Organic food sales continued to climb in Maryland and across the county in 2016, with $17.6 billion in certified organic products sold. The U.C. Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems has helpful new organic grower guides available for free. Denmark’s fourth-largest city will ban the use of pesticides in private yards and gardens, broadcaster DR reported this week. In other news, Trump’s pick for Environmental Protection Agency chemical safety chief, Michael Dourson, will be in a position to set safety levels for many of the same chemicals his company was paid to defend, including nine pesticides scheduled for scrutiny and 20 industrial compounds that may be evaluated under the recently updated chemical safety law. And a new study has found much of the world’s honey is laced with toxic pesticides.
Organic sales continue to climb in Maryland, nationally.
Organic food sales continued to climb in Maryland and across the county in 2016, with $17.6 billion in certified organic products sold. The push by consumers for more information about the source of their food has benefited organic farms — and all farms — said Lori Leitzel Rice, who runs a certified organic orchard in Middletown with her husband, Eric.
Danish city to ban homeowners’ use of pesticides.
Aalborg Council, home to Denmark’s fourth-largest city, will ban the use of pesticides in private yards and gardens, broadcaster DR reported this week.
The use of commercial pesticides like Monsanto’s Roundup will be banned because of health concerns, the chairman of Aalborg’s environmental committee said.
Trump’s Pick for EPA Safety Chief Argued Kids Are Less Sensitive Toxins.
MICHAEL DOURSON, The toxicologist who will be the subject of a confirmation hearing on Wednesday for what many consider the second most powerful post at the Environmental Protection Agency, has been hired by industry to consult on at least 30 of the chemicals he may be responsible for reviewing if he assumes office. Dourson’s consulting company, Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment, or TERA, was paid by Dow Chemical, CropLife America, the American Chemistry Council, the American Petroleum Institute, Koch Industries, and other companies and industry groups to study dozens of chemicals. The evaluations TERA produced consistently failed to recognize threats that were clear to scientists and regulators not on the companies’ payrolls.
Dourson will be in a position to set safety levels for many of the same chemicals his company was paid to defend, including nine pesticides scheduled for scrutiny and 20 industrial compounds that may be evaluated under the recently updated chemical safety law.
Much of the world’s honey laced with pesticides, study finds
Honey from around the world was collected and studied with shocking findings just announced. All contamination levels were below the amounts regulations permit for human consumption. But almost half of the samples had a pesticide concentration above the minimum level known to have detrimental effects on bee health. These effects include impaired learning or memory, which negatively impacts bees’ abilities to remember the path to and from the hive, reducing their effectiveness at collecting food and ultimately harming the health and resilience of a hive.
