In a win for farmers and endangered plants and wildlife, an Arizona district court has revoked the approval of the destructive pesticide dicamba, saying the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broke the law when it allowed it to be on the market. Dicamba-based weedkillers have been widely used on soybean and cotton crops genetically engineered by Bayer (formerly Monsanto). “This is a vital victory for farmers and the environment,” said George Kimbrell, legal director for the Center for Food Safety and counsel in the case, which was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity. “Time and time again, the evidence has shown that dicamba cannot be used without causing massive and unprecedented harm to farms as well as endangering plants and pollinators. The court today resoundingly reaffirmed what we have always maintained: the EPA’s and Monsanto’s claims of dicamba’s safety were irresponsible and unlawful.” EcoWatch

 

 

After studying the persistence and residues of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) in forests for the past 10 years, new research led by the University of Northern British Columbia's (UNBC’s) Dr Lisa Wood aims to strengthen this understanding and unearth new insight into the effects of GBH residues on ecosystem health. “This knowledge is urgently needed, given the large-scale use and persistence of GBH in the natural systems humans and wildlife rely on for high quality ecosystems services, like air and water quality, climate moderation and food sources,” said the Associate Professor in UNBC’s Ecosystem Science and Management program. “We’re focusing on how GBH influences gut bacteria and hormones in organisms in the ‘wild’ forest food web, which is a new direction as previous studies of this type have been conducted in more controlled settings.” Prince George Daily News

 

 

Our latest Review is out, with news on glyphosate and other pesticides and toxics, at the link above. If you don't already receive our Reviews, don't miss out – sign up for free here. GMWatch

 

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