A U.S. federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration‘s Fish and Wildlife Service to complete assessments on the impacts of six pesticides and the steps needed to protect endangered species from them. This isn’t the first time pesticide safety has come before the Trump administration. In 2017, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) conducted an […]
Tag: pesticides
Use of pesticides on UK farms to be cut by 10% by 2030 to protect bees
The use of pesticides on UK farms is to be reduced by 10% by 2030 under government plans to protect bees and other pollinators. Campaigners welcomed the news, but said they were disappointed that the target applied only to arable farms and not to urban areas and parks. The plan has been a long time […]
Wild swimmers are safer in lakes and rivers where beavers live, thanks to their pollution blocking dams, study finds
Wild swimmers are safer in lakes, rivers, and ponds inhabited by beavers, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland have uncovered that beaver dams drastically improve the water quality of British eco-systems. Their work, detailed in the Science of the Total Environment journal, monitored how rodent populations affect pollution […]
UK bumblebee numbers fell to lowest on record in 2024, shows data
Figures show 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees in the UK since records began. Bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter compared with the 2010-2023 average, according to data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The researchers said the drop was probably due to the cold and wet conditions in the UK last spring. According […]
Songbirds being killed by pesticides found in pet fur flea treatments
Songbird chicks are being killed by high levels of pesticides in the pet fur used by their parents to line their nests, a study has found. Researchers surveying nests for the harmful chemical found in pet flea treatments found that it was present in every single nest. The scientists from the University of Sussex are […]
In the most untouched, pristine parts of the Amazon, birds are dying. Scientists may finally know why
Something was happening to the birds at Tiputini. The biodiversity research centre, buried deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, has always been special. It is astonishingly remote: a tiny scattering of research cabins in 1.7m hectares (4.2m acres) of virgin forest. For scientists, it comes about as close as you can to observing rainforest wildlife in […]
Warming threatens flies more than bees, raising pollination concerns
Life can’t function without insects. At least, not for long. They pollinate, break down waste, cycle nutrients, and touch every node in the web of life, filling endless niches across the planet. As global temperatures continue to rise, some of Earth’s most important but overlooked pollinators, the flies, may be at greater risk than previously […]
UK to ban bee-killing pesticides but highly toxic type could still be allowed
Bee-killing pesticides are to be banned by the UK government, as ministers set out plans to outlaw the use of neonicotinoids. However, the highly toxic neonicotinoid Cruiser SB could be allowed for use next year, as ministers are considering applications from the National Farmers’ Union and British Sugar. This powerful pesticide poisons bees by destroying […]