Across the Midwest, farmers are turning to solar to boost profits
Grace van Deelen
In a corner of southwestern Wisconsin, in a town called Eden, Bob Bishop spends his days farming land that has been in his family since the 1940s. He manages about 2,000 acres— some is pasture for his cattle, some is seeded with corn and soybeans. But 40% of his acreage, as he likes to say, will soon be farming the sun.
A human toll- paraquat users blame Syngenta for Parkinson’s disease
When Illinois farmer Ron Niebruegge was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 55, he was certain it must be a mistake. Niebruegge had always been healthy and active, someone who loved horseback riding and taking his wife dancing on weekend nights.
Secret “Paraquat Papers” reveal corporate tactics to protect weed killer linked to Parkinson’s disease
For more than 50 years, Swiss chemical giant Syngenta has manufactured and marketed a widely used weed killing chemical called paraquat, and for much of that time the company has been dealing with external concerns that long-term exposure to the chemical may cause the dreaded, incurable brain ailment known as Parkinson’s disease.
Utah tribe wants polluting uranium mill closed
by Shannon Kelleher
This Saturday the Ute Mountain Ute tribe in southeastern Utah is planning a rally to protest the last functioning uranium mill in the United States. The White Mesa Mill, which sits on sacred ancestral tribal lands, has been polluting the environment and jeopardizing the health of local communities for decades.
PFAS contaminating 83% of tested waterways, study finds
Clean water advocacy groups said this week that they have found toxins linked to cancer and other health problems in more than 80% of tested watersheds around the United States, adding to the growing body of evidence about the pervasiveness of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS.
Q&A: Tackling PFAS-contaminated water with technology
Amid growing evidence of the health risks associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a wave of technology companies are developing strategies to remove toxic PFAS chemicals from drinking water and wastewater.
Endangered Species Act failures offer “cautionary tale”
by Shannon Kelleher
The strongest US conservation law lacks the resources to help most imperiled species fully recover, according to a new study. While thousands of species have been listed by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since it was passed in 1973, only 54 have recovered to the point where they no longer require protection.
New study says more than 57,400 US sites have PFAS contamination
Scientists have identified more than 57,400 sites in the United States that can be presumed to be contaminated with toxins linked to cancer and other health problems, according to a study published on Wednesday.
Hunters Point Superfund Site May Not Get Full Cleanup
by Shannon Kelleher
A full cleanup may not materialize for the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, a Superfund site since 1989, according to a memo the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released on September 30th.
Chicago’s southeast side pushes back against pollution
By Paul Gordon
For more than 100 years, the Southeast side of Chicago has been a magnet for industry – a place where working class families made their homes and raised their children alongside steel mills, grain elevators, cement kilns and other operations drawn to the easy transportation of goods afforded by rail lines and the proximity of the Calumet River.