When the going gets tough, the tough ...get stronger! With the recent Supreme Court decision to limit EPA's ability to address climate change, we may see more such decisions coming down the Supreme Court pike -- decisions that may hinder needed protections on toxic pesticides. While we are worried by this 'canary in the coal mine,' we want you to know that WE intend to keep working hard to protect the health of all life in our region, and will do so with our partners across the country, addressing emerging issues, such as the forever chemical PFAS in pesticides.
Please respond to the three Take Actionsin the newsletter to address some of the current issues we are all being faced with.
We rarely ask for donations in our newsletter (other than our subtle 2 'donate' buttons), but honestly, we are a very small staff with a Big Agenda that just became much Bigger! We need donations from our community to assist us in hiring much-needed staff to ensure we are able to continue building on our successes. The Maryland Pesticide Education Network's Smart on Pesticides Coalition has been publicly acknowledged by national organizations as "the most effective coalition in the country working on pesticide issues."
Like you, we get donation requests daily and, during primary elections it is critical for each of us to support the candidates we want to see represent us. That said, even a $10-15 monthly donation from our community of readers will help us 'keep on keeping on.'
Thank you for helping us keep up the good fight! Like to see what else we do, aside from our monthly newsletter?Go here.
Vote With Your Wallet, Vote With Your Fork! GO Organic!Where to shop and how to go organic in all you do -- even on a budget!Learn how
For outdoor and indoor gardeners: Check out our page on GROWING, the Go Organic way, inviting beauty and bounty into our yards and gardens. Learn more
Treehugger has come out with a helpful list of three safe, eco-friendly cleaning products recommended by sustainability expert Katherine Martinko. Learn more
Looking for a beginners guide to growing your own fruits, veggies, and herbs -- no matter where you live? Treehugger has you covered. Learn more
Look out! Toxic PFAS, the 'Everywhere Chemicals,' are in organic foods, common drugs, and pesticides, and foodware. Sierra Club offers a list of products to avoid and those found to be safer.Learn more
Why should we be organic? Our friends at the Rodale Institute explain, "This isn't just about food. Organic is a vision for working & living in harmony with nature.The result is healthy soil, which grows healthy plants, which makes for healthy people." Learn more
URGENT PROBLEM AT THE EPA Take Action: EPA is bending to the chemical industry by narrowing its definition of a PFAS, thereby excluding half of the 12,000 PFAS chemicals -- such as in pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Urge your representative to co-sponsor HR5987. Sign on now!
More on this emerging PFAS issue...
Scientific American reports that nearly 70% of all pesticides introduced into the global market from 2015 to 2020 contain highly toxic PFAS chemicals or related compounds. Learn more
A powerful contingent of agricultural grower groups has filed the latest salvoin a years-long battle over the pesticide chlorpyrifos, seeking to reverse the new rule banning the chemical from U.S. food production. The move comes after health and environmental advocates forced EPA to ban chlorpyrifos in farming due to evidence showing the chemical damages children's brains.Learn more
Action Needed: Did you know that all uses of chlorpyrifos have been banned in Maryland since January 2022? Sadly many users, including local government agencies, are unaware of this Maryland Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) regulation. You can help us check stores for banned products -- its simple! If you see a banned product used or sold anywhere in your community, please let us know at info@mdpestnet.org! Download the Pollinator Protection Squad flyer for all the details you need to check stores and report banned products to us.
A major federal appeals court ruling on cancer-causing glyphosate will force EPA to re-examine risks of the pesticide. The court ruled unanimously that EPA did not adequately consider whether glyphosate causes cancer & threatens endangered species.Learn more
A very troubling new scientific study finds environmental exposure to neurotoxic pesticides increases Parkinson's Disease risk through gastrointestinal disruption & preexisting chemical damage to the nervous system. Learn more
Take Action: World Food Safety Day was held on June 7th. In light of this, our friends at Center for Food Safety have put out a petition urging the FDA to hire a deputy commissioner of foods to clean up FDA's food programs!Sign on here!
The Xerces Society and Center for Biological Diversity are suing the federal Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service over its program allowing insecticide spraying on millions of acres in 17 western states. Learn more
A new open access paper on environmental justice & pesticides describes how current U.S. laws, regulations, policies, & practices perpetuate disparities in pesticide exposure and act as a barrier to environmental justice.Learn more
EPA has released final biological evaluations confirming that 3 widely used neonicotinoid insecticides likely harm three-fourths of all endangered plants & animals, including all 39 species of amphibians protected under the Endangered Species Act. Learn more
Although bumblebees & honeybees get all the attention, there are other bees that are just as important to a blooming ecosystem. Researchers recently uncovered the importance of pollinator diversity and found that less common bees are more critical to ecosystem health than previously believed.Learn more
Did you know? A bumblebee swarms' capacity to adjust their nests' climate to protect their brood is severely damaged by the toxic pesticide Glyphosate.Learn more
A new study suggests that light pollution, a common problem in cities and the densely populated suburbs of Maryland, interferes with butterfly migration. A good way to protect these pollinators may just be to turn off the lights. Learn more
Friends of the Earth, and a coalition of consumer & environmental groups have renewed pressure for Kroger to eliminate toxic pesticides linked to rapid declines in pollinator populations, as it lags behind many of its competitors. Learn more
Send us your garden pictures! We'd like to feature them on our social media. Email us
A new organic milk line that relies on grazing, animal welfare, healthier cows, well-paid farmers & conservation practices could help save both the Chesapeake Bay & struggling dairy farmers in Pennsylvania. Learn more
Tractors & other machinery used on farms have grown enormously heavier over the past 60 years, now weighing as much as the heaviest dinosaurs. The weight of these massive contraptions have since proven detrimental for soil health, causing soil to be chronically compacted. Learn more
Author Oliver Milman discusses the decline of pollinator populations, the importance they have to vulnerable communities and crop production, & promising methods of protecting & restoring pollinators in their ecosystems in his new book, The Insect Crisis.
Also, check out this interview he did with Civil Eats on the book. Learn More
Please help support our work to protect our babies, bees, and the Bay!
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