Imported from Control Freaks – Page 4

Dear Dr. Oz: We Don’t Spray Feathers

September 23, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Not long ago, in front of a Senate panel, Dr. Oz (the most trusted doctor in America) was told by Senator Claire McCaskill “I don’t get why you need to say this stuff because you know its not true.” Senator McCaskill was referring to the many “miracle” weight loss supplements that Dr. Oz promotes on his show, but she could easily have been referring to any number of other topics that the TV doctor has addressed. In particular, Dr. Oz …

Is Your Child in a Toxic Spray Zone?

August 19, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released a blog post titled “Thousands Of Schools Would be Close To Toxic Spray Zones.” The report basically states that if Enlist Duo herbicide is approved by the EPA, many school-aged children will be put at great risk. Enlist Duo is a new formulation of two well-characterized herbicides (2,4-D and glyphosate) currently under consideration by the EPA. If approved, Dow plans to sell the combination herbicide in conjunction with Enlist corn and soybean, biotech …

Seralini Rat Study Revisited

July 3, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Anyone interested in the GMO debate has probably heard about the Seralini paper that I criticized a while back. That paper was eventually retracted by the original journal, and it has now been re-published in a different journal. There are quite a few articles describing the background, so I won’t get into those details. I suggest reading recent pieces at Retraction Watch or Grist if you want to get the background information. The Seralini press release for the re-published article states “The raw …

Regulating Herbicide Resistance

June 23, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

A few months ago, I wrote about 2,4-D resistant corn and soybean. At that time, the USDA had just completed it’s draft environmental impact statement for the two crops. While the USDA regulates crops developed through biotechnology, it is the EPA that regulates pesticide use. So before the new formulation of 2,4-D can be applied to the new corn and soybean varieties, it will need to be approved for use by the EPA. The comment period for the 2,4-D draft …

Salt, Vinegar, and Glyphosate

June 5, 2014January 30, 2019 - by Andrew Kniss

I’ve been asked quite a few times over the last several years about a “homemade” herbicide recipe that is floating around the web. Many of you have probably seen it posted to Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest, or on your favorite home gardening site. One of my favorite descriptions calls it a “magical, natural, weed killing potion.” The recipe is largely the same regardless of the source. There are a pretty wide variety of claims about its safety, effectiveness, and “naturalness” depending on the …

Defining Agroecology

May 20, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Agroecology (ag´ rō i kol´ ə jē), n. An ecosystems approach to agriculture. Agroecology. It’s an unfamiliar term to many people. And even people who are actively engaged in some aspect of agroecology sometimes disagree about what it means. I have to admit, even though the term is pretty important to me, I was fairly oblivious (or at the very least, indifferent) to the ambiguity until very recently. But it seems more and more I find myself trying to define …

UW’s hybrid of agricultural science

May 20, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

This article was written by Dr. Robin Groose and originally published in the Casper Star-Tribune on September 14, 1993. It has been reproduced here with the author’s consent. UW’s hybrid of agricultural science “Agroecology.” You won’t find the word in Webster’s. But someday you will. Today “Agroecology” appears with increasing frequency in the scientific literature, and even in new book and journal titles. And you’ll find a new program in Agroecology at the University of Wyoming. My department, Plant, …

Fitness of herbicide resistance genes revisited

March 22, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

Last August, an article was published in New Phytologist that claimed a transgene added to rice could increase the fitness of a weedy relative. The paper was covered in the media pretty widely. When I read the paper, I didn’t think the authors presented nearly enough data to support their conclusions. You can find my criticisms in detail here. I think it is worth revisiting this paper now for a couple of reasons. The first is that two formal criticisms …

The “failure” of biotechnology to increase crop yield

February 26, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

For some reason, over the last few days I’ve heard a lot of people criticizing GMOs for not increasing crop yields. This criticism certainly isn’t new. I don’t really understand the reason for the sudden resurgence of this claim, but it does provide an excuse to address the topic with some actual data. GMOs can claim some successes, but a widespread quantum leap in the yield of important food crops is not one of them. – Jonathan Foley If you take a …

Are herbicides responsible for the decline in Monarch butterflies?

February 10, 2014February 15, 2018 - by Andrew Kniss

The monarch butterfly is in bad shape. The number of monarchs returning to their overwintering sites in Mexico has been declining steadily for at least a decade. The consensus suggests there are several reasons for this decline, including loss of their overwintering habitat and unfavorable weather patterns. But the purported cause of monarch decline that seems to get the most coverage is the loss of milkweed (Asclepias spp) in the midwestern US migratory path. The evidence seems clear that the number …