WATCH: Inside Vermont’s new paraquat ban
Vermont on Tuesday became the first US state to ban the weed-killing pesticide paraquat, backed by lawmakers who cited concerns about research showing the chemical may cause Parkinson’s disease.
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WATCH: A Supreme Court pesticide showdown
Hundreds of organizations, individuals, and states are taking sides in a landmark Supreme Court pesticide case. Monsanto’s supporters say a ruling against them could trigger food shortages and leave the US vulnerable to foreign threats. Opponents say a win for Monsanto strips everyday people of their right to sue when dangerous chemicals make them sick.
WATCH: Mounting evidence linking industrial farming to cancer
From pesticide labels to a new report out of Iowa, there’s been a lot of news in the past week on how industrial farming may contribute to cancer in the US.
WATCH: “Definitely harmful”: Scientists issue warning on glyphosate impacts to human health
US and European regulators should take urgent action to more tightly regulate glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer, in light of strong scientific evidence that the pesticide can cause cancer and other health problems, a group of international scientists said last week at a symposium in Seattle.
WATCH: Iowa’s cancer crisis, explained
Cancer rates are rising in Iowa, even as the national rate declines. A new report from the Iowa Environmental Council and the Harkin Institute links elevated rates of more than a dozen cancers to farm chemicals. Researchers say pesticide exposure alone may pose risks comparable to smoking.
WATCH: Community members, workers speak out against EPA proposal to roll back chemical plant safety rule
Activists, members of Congress and industrial workers voiced their concerns on Capitol Hill this week as the EPA prepares to roll back protections under the 2024 Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention rule.
WATCH: Syngenta to stop production of its paraquat weed killer
Our investigation with The Guardian previously uncovered internal company documents showing Syngenta knew for decades about research linking paraquat to Parkinson’s disease and sought to influence scientific research and public opinion.
WATCH: Scientists warn toxic chemicals harm kids’ brains amid chemical safety law debate
Children’s health researchers gathered at a legislative briefing in Washington, DC this week to share recent science on how phthalates, organophosphate pesticides, food additives and other chemicals harm kids’ brains.
WATCH: New studies add to evidence that this pesticide is harming our brains
Two recent studies add to mounting evidence that the insecticide chlorpyrifos may be harming the brains of humans and wildlife. Despite coming close to a national ban years ago, the chemical is still sprayed on nearly a dozen US crops.
WATCH: EPA rejects new atrazine cancer warning
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is dismissing a new cancer classification for the herbicide atrazine from the world’s top cancer agency — the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The EPA echoed the chemical’s manufacturer, Syngenta, in its criticism and the move mirrors the EPA’s response to IARC’s glyphosate findings a decade ago.