Insect-eating bird populations in France appear to be making a tentative recovery after a ban on bee-harming pesticides, according to the first study to examine how wildlife is returning in Europe. Neonicotinoids are the world’s most common class of insecticides, widely used in agriculture and for flea control in pets. By 2022, four years after […]
Tag: pesticides
Scientists slam Canada-US proposal to lower trade protections for peregrine falcons
The crow-sized, slate-blue-backed peregrine falcon, with its bright yellow feet, soars across the skies from Greenland’s Arctic tundra to the steppe plains of Patagonia in South America. Falco peregrinus is one of the most widespread birds on the planet, with 19 subspecies that call coasts, mountains, deserts and river valleys home. These eye-catching raptors are […]
As British Bird Count Records Low Numbers, Conservationists Urge Gardeners to Ditch Pesticides, Let Lawns Grow
During the last weekend of January, participants in Britain’s Big Garden Birdwatch are asked to keep track of the number of each avian species they see at their location over a one-hour period. The counting and recording is usually done in gardens, but parks and other green spaces work too. Participants in this year’s Birdwatch […]
With the Great Mussel Die-Off, Scientists Scramble for Answers
Throughout his professional life, U.S. Forest Service researcher Wendell Haag has studied freshwater mussels in their hotspot of biological diversity, which extends across a vast swath of the southeastern United States. His more than 30-year career has been overshadowed by a single question: Why are the bivalves in this region disappearing? Freshwater mussels are one […]
Petition: Save Butterflies From Extinction – Act Now
A recent study has revealed that a whopping 22% of butterfly species in the United States have disappeared in the last 20 years. Make no mistake – this is an emergency. The loss of butterflies is not just a tragic consequence for these beautiful insects, but a sign of a much larger environmental crisis. Despite […]
Researchers Find Lead, Plastic Additives and Other Contaminants in Hedgehogs
In a new study, researchers have found a wide range of pollutants in Western European hedgehogs, including heavy metals, plastic additives and more. The researchers from Lund University in Sweden were exploring the levels of heavy metals found in hedgehogs in southern Sweden, following previous research that revealed heavy metal pollution in hedgehogs in urban […]
Court orders Trump administration to address pesticide risks to endangered species
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 […]
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 […]