Bringing attention to one of the more toxic substances sprayed on our food before it's shipped an average of 1,500 miles to our local grocery, this video is making the rounds on the Internet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exBEFCiWyW0&feature=feedf. Chlorpropham (bud nip) is a selective, systemic herbicide and plant growth regulator. Available in three forms — dusts, liquids and emulsifiable concentrates — ...

Yesterday, the Denver Post reported that parents are asking the school district to reconsider the chemical applications on school property. A petition drive started last month takes particular issue with 2,4-D, a broadleaf herbicide that has been linked to cancer, reproductive and other health concerns, and was part of the now infamous Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War. The contract with TruGreen nea ...

Composting. It's a traditional part of many home-grown farms and a concept catching on for backyard gardeners as well. But for those who purchase compost, or who choose to compost their own lawn clippings, beware. Clopyralid, bifenthrin, aminopyralid are all agricultural chemicals that have made news for their inability to break down readily in compost. According to Dan Sullivan, in an article written for B ...

In the spring, the EPA announced new regulations to protect the public and wildlife against toxic rodenticides. Citing ten specific chemicals, including the highly lethal pesticide, brodifacoum, the EPA enacted the safety measures over concerns for the thousands of children accidentally exposed every year. In addition to pediatric toxicity, rodenticides also pose a threat to wildlife through primary exposur ...

Written by Shawn Dell Joyce, Creative Syndicate Thursday, 11 June 2011 A farmer friend pointed out to me recently that homeowners in our community use more chemicals on their lawns than most farmers use on their crops. Sure enough, a little research turned up some really startling statistics behind the American obsession for the perfect lawn. Pesticide application rates for farmers are 2.7 pounds per acre, ...

A study being reported in the journal, Pediatrics, has found that among nearly 500 newborns whose umbilical cord blood was tested for pesticide residues, those with higher levels tended to be smaller at birth. The findings are based on 494 infants born in Valencia, Spain between 2003 and 2006. Researchers found that for each 10-fold increase in any of the four pesticides in newborns' cord blood, birth weigh ...

After a research professor at Oregon's Emery University found atrazine and 2,4-D in the urine of 21 residents in the Triangle Lake region west of Eugene, Gov. John Kitzhaber has directed state health officials to determine the cause of this exposure. Although banned in the European Union, atrazine is still one of the most popular herbicides in the world, with 76 million pounds applied each year. A known hor ...

Thursday, June 09, 2011 By Press Action Imagine walking down a neighborhood sidewalk with your young children on a beautiful late spring morning. You come to the end of the block and prepare to turn the corner when you hear a noise that sounds like an electric lawnmower. You make the turn, perhaps expecting to see a team of landscapers or a neighbor mowing his lawn. Instead, you’re caught off-guard by two m ...

Don Huber, an emeritus professor at Purdue University and retired U.S. Army Colonel, was virtually ignored after writing a letter in January to Tom Vilsack, head of the USDA, about the environmental and animal health dangers associated with the use of glyphosate and requesting a moratorium on deregulating crops genetically altered to be immune to Roundup. Dr. Huber was sent a polite letter in response, and, ...

Article by Deirdre Imus Green Your World June 6, 2011 For millions of kids, the warmer weather means only one thing…the start of spring and summer sport programs. Soon baseball diamonds, golf courses, and soccer fields across the country will be filled with energetic, competitive kids. Keeping those playing fields in good condition and free of pests , however, requires regular maintenance that includes spra ...