Syngenta closer to settling thousands of US paraquat lawsuits
Syngenta is another step closer to potentially putting an end to thousands of lawsuits brought by people blaming the company’s paraquat weed killer for causing Parkinson’s disease.
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WATCH: Cancer and water contamination fuel public outcry in Iowa
Hundreds of Iowans gathered at Drake University in early August to confront a growing water quality crisis linked to the state’s powerful agricultural industry. Community leaders, scientists and farmers warned of dangerously high levels of nitrates, pesticides and livestock waste contaminating the state’s drinking water.
Study maps factory farm hotspots as federal court tosses emissions lawsuit
By Brian Bienkowski
Roughly a quarter of the nation’s large cattle, dairy and hog farms are located in just 30 US counties, a new satellite-mapping study has found. The research also links large farms — whether in these dense hotspots or scattered elsewhere — to elevated air pollution.
Outrage in Iowa – Residents demand action to clean up dangerously polluted water
DES MOINES, Iowa – Several hundred Iowa residents gathered in the state capital this week, calling on public officials – and each other – to take swift action against dangerously polluted water supplies that are closely linked to the state’s powerful agricultural industry.
New report calls plastics a “grave” danger to health as nations negotiate treaty
By Brian Bienkowski
Plastics are a “grave” danger to humans and the planet, responsible for an estimated $1.5 trillion annually in health-related costs, and nations need to center human health as they finalize the global plastics treaty, scientists said in a new report released Monday.
WATCH: AI at what cost? Environmental concerns over Trump’s new action plan
The Trump administration’s new AI action plan aims to make the US a leader in developing and deploying the technology. This sweeping proposal would fast-track AI development by exempting data centers from environmental protections. It may also increase reliance on fossil fuels. Experts warn it could strain US water and power supplies, deepen pollution in vulnerable communities and sideline clean energy.
“Clear evidence” of greenhouse gas dangers cited amid Trump move to undo regulations
By Shannon Kelleher
Scientists and public health advocates are warning of dire consequences amid a worsening climate crisis following the Trump administration’s announcement this week that regulators plan to rescind the “endangerment finding” that forms the basis for limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
Modest solar boost could cut US CO2 by 8.5 million tons
By Brian Bienkowski
Boosting US solar power by 15% could reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions from the nation’s electricity sector by more than 8.5 million metric tons, the equivalent of removing the emissions of nearly two million gas-powered cars annually, according to a new study.
Perdue keeps breaking law by improperly disposing of PFAS-laced waste, Maryland residents allege
By Shannon Kelleher
In the latest move to combat contamination of a Maryland community’s drinking water, two Salisbury residents allege Perdue Agribusiness is violating federal law by failing to properly dispose of waste that contains toxic PFAS chemicals, according to a lawsuit filed July 25.
US oil production on federal lands reaches record high. Will it last?
By Brian Bienkowski
Crude oil production on federal lands in the US is at a record high, increasing sixfold over the past 15 years, according to a new report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).