Analysis of 60o gardens shows wilder lawns feed caterpillars and create breeding habitat
Good news for lazy gardeners: one labour-saving tweak could almost double the number of butterflies in your garden, according to a new scientific study – let the grass grow long.
In recent years nature lovers have been extolling the benefits of relaxed lawn maintenance with the growing popularity of the #NoMowMay campaign. Now an analysis of six years of butterfly sightings across 600 British gardens has provided the first scientific evidence that wilder lawns boost butterfly numbers.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
04/18/2024 - 23:00
Exclusive: 80% of Welsh dairy farms inspected, 69% of English ones, 60% in Scotland and 50% in Northern Ireland breaching regulations
The majority of UK dairy farms are breaking pollution rules, with vast amounts of cow manure being spilled into rivers.
When animal waste enters the river, it causes a buildup of the nutrients found in the effluent, such as nitrates and phosphates. These cause algal blooms, which deplete the waterway of oxygen and block sunlight, choking fish and other aquatic life.
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04/18/2024 - 22:05
Body of 16-year-old boy discovered with injuries ‘consistent with a crocodile attack’ as wildlife officers search for animal
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A teenager has died after a suspected crocodile attack off an island in the Torres Strait, police have confirmed.
Thursday Island water police launched a search and rescue operation near Saibai Island after receiving reports at about 4am on Thursday that a 16-year-old boy was missing.
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04/18/2024 - 08:00
Bill would stop private investors, including hedge funds, farmers and municipalities, from profiting off water scarcity
With private investors poised to profit from water scarcity in the west, US senator Elizabeth Warren and representative Ro Khanna are pursuing a bill to prohibit the trading of water as a commodity.
The lawmakers will introduce the bill on Thursday afternoon, the Guardian has learned. “Water is not a commodity for the rich and powerful to profit off of,” said Warren, the progressive Democrat from Massachusetts. “Representative Khanna and I are standing up to protect water from Wall Street speculation and ensure one of our most essential resources isn’t auctioned off to the highest bidder.”
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04/18/2024 - 07:00
Exclusive: By the middle of the century, pollution from plastic industry could ‘undermine world’s effort’ to control climate crisis
By the middle of the century, global emissions from plastic production could triple to account for one-fifth of the Earth’s remaining carbon budget, an analysis has found.
The stunning new estimates from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, published on Wednesday, provide yet more evidence that the plastic industry is “undermining the world’s efforts to address climate change”, said Heather McTeer Toney, executive director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, which helped fund the new report.
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04/18/2024 - 05:00
From green beans to kale, here are some foods considered to be healthy yet which test poorly for pesticides
Pesticides pose a serious risk in conventionally grown versions of the produce shown below, according to a new analysis by Consumer Reports. Here’s why these fruits and vegetables are so problematic, plus how to safely fit them into your diet or make smart substitutions.
Read more from this pesticide investigation:
We found unhealthy pesticide levels in 20% of US produce – here’s what you need to know
Can you wash pesticides off your food? A guide to eating fewer toxic chemicals
Kale, watermelon and even some organic foods pose high pesticide risk, analysis finds
What’s safe to eat? Here is the pesticide risk level for each fruit and vegetable
This story was amended on 18 April 2024 to correct the name of the illustrator, whose name is Israel Vargas.
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04/18/2024 - 05:00
Consumer Reports recently conducted its most comprehensive review of pesticides in 59 US fruits and vegetables. Here the organization shares what it found
What’s safe to eat? Here is the pesticide risk level for each fruit and vegetable
When it comes to healthy eating, fruits and vegetables reign supreme. But along with all their vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can come something else: an unhealthy dose of dangerous pesticides.
Though using chemicals to control bugs, fungi and weeds helps farmers grow the food we need, it’s been clear since at least the 1960s that some chemicals also carry unacceptable health risks. And although certain notorious pesticides, such as DDT, have been banned in the US, government regulators have been slow to act on others. Even when a dangerous chemical is removed from the market, chemical companies and growers sometimes just start using other options that may be as dangerous.
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04/18/2024 - 05:00
Pesticides have contaminated the US fruit and vegetable supply – even some organics – a new analysis by Consumer Reports shows
What’s safe to eat? Here is the pesticide risk level for each fruit and vegetable
Watermelon, green beans and bell peppers are among the many common fruits and vegetables found in US supermarkets that contain potentially unsafe levels of pesticides, according to an analysis published today by Consumer Reports.
The new report – which analyzed seven years of US Department of Agriculture data on commonly eaten fruits and vegetables – offers one of the most comprehensive evaluations to date of pesticides found in US produce. The data was based on nearly 30,000 fruit and vegetable samples, including fresh, frozen, canned and organic, collected from supermarkets by the USDA as part of routine pesticide testing.
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04/18/2024 - 05:00
There are some simple steps you can take to minimize the amount of pesticides on your fruits and vegetables
To avoid pesticides, consider buying the fruits and vegetables that pose the least risk in a new analysis by Consumer Reports, and buying organic for those that pose the most. Below are answers to common questions about what other steps you can take.
Read more from this pesticide investigation:
We found unhealthy pesticide levels in 20% of US produce – here’s what you need to know
Kale, watermelon and even some organic foods pose high pesticide risk, analysis finds
Blueberries and bell peppers: six fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide risk
What’s safe to eat? Here is the pesticide risk level for each fruit and vegetable
This story was amended on 18 April 2024 to correct the name of the illustrator, whose name is Israel Vargas.
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04/18/2024 - 05:00
Even organic produce can contain unhealthy amounts of pesticide – see which fruits and vegetables rank best and worst
After reviewing the results of thousands of tests on fruits and vegetables, Consumer Reports has found unhealthy levels of pesticides in about 20% of US produce.
This chart, in alphabetical order, shows the risk from pesticides in conventional and organic produce, as well as whether the fruits and vegetables are domestically grown or imported. Consumer Reports “recommends those rated as very low, low or moderate risk. When possible, replace a food rated high or very high with a lower-risk one, or choose organic. Keep in mind that the risk comes from repeated servings over time.”
Can you wash pesticides off your food? A guide to eating fewer toxic chemicals
Kale, watermelon and even some organic foods pose high pesticide risk, analysis finds
Blueberries and bell peppers: six fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide risk
What’s safe to eat? Here is the pesticide risk level for each fruit and vegetable
Continue reading...
