Cory Kreft lost 85 percent of his beekeeping hives in 2021 because of neonicotinoids. Neonics are a new class of pesticides used to coat crop seeds before planting to protect the plant from pests and insects during early growth. There is little regulation or oversight on the neonic-treated seed, which is sold at major home improvement stores with few legal limitations around how they are monitored, used or disposed of.
At least 30 percent of the population in France was exposed to contaminated water at least once in 2024, according to the National Association of Health professionals. French doctors sound alarm over drinking water pollution in France. France 24's Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe tells us more.
Microplastics and pharmaceutical residues are now considered to be widespread contaminants in drinking water. New research efforts are focused on creating tests that measure your personal microplastic burden to track exposure and evaluate whether reduction interventions are working. The EPA introduced a new draft of its Sixth Contaminant Candidate List, a tool used under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The 2010 HNS Convention covers accidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) at sea. The entry-into-force threshold was reached after Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden ratified the protocol in April. The convention establishes the first global liability and compensation regime for incidents involving more than 2,000 hazardous substances carried by sea. Around 65,000 ships are expected to require HNS certificates.
Laura Manzo is a writer and author of a book on the history of food industry and its influence on public policy. She argues that the trend of changing cow's milk for almond, soy, rice or oat milk is one of those cultural contradictions that we accept without too many questions.
Beef consumption does not negatively affect markers linked to T2D or cardiovascular health in adults with prediabetes. The study was funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, which was not involved in the data collection or analysis. Three of the authors of the study had financial relationships with the association.
Agroecology Commons received a $2.5 million grant from the USDA to help farmers of color acquire and sustain land. The grant was cancelled within a week. The USDA is trying to eliminate initiatives it considers wasteful or misaligned with its political agenda. The nonprofit filed a lawsuit against the agency, claiming that the grants were terminated unlawfully. A judge granted the plaintiffs a preliminary injunction that restored access to some of the money.
COP11 encouraged countries to consider comprehensive regulatory options for tobacco and nicotine product components that increase environmental harms. European Respiratory Society (ERS) underlined the importance of environmental protection in the context of advancing global tobacco control policies. ERS reiterated that cigarette filters degrade the environment through waste, pollution, and emissions. Efforts to recycle or clean up cigarette filters promote the greenwashing narratives of the tobacco industry.
It's the cyclical nature of the sake industry. Last year was a hot year for rice and this year is not looking much better. Students at Sakuhira Comprehensive Technical High School in Saku sowed seeds of sake rice that had spent approximately six months aboard the International Space Station. The rice was brought back by astronaut Kimiya Yui.