Thirty-five distinguished scientists urge the US-EPA not to register new mixtures of the herbicides 2,4-D and glyphosate, intended for use on herbicide-tolerant GMO crops. Approval of the herbicide mixtures would endanger both human and environmental health.
Scientists write: EPA, ban 'agent orange' herbicide mix and GMO crops! The undersigned | 3rd July 2014 Comment Farming Toxics USA GMOs Regulation windy-day-spray-cut.jpg Thirty-five distinguished …
The proposed structure of Juncker's new European Commission sidelines sustainability issues and risks undoing years of environmental legislation. The European Parliament must now block his deregulatory assault on the EU’s climate, energy, biodiversity, pollution, chemicals and environmental health policies.
EU Parliament must reject Juncker's anti-environment Commission Green10 | 29th September 2014 Comment EU Regulation Pollution Climate Change amsterdam-harbour-cut.jpg The proposed structure of …
Among the risks of fracking are fragmentation of wildlife habitats, groundwater depletion, surface water pollution. The risks are compounded by a failure among companies and regulators to record or disclose essential information - from the chemicals used, to the time and place of toxic spills.
Fracking - US companies and regulators must disclose environmental data Kimberly Terrell Morgan Tingley Sara Souther | 4th August 2014 Comment Toxics USA Fracking Fossil Fuels Science Regulation …
This month a tailings dam at the Mount Polley mine in BC breached, writes Carol Linnitt - spilling 14.5 billion litres of toxic mine waste into Quesnel Lake. A major source of freshwater and one of BC's premier fly-fishing destinations, the lake will never be the same again. But it's just the first big victim of Canada's wave of environmental de-regulation ...
Swapping red tape for caution tape: why Canada can expect more mining disasters Carol Linnitt DeSmog.ca | 27th August 2014 Activism Mining Water Waste Pollution Regulation Canada …
As Cameron 'cuts the green crap' Paul Mobbs remembers how the decisions of a Conservative government 20 years ago to go easy on the owners of contaminated land and old waste dumps have led to present day blight, ill-health and death. Now brow-beaten regulators and politicians in hock to party funders are doing it all over again.
Death by landfill - cutting 'green tape' costs lives Paul Mobbs | 22nd December 2014 News Waste Toxics Politics Regulation UK chemical-site-w-yorks-cut.jpg As Cameron 'cuts the green crap' Paul …
Blaming 'lack of time', Syngenta withdraws its emergency application to use a seed treatment blamed for killing bees. Friends of the Earth and 38 Degrees claim victory - but Syngenta warns: we'll be back!
Victory! Syngenta pulls 'bee-killer' pesticide application The Ecologist | 4th July 2014 News Farming Toxics Regulation UK Corporations bee-jack-wolf-cut.jpg Blaming 'lack of time', Syngenta …
The Yucca Mountain radioactive dump may have been officially 'cancelled', writes John LaForge, and with very good reason. But like all those zombies out for Hallowe'en last night, it's not dead yet, as US nuclear regulators declare that the site perfectly meets nuclear waste storage requirements.
Yucca Mountain radioactive waste dump is all too 'undead' John LaForge | 1st November 2014 News Nuclear Waste USA Regulation yucca_mountain-cut.jpg The Yucca Mountain radioactive dump may have been …
Hydraulic fracturing is roaring ahead in the Canadian Arctic, writes Ed Struzik. Companies are competing to exploit the Northwest Territories' 2-3 billion barrels of shale oil, as the NWT government ignores calls from indigenous nations and scientists for a moratorium on fracking pending an open review of its impacts.
Drills away in Canada's Arctic - 1.35 million hectares of wilderness open to fracking Ed Struzik
In the four years since the Deepwater Horizon blowout there's been a lot of regulatory activity, writes Jacqueline Lang Weaver. Yet the regulatory framework today is weak, complex, under-funded, industry dominated - and it's uncertain that the Gulf of Mexico is really any safer than in 2010.
Four years after Deepwater Horizon: has offshore safety improved? Jacqueline Lang Weaver | 23rd April 2014 News Oil Oceans Pollution Regulation USA Fossil Fuels deepwater-horizon.jpg In the four …
The US is poised to 'deregulate' GMO corn, soybean and cotton varieties resistant to the herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba. The result will be a big increase in the use of those herbicides, as high as 600%. Only a huge public outcry can now stop the GMO-herbicide juggernaut.
Last chance to stop USDA approval of 2,4-D GMO crops The Ecologist | 14th August 2014 News USA Farming GMOs Regulation Health Toxics spraying-crops-cut.jpg The US is poised to 'deregulate' GMO corn, …
Tyrone Hayes has fought a 15-year battle with Syngenta following his discovery that its herbicide Atrazine scrambles sex in frogs, writes F William Engdahl. Now he wants to know - is Atrazine the cause of the US's 2-fold reproductive cancer excess among Blacks and Hispanics?
Atrazine: Syngenta's herbicide doesn't just poison frogs - it could give you cancer F William Engdahl | 2nd June 2014 News Health Farming Toxics Corporations Regulation USA …
Thirty years after the UN took action to save the ozone layer, we can count the benefits - which only begin with 2 million fewer cases of skin cancer a year, writes Nigel Paul. With world leaders taking on the much greater climate challenge today, we should take cheer, and inspiration, from that historic success.
The UN saved the ozone layer - now it's the climate's turn Nigel Paul | 23rd September 2014 Comment Climate Change Un Pollution Regulation nasa-ozone-map-cut.jpg Thirty years after the UN took action …
The European Parliament has today adopted a ner Regulation to phase-down the use of super greenhouse gases - known as 'F-gases' - some of which are thousands of times more powerful than CO2.
Euro Parliament ratifies F-gas ban - 'huge gain for climate' The Ecologist | 13th March 2014 News Climate Change EU Regulation illegal-hfc-haul.png The European Parliament has today adopted a ner …
One the eve of the EU elections, 120 European campaign groups have rejected the TTIP trade negotiations between the EU and the US as a threat to democracy - and called on negotiators to ditch all, or at least key elements, of the proposed agreement.
120 groups demand: 'ditch the TTIP EU-US trade deal' The Ecologist | 21st May 2014 News Trade USA EU Regulation stop-ttip-cut.jpg One the eve of the EU elections, 120 European campaign groups have …
A 5,000-house development has just won planning permission on a SSSI nature area in Kent which is home to over 1% of the UK's nightingales. It violates government planning policies, and ministers have the power to stop it. But will they? Yes they will, writes Martin Harper - provided enough people show they care!
Housing against nightingales - no way! Martin Harper RSPB | 8th September 2014 Activism Birds Natural World UK Housing Development Regulation Politics nightingale-cut.jpg A 5,000-house development …
The EU's system for trading carbon emissions has cost consumers dear, while delivering few carbon reductions. Reforms are urgently needed, write Luca Taschini & Josh Gregory, and first among these is to open the market up to public scrutiny.
Without transparency, Europe's carbon market reform will fail Luca Taschini Josh Gregory | 1st June 2014 Comment Climate Change EU Regulation Economics smokestack-glasgow-cut.jpg The EU's system for …
Aviation emissions are a major clause of climate change, writes Valerie Brown - yet they remain unregulated. The gap between the best and worst performing airlines demonstrates ample opportunities for improvement - but is the political will there to impose effective regulation?
How much longer can the aviation industry fight off emissions controls? Valerie Brown | 3rd January 2014 News Transport Aviation Climate Change Regulation ba-747-contrail-cut.jpg Aviation emissions …
Intensive grouse shooting on England's uplands is doing huge damage to fragile ecosystems, writes Martin Harper - and to the 'protected' hen harrier. It's high time to bring this industry under control with a new licencing system.
The grouse shooting industry is out of control - it must be regulated Martin Harper RSPB | 27th June 2014 Activism Hunting Birds Ecology UK Regulation hen-harrier-altai-cut.jpg Hen Harrier (Circus …
When nuclear reactors are refueled, a 12-hour spike in radioactive emissions exposes local people to levels of radioactivity up to 500 times greater than during normal operation, writes Ian Fairlie. The spikes may explain infant leukemia increases near nuclear plants - but operators provide no warnings and take no measures to reduce exposures.
Radioactive spikes from nuclear plants - a likely cause of childhood leukemia Dr Ian Fairlie | 29th September 2014 News Nuclear Power Health Corporations Radiation Regulation …
Extensive, long running evidence for the cancer-causing effects of glyphosate, and other toxic impacts, have been ignored by regulators. Indeed as the evidence has built up, permitted levels in food have been hugely increased, writes Dr Mae Wan Ho.
Glyphosate is a disaster for human health Dr Mae Wan Ho | 30th April 2014 News Farming Toxics Regulation Health USA EU Science roundup-ultra-cut.jpg Extensive, long running evidence for the …
A key element of the TTIP is the deregulation genetically modified seeds and plants for cultivating in European soils, writes Julian Rose. This alone is reason enough for us to reject it - but it's only the beginning of a huge power grab that would make our governments more accountable to corporations, than to people.
Closing the gate on GMO and the criminal transatlantic trade agreement Julian Rose | 17th December 2014 Activism GMOs USA EU Food Farming Trade Regulation stopttip-cut.jpg A key element of the TTIP …
The US EPA has approved new GMO corn and soybean varieties resistant to both glyphosate and 2,4-D, writes Jim Goodman - and the highly toxic herbicide mix itself. In this latest escalation of the chemical war against nature there is one clear winner - Dow AgroSciences. But everyone else loses - farmers, consumers and our increasingly endangered wildlife.
New seeds, old pesticides - 2,4-D and 'next generation' GMOs Jim Goodman | 27th October 2014 Comment Farming Regulation Law Natural World USA Toxics GMOs Organic milkweed-monarch-cut.jpg The US EPA …
A pilot study of American mothers' milk has found levels of the herbicide glyphosate around 1,000 times higher than allowed in European drinking water. Campaigners are demanding a ban on the use of glyphosate on food crops.
Glyphosate found in breast milk The Ecologist | 28th April 2014 News Food Farming Water Regulation USA EU mothers-milk-cut.jpg A pilot study of American mothers' milk has found levels of the …
Missouri voters have narrowly passed a 'right to farm' amendment to the state constitution. But small farmers already enjoy such rights, writes Ben Whitford. The beneficiaries will be industrial-scale corporate producers who now have a legal shield against regulation on GMOs, pollution, animal welfare and health standards - and, of course, the lawyers.
Missouri: corporate agriculture wins 'Right to Farm' Ben Whitford | 6th August 2014 News USA Law Regulation Farming Food Corporations vote-no-right-to-farm-cut.jpg Missouri voters have narrowly …