Chemicals

"The mine at Cerro de Pasco, Peru, once funneled silver to the Spanish crown. Today, it’s consuming the town—and poisoning children with lead."

"Until fairly recently, Jonathan Lundgren enjoyed a stellar career as a government scientist. An entomologist who studies how agrichemicals affect the  ecology of farm fields, he has published nearly 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals ....  But recently, things have changed. His work has 'triggered an official campaign of harassment, hindrance, and retaliation' from his superiors, Lundgren alleged in an official complaint filed with USDA scientific integrity authorities last year."

"When Monsanto genetically engineered corn and soybeans to make them immune to its best-selling weedkiller, the company pitched the technology as a way to reduce overall use of herbicides and usher in an environmentally friendly era of farming."

"Colorado's agricultural agencies are in panic mode after several independent studies found dangerous levels of pesticides in marijuana products."

"The Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps to withdraw approval of a controversial new weed killer to be used on genetically modified corn and soybeans."

"America's beekeepers are having a rough time. They lost an estimated 42 percent of their hives last year."

"Companies that report their hydraulic fracturing chemicals to FracFocus have become less forthcoming since 2013, finds a study of 96,000 disclosures."

"The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on Thursday said glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto weedkiller Roundup, was unlikely to cause cancer in humans, but it proposed new controls on any residues in food."

"Large chemical companies and their major trade association and lobbying arm, the American Chemistry Council, say they can maintain high safety standards through self-regulation and voluntary actions. Our report finds this isn't the case. Voluntary standards don’t work, and existing regulations are not effectively enforced."