Federal tests 'dramatically' undercount BPA and other chemical exposures

Tests used by the federal government to determine how much of the chemical bisphenol A is in people's bodies have "dramatically underestimated" our exposure, according to an analysis published today.

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Kraft Heinz: A cautionary cost-cutting tale

Kraft Heinz is a cautionary tale. To turn its fortunes around, it needs earn customers back with investment in sustainable practices and healthier food, free of harmful additives and chemicals, like phthalates.

www.chicagobusiness.com

How satellites will help solve the climate crisis

As the world grapples with a climate emergency, scientists are exploring satellite technology solutions to help us combat climate change and the damage already done.

www.dw.com

‘A crisis situation’: Extinctions loom as forests are erased in Mozambique

Inselberg forests are Mozambique's last inland primary forests. But they're getting smaller and smaller.

news.mongabay.com

The Sitka tribe's struggle to save Alaskan herring

Dwindling numbers of the fish have led indigenous people to sue the Alaskan government for failing to protect the fishery.

www.theguardian.com

‘The Amazon is completely lawless': The rainforest after Bolsonaro's first year

Deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest, an important buffer against climate change, has soared under President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil.

www.nytimes.com

Plastic bags and styrofoam could soon be banned in N.J., but not plastic straws

The bill, which would enact some of the most strict bans in the nation, is expected to be voted on in the Senate budget committee Thursday.

www.nj.com

Could seaweed be Washington's next cash crop?

With Washington's natural kelp beds declining, farms could fill an ecological niche and serve an emergent market. But barriers to entry remain high.

crosscut.com

UW researchers study effects of microplastics on ocean life

As plastic decomposes, it breaks into smaller pieces, eventually turning into pieces of microplastics.

www.king5.com

Compost-feeding chicken farms fear regulatory changes will break them

Until recently the operations were regulated as farms, but next year they will be classified as solid waste facilities under the Department of Environmental Conservation.

vtdigger.org

Aquaculture industry confronts global health crises, slavery, and feeding the world

Farmed-seafood leaders recognize that the market is changing and are urging their peers to respond in kind.

www.forbes.com

Weed-killing robots trialed by The National Trust

A National Trust estate is trialling weed-killing robots in the hope they could provide a more eco-friendly alternative to pesticides and cut carbon emissions from tractors.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Canadians will pay more for food next year thanks to climate change

Expect to pay $141 more for groceries, restaurants, take-out next year according to a food expert who cites climate change as one of the main factors.

www.vice.com

Penguin diets key to understanding how climate change could affect humans: Study

The eating habits of penguins may serve as a warning about climate change, says University of Saskatchewan professor William Patterson.

www.cbc.ca

Half of Zimbabwe's population, about 7.7 million people, are facing severe hunger

The World Food Programme has confirmed that Zimbabwe is facing its worst hunger crisis in a decade with half of the population – 7.7 million people – food insecure.

www.pulse.ng

What's behind Native American health disparities?

In Duluth, Minnesota, researchers are working with the Ojibwe community to understand why American Indians living on and off reservations face massive health disparities.

www.citylab.com

Scientists use agricultural waste to develop new road deicer

Scientists say they have found a more sustainable alternative to salt using grape skins and other agricultural waste.

e360.yale.edu

India shows why the global shift to plant-based diets is dangerous

The absence of more meat in the Indian diet is responsible for undernutrition. That’s not a model to follow.

www.ozy.com

Offbeat foods can help us survive a harsher climate

Bambara groundnuts and weeds may not be at the top of most menus, but scientists hunting for wild cousins of modern crops may have found a solution for our future food needs.

www.nationalgeographic.com

Another ‘harvest from hell’: Canada’s farmers forced to acclimatize to weird weather

Several rural counties have declared local agricultural emergencies year after year, as farmers are increasingly reacting to — and preparing for — a new climate reality.

thenarwhal.ca

There's so much more microplastic in the ocean than we realized

If you pulled 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water out of the ocean, how many small bits of plastic would you expect to find?

earther.gizmodo.com

Toxic chemicals row in Thailand back to square one

The National Hazardous Substances Committee did a U-turn and decided to halt the ban on the herbicide glyphosate and delay the one on the herbicide paraquat and pesticide chlorpyrifos.

www.bangkokpost.com

These wild seeds could breed climate change-resistant crops

These wild seeds could help breed crops that are more resilient.

www.fastcompany.com

Fake meat vs. real meat

Millennials are gobbling down plant-based burgers, prompting meat producers to question the health benefits of “ultra-processed imitations.”

www.nytimes.com

Cargill commits to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The Minnesota agribusiness pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from entire supply chain by 30% by 2030, more formally backs Paris Climate Agreement goals.

www.startribune.com

'Indiana Jones' scientists collect seeds in wild for climate change fight

Braving perils from blood-sucking leeches to tigers and using transport as basic as elephants, scientists have journeyed like "Indiana Jones" to remote locations to collect wild cousins of crop seeds in a project to help tackle climate change.

www.nytimes.com

Wisconsin wells contaminated with fecal matter, tests show

More wells in southwestern Wisconsin are contaminated with fecal matter from people, pigs and cows, according to another round of results released Tuesday as part of a contentious regional pollution study.

fox6now.com

The Half-Earth movement wants to protect 50% of the planet

The “Half Earth” movement wants to set aside 50% of the world for nature conservation. The only problem is the people who already live there.

www.fastcompany.com

Fire blight spreads northward, threatening apple orchards

Growers in northern states are combating virulent outbreaks of a disease as seasons grow warmer, orchards have been reconfigured for higher yields and new varieties may be more vulnerable.

www.nytimes.com

Angela Merkel meets Germany’s protesting farmers

Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to ease concerns about new regulations aimed at protecting the environment and animals.

www.dw.com

Sunburns can plague farmed fish

Trapped near the ocean's surface in cages or nets, farmed fish can suffer a host of problems by not being able to escape the light.

www.hakaimagazine.com

Michigan proposes new controls on farm animal waste

Michigan regulators want to revise how the environmental risk from spreading livestock waste on farms is evaluated.

www.mlive.com

Are Alabama fish safe to eat? Here’s how the state decides

Each year the Alabama Department of Environmental Management tests fish for mercury, PCBs and other toxins but critics say the program could be improved.

www.al.com

Musimbi Kanyoro, Beth Roberts: To arrest the climate crisis, we need a democratic overhaul

We cannot address climate change and feed a growing global population without sustainable practices in forestry and soil management.

news.mongabay.com

One of the most overlooked consequences of climate change? Our mental health

Hardly a day goes by where we aren't reminded that the Earth's climate is changing and that we are responsible for much if not most of that change.

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