Agriculture

"How America’s Prairie Was Nearly Destroyed — And Why It Should Be Restored"

"America’s treeless, isolated expanse put early European settlers to the test. Drought, loneliness, and debt drove many to failure, forcing the homesteaders to retreat East. But those who stayed unwittingly launched one of history’s largest terraforming projects, rewiring the land, the climate, and the future of the continent."

Source: Grist/WBEZ, 07/08/2025

Weedkiller Widely Used In US Can Damage Organs And Gut Bacteria: Research

"The herbicide ingredient used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, new research shows." "Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries. The US has resisted calls to regulate it"  

Source: Guardian, 07/08/2025

Solutions — and Death — in the Rainforest

A project begun to explore ways to protect the Amazon seemed to end with the murder of the journalist who conceived it, along with his guide and research partner. But others picked up the mantle and completed a volume exploring ways to save this precious and rapidly disappearing ecosystem. BookShelf reviewer Elyse Hauser on how this unusual book tries to meet that promise.

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Recreation in Polluted Water Can Be Threat to Human Health

A cool swim on a hot day is one of the quintessential pleasures of summer. That is, unless polluted water makes it — and any other aquatic contact — a high-risk activity. It’s an important environmental and public health story for journalists to tell. TipSheet helps review waterborne illnesses to watch for, regulations supposed to protect against them and local story ideas to pursue.

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Photo Essay: Tohono O’odham Families Carry On Sacred Saguaro Fruit Harvest

"The saguaro cactus is the iconic plant of the Arizona borderlands, and in June and early July, its thorn-covered small fruit ripens. For members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose ancestors have lived in this hot desert for thousands of years, harvest time for the “bahidaj” is sacred."

Source: AP, 07/03/2025

US Plans To Begin Breeding Billions Of Flies To Fight New World Screwworm

"The U.S. government is preparing to breed billions of flies and dump them out of airplanes over Mexico and southern Texas to fight a flesh-eating maggot. That sounds like the plot of a horror movie, but it is part of the government’s plans for protecting the U.S. from a bug that could devastate its beef industry, decimate wildlife and even kill household pets."

Source: AP, 07/03/2025

"As Nitrate Levels Soar In Iowa, New Research Underscores Risks For Babies"

"New research out of Iowa adds to a wide body of evidence showing that when pregnant women are exposed to nitrates in drinking water, it raises the risks of problematic birth outcomes, including low birth weights and pre-term birth."

Source: The New Lede, 07/02/2025

"Trump Administration Issues New Revised Permitting Rules"

"Federal agencies including the Energy, Interior and Agriculture departments are starting to issue new permitting rules that trim back or eliminate procedures that have been in place for decades."

Source: Bloomberg Environment, 07/01/2025

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