Topic: pesticides

Ignore The Hype — Organic Food Is Still Better For You

Ignore The Hype -- Organic Food Is Still Better For You

“Organic food is no more nutritious than non-organic.” If you’ve read a newspaper, looked at Google News or watched The Today Show this morning, you may have heard this (generally preceded or followed by the words “study says,” so you know it’s Science. Sanctioned.). Don’t believe it. If you look a little closer, you’ll see that a “study says” no such thing — at least not if you consider “healthy” and “nutritious” to mean free of pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. More »

2012 Dirty Dozen Updates: The 12 Fruits & Vegetables Highest In Toxic Pesticides

2012 Dirty Dozen Updates: The 12 Fruits & Vegetables Highest In Toxic Pesticides

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released 2012 updates to the Dirty Dozen—a list of the 12 most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables—adding cucumbers to the list, in addition to a new “plus” category to indicate produce that didn’t meet the Dirty Dozen criteria, but are still contaminated with organophosphate insecticides, which are toxic to the nervous system. Most of the list is the same as in years past, but this year the EWG says to watch out for cucumbers, leafy greens like kale and collard greens, and green beans. More »

Pesticides Harm More Than Just Bed Bugs

Pesticides Harm More Than Just Bed Bugs

As if bed bugs aren’t scary enough—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now reporting that the pesticides used to kill them can cause human illness and even fatality. From 2003 to 2010, 111 people in the U.S. were sickened and one was killed from bed bug insecticides. Common symptoms included headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, though 81% of these cases were not severe. More »

Steer Clear of Pesticides; Grow Your Own Cilantro

Steer Clear of Pesticides; Grow Your Own Cilantro

“I grow cilantro on my deck,” he said. “If someone is really concerned, they can do that to.”

That’s Chris Pappas, a chemist who oversees the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s pesticide testing, in this Chicago Tribune article. A recently released report from the USDA says the agency found 34 unapproved pesticides on random samples of cilantro it tested. Out of all cilantro tested, 44 percent had residues of at least one unapproved pesticide (this compared to just five percent of spinach samples and two percent of apples). More »

Morning Links: Marriage Keeps Women In Shape

Morning Links: Marriage Keeps Women In Shape

EPA Allowed Known Toxic Pesticide – A leaked EPA document reveals that the Environmental Protection Agency allowed a known bee-toxic pesticide, despite scientist concerns. (grist.org)

Wives are Better Than Husbands – At keeping fit, at least. A study shows that marriage keeps women fitter, but it doesn’t have the same effect on men. (Rodale)

Wrinkle-Free Clothes Could Be Bad for Your Skin – Travel-friendly no-wrinkle clothing could also make you sick, thanks to formaldehyde. (New York Times) More »

The Dirty Dozen, Beauty Edition: Chemicals to Ban From Your Cosmetics

The Dirty Dozen, Beauty Edition: Chemicals to Ban From Your Cosmetics

Sometimes, it’s hard to be a consumer. Giving all your love to just the right kind of products isn’t simple or cheap, so we rely hard on lists like “the dirty dozen” to make us smarter shoppers. We’re thrilled to find a dirty dozen list for our cosmetics; when it comes to shampoo and eyeshadow, it’s hard to remember which chemicals we should care about (or even how to pronounce them). The David Suzuki foundation, a charitable Canadian group dedicated to environmental conservation and education, finally made a list to help us decipher what we should toss out of our medicine cabinets. More »

Farmers Market Fakes: Is Your Produce Really Local and Organic?

Farmers Market Fakes: Is Your Produce Really Local and Organic?

You design your shopping schedule around farmer’s market schedules and pay a premium for organic fruits and vegetables at them, but how do you’re really getting good quality, locally farmed produce? According to a recent investigation by NBC Los Angeles, many farmers market stalls are making false claims about their produce, selling items that weren’t grown locally and aren’t actually pesticide-free. More »

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