This Swedish-produced documentary about China’s Hanyuan valley is nominally another dispatch from the eco-apocalypse file, so the final harmonious impression it leaves behind suggests it hasn’t done its job properly. Located in Sichuan province, the valley is a place where bees are on the verge of extinction, the consequences of which we see in the […]
Tag: pesticides
Is invasive species management doing more harm than good? (commentary)
Where I live in the Rocky Mountains, summer is marked by the arrival of the Rocky mountain iris, a favorite for bumble bees and other pollinators, which also make their debut in the brief summer months here. By keeping the land wild and natural, free from threats, retained by nature, I protect and nurture these […]
Study assesses wildlife exposure to rat poison on oil palm plantations
Rodents gnawing on oil palm crops can be a costly business. One study estimated that they can reduce yields by as much as 10%. Among the means used to tackle rat infestations: deploying barn owls and domestic cats, or putting out bait laced with rat poison. A recent review, published in the journal Ecotoxicology, has […]
Glyphosate Found in More than 80% of U.S. Urine Samples
More than 80 percent of U.S. children and adults likely have glyphosate in their urine. That’s the “disturbing” result of a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which found the chemical in 1,885 of 2,310 urine samples of U.S. residents six and older. […]
EU to crackdown on chemical pesticides in order to restore ecosystems
For the first time in 30 years, legislation addressing the EU’s catastrophic loss of wildlife has been proposed. Along with a crackdown on chemical pesticides, legally enforceable goals for all member states to restore wildlife on land, in rivers, and in the sea were revealed today. Targets set forward by the European Commission include reversing […]
Australia is Exterminating Tens of Millions of Bees After Being Hit by Varroa Mite Plague
Australia is exterminating tens of millions of bees after a varroa mite plague hit the major honey-producing nation. Australia is just the latest honey-producing nation to have a mite plague issue causing significant declines in honey bee populations. According to authorities, an eradication zone has been set up within a six-mile radius of a sighting. […]
Monarch Butterflies Face Three Major Threats
Despite recent news that overwintering monarch butterfly populations have increased 35% in the past year, these graceful creatures are still facing an unsteady future after years of ongoing decline. Monarch butterflies are a migratory species. Eastern monarch butterflies, which make up the vast majority of monarch butterflies in North America, travel from southern Canada and […]
Lawsuit Launched Challenging USDA’s Failure to Protect Endangered Species From Insecticide Sprays Over Millions of Acres in U.S. West
WASHINGTON— The Xerces Society and Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice of intent today to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s secretive Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for failing to properly consider harms to endangered species caused by insecticide spraying across millions of acres of western grasslands. APHIS oversees and funds the application […]