Displaying 121 - 144 of 7839
Big Ag’s “Celery Calculator” Lowballs Pesticide Risk
Big agribusiness hates it when we talk dirty. The Dirty Dozen that is, EWG's list of fresh fruits and vegetables that are most likely to carry pesticide residues.
Whose Freedom is Growth Energy Fueling?
A group of corn ethanol producers is mounting an aggressive campaign they call their “Fueling Freedom Plan” that would have taxpayers spend scarce resources on biofuels pipelines, gas station pumps...
Black Farmers Finally See Justice
Yesterday (Nov 19) it was announced that the $1.15 billion awarded black farmers in the Pigford settlement that arose from decades of discriminatory practices at the U.S. Department of Agriculture...
The Corn Ethanol Bridge has Become a Destination
Eight years ago, there were 61 plants producing ethanol to blend with gasoline in the United States; today there are about 200. Eight years ago, 13 percent of those plants used a feedstock other than...
Wealthy Ag Lobbies Cry Poor
Welcome to Kernel Watch, a time-to-time AgMag series looking at the follies, excesses and outright distortions spouted by agribusiness and its PR and lobby arms. Their goal is to keep consumers in the...
Throwing Good Money After Bad Lands
In 1982, scientists observed record numbers of migratory birds at California's Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge hatching with massive deformities. Baby birds had grossly misshapen beaks, twisted...
Eating lower - and better - on the food chain
Cutting back on the amount of meat in the American diet is one of the best ways people can shrink their carbon footprint – and at the same time slim their waistlines and improve overall health.
USDA Pushes Advanced Biofuels But Clings to Corn
Even as it announced several initiatives to promote development of advanced biofuels, the Obama Administration made clear Thursday (Oct. 21) that it's not prepared to let go of corn ethanol and other...
NASCAR Gasses Up on Corn Ethanol - For a Price
In a fall season rife with bad news for the corn ethanol industry, its lobby has been hyping a new partnership with NASCAR. According to USA Today, NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France announced the...
The Downfall of Direct Payments
The Congressional Super Committee may decide the fate of the hotly debated “direct payment” subsidies for farmers in the next several weeks -- most likely in a smoke filled room without democratic...
President Obama Makes Another Run at Wasteful Farm Subsidies
Yesterday (Sept 19), president Obama unveiled his plan to cut the federal budget. Part of that plan entails cuts to lavish farm subsidies paid out to mega-farms regardless of need, and cuts to the...
Subsidy Defenders Cheerleading for Super Congress Failure
Ask almost anyone engaged in US agriculture policy, and the consensus is that the current budget crisis makes it all but inevitable that the suite of taxpayer-funded programs authorized under the...
When Feds Put Food Safety On Back Burner
When the federal government skimps on food safety, especially inspections, people can get seriously ill and in some cases, die. That's why Congress can't afford to underfund the landmark bipartisan...
Shoppers have a problem with pesticides
If the thought of eating weed-killer with your watermelon makes your cringe, you're not alone. Nearly 60 percent of Americans prefer organic over conventional foods.
Just About Everyone Has Something to Say About Meat
On July 18, EWG released a report on how the food we eat affects our bodies and the planet. We called it a Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health. In it, we shared our findings about 20 popular...
Why The Farm Bill Matters
It's a huge and comprehensive piece of legislation that drives federal spending and policies on agriculture, nutrition and conservation programs. In just one year – 2010 – farm bill programs spent $96...
Food Deserts Boast Big Supporters, Funding Fizzles
When was the last time a big city mayor rode into office making “food deserts” one of his campaign issues?
Level the Playing Field? Uh, Never Mind.
When the corn ethanol lobby is fighting to defend its trifecta of government subsidies, it routinely rolls out its favorite “level playing field” talking point.
Time for USDA to Release New Pesticide Residue Data
On Friday (May 13), Environmental Working Group President Ken Cook blew the whistle on the agri-chemical lobby's months-long effort to get the government to put the industry's spin on the upcoming...
Jimmy Kimmel's Celery Vs. Gummy Bear Calorie Test
On Sept 23rd, Jimmy Kimmel Live hosted "Science Bob" Pflugfelder. Watch below as the acclaimed science educator and Jimmy conduct an experiment to see which has more calories, a piece of celery -- or...
Personal care products are largely unregulated. The FDA does not even require safety testing of ingredients in personal care products before they are used.
Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
Well, as we do each year, EWG released (on June 19) the latest Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce and as we suspected, eaters around the country are still concerned about high levels of toxic...
California's Skewed Farm Subsidy Priorities
Environmental Working Group Senior Analyst Kari Hamerschlag used EWG's new farm subsidy database to take a deep, critical look at the subsidy system in California. She found (pdf) that although cotton...
