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The Latest by Jessica A. Knoblauch

Senior Staff Writer

August 19, 2011

Friday Finds: Herbicide Overkill

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Monsanto’s herbicide harms plants it’s meant to protect Monsanto’s popular herbicide Roundup may be harming more than just weeds, reports Reuters. A recent study by US Department of Agriculture microbiologist Bob Kremer found that repeated and widespread use of Roundup, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate, on crops genetically engineered to withstand the pesticide is …

August 11, 2011

Friday Finds: SpongeBob's Global Warming Conspiracy

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

FOX News attacks climate change believing sponge A sea sponge is the latest target of the FOX News climate denial-sphere, reports ThinkProgress. In a recent episode of FOX and Friends, the hosts rip into the popular kids’ cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants for its segment on climate change, which points to humans as the source of Earth’s …

August 4, 2011

Friday Finds: (Corporate) Welfare Queens

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Dirty energy industry takes handouts despite record profits Last week, oil and gas companies announced billion-dollar profits in their second quarter, reports the New York Times, even as they continue to receive government subsidies. BP, the infamous oil company that wrecked the Gulf’s economy and environment last year with an unprecedented oil spill, reported about $5.6 billion …

July 29, 2011

OMG, GMOs: Food Safety Attorney George Kimbrell

By Jessica A. Knoblauch  /  Mid-Pacific Office

This is the final part in a series of Q & A's on genetically engineered food, which harm the environment by increasing pesticide use, creating pesticide resistant superweeds and contaminating conventional and organic crops.

July 28, 2011

Friday Finds: Tequila Transformation

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Tequila takes a shot at decreasing gasoline use A new study that looks at the life-cycle analysis of agave-derived ethanol has found that the desert plant produces relatively few carbon emissions, positioning itself as a possible biofuel and substitute for gasoline, reports the Guardian. Though agave is best known for its use in distilling tequila, …

July 22, 2011

Friday Finds: Predator vs. People

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Environment loses in predator versus people standoff A new study has found that the decline of the world’s largest predators is wreaking havoc on the rest of the ecosystem, reports the Washington Post. Nature abhors a vacuum, and by killing off large sums of the world’s wolves, lions, buffalo and wildebeest, humans have inadvertently opened …

July 15, 2011

OMG, GMOs: Organic Seed Farmer Frank Morton

By Jessica A. Knoblauch  /  Mid-Pacific Office

This is the third in a series of Q & A's on genetically engineered food, which harm the environment by increasing pesticide use, creating pesticide resistant superweeds and contaminating conventional and organic crops.

July 15, 2011

Friday Finds: Schmuck Hunt

By Jessica A. Knoblauch

Republicans cutting enviro bills shoot themselves in the foot Republican measures to cut environmental programs that keep the nation’s air and water clean may prove foolish if they continue to ruffle the feathers of outdoorsmen, reports Politico. The angler and hunter crowd may typically swing conservative, but that could change if House Republicans continue their …

A sugar beet farm
July 14, 2011

OMG, GMOs: Pesticide Expert Charles Benbrook

By Jessica A. Knoblauch  /  Mid-Pacific Office

Earthjustice is challenging the USDA's decision to allow genetically engineered sugar beets and alfalfa onto the market.

July 13, 2011

OMG, GMOs: Earthjustice's Paul Achitoff

By Jessica A. Knoblauch  /  Mid-Pacific Office

Why are genetically engineered (GE) crops bad for the environment?