now, the honeybee population has been dying off in very large numbers. At first the cause wasn’t so clear as it could have been for a number of reasons from environmental toxins…
by Arjun Walia Data linking GMOs and pesticides to human health ailments continues to emerge, as a new report put together by the Ministry of Health in Cordoba, Argentina has found that increased levels of crop spraying in Argentina’s most extensively farmed areas has resulted…
Genetically Engineered Crops Are Major Driver in Population Crash The Center for Biological Diversity and Center for Food Safety as co-lead petitioners joined by the Xerces Society and renowned monarch scientist Dr. Lincoln Brower filed a legal petition today to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…
According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research, the global glyphosate herbicides market was valued at USD 5.46 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach USD 8.79 billion by 2019, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period from…
by Dr. David Juan I usually write these articles from my home office. Right now, however, I can’t be there. Instead, I’m writing to you from a family member’s home, where I’ll be staying for a few days. It wasn’t a planned visit, but something…
by Kevin Samson Water shortages continue to make the news across the world, and governments seem to be offering very few if any solutions. Recently, I covered a novel low-cost, simple device called Warka Water that aims to extract water from the air and offer…
Phthalates found in plastics could block hormone involved in sexual, cognitive function Men, women and children exposed to high levels of phthalates – endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastics and some personal care products – tended to have reduced levels of testosterone in their blood compared…
Virginia Tech researchers who were using a disinfectant when handling mice have discovered that two active ingredients in it cause declines in mouse reproduction. Although the chemicals responsible for the declines are common in household cleaning products and disinfectants used in medical and food preparation…
As the oil and gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) proliferates, a new study on the contents of the fluids involved in the process raises concerns about several ingredients. The scientists presenting the work today at the 248th National Meeting & Exposition of…
Groundwater and air quality testing before, during, and after natural gas drilling – which includes hydraulic fracturing – should be key components of efforts to ensure the safety of communities near these sites, according to an expert panel convened to weigh in on public health…
A drug that is commonly used to treat anxiety in humans and which regularly finds its way into surface waters through wastewater effluence has been shown to reduce mortality rates in fish. The results, which have been published today, 8 August, in IOP Publishing’s journal…
New research published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry addresses the effects of two broad-spectrum systemic insecticides, fipornil and imidacloprid, on honeybees. These insecticides are widely used in agriculture, and the authors conclude that fipronil and imidacloprid are inhibitors of mitochondrial bioenergetics, resulting in depleted cell…
by Andrew Martin Alexandra Bryant Morton is an independent biologist who settled in Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation in British Columbia, Canada to study wild orca (killer whales) in 1984. Morton made her home in Echo Bay – a community without roads, electricity or stores. In…
