Hold the Big 6 accountable
Contacts:
National contact: Devika Ghai, Pesticide Action Network North America, 415 728 0169, devika@panna.org
Contacts:
National contact: Devika Ghai, Pesticide Action Network North America, 415 728 0169, devika@panna.org
Earlier today, the journal Environmental Health Perspectives published a new study linking pesticide levels in blood to increased rates of endometriosis in women. The same class of pesticides know as organochlorines has also been linked to increased rates of asthma and obesity in studies published last month.
Contact:
Paul Towers, Pesticide Action Network: ptowers@panna.org, 916-216-1082
Public outraged as chemical companies Monsanto and Syngenta awarded the now tarnished prize
Today, environmental economist Frank Ackerman, PhD, published a report “Atrazine: Consider the Alternatives” analyzing the economics of atrazine, the second most widely-used pesticide in the United States. Although atrazine is a known endocrine-disruptor and suspected carcinogen, its manufacturer, Syngenta, rationalizes its continued use by arguing that it is critical to the agricultural economy.
House Democrats today introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill that builds upon the bipartisan bill that already passed the Senate. While the bill is not perfect, PAN senior scientist Margaret Reeves, PhD, applauds the effort as a step in the right direction:
Contacts:
Paul Towers, Pesticide Action Network: ptowers@panna.org, 916-216-1082
Tracey Brieger, Californians for Pesticide Reform: tracey@pesticidereform.org, 415-215-5473
Following news Friday that the US Department of Agriculture had discovered contamination of Washington alfalfa crops by their genetically engineered (GE, or GMO) counterparts, the agency is weighing whether to take any action. The agency’s decisions is especially relevant as Washington voters will decide in November on whether genetically engineered foods, derived from GE crops, should be labeled.
Last week, the USDA quietly announced its decision to deregulate (approve) Bayer CropScience’s newest genetically engineered soybean, designed to be resistant to the herbicide, isoxaflutole. EPA has designated isoxaflutole a “probable human carcinogen.” It is also a PAN Bad Actor pesticide, reflecting the herbicide’s placement in PAN’s list of “most toxic” pesticides.
PAN’s Senior Scientist, Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, PhD, released this statement:
For immediate release: August 28, 2013
Contact:
Paul Towers, PAN, 916-216-1082
Sarah Aird, CPR, 415-971-4401
Scientists Say Officials Ignored Science of Pesticide Linked to Cancer
Advocates deliver over 15,000 petitions urging officials to follow science, develop better health protections, and promote pesticide alternatives in California’s strawberry fields