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'A beautifully descriptive, lyrical immersion in the natural world that's coupled with a detective story, reminiscent of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.'— Library Journal2023 Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award Winner 2024 Nautilus Book Awards - Restorative Earth Practices, Silver WinnerAll spring, Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn watched as her family fruit farm of many years became increasingly diminished, suffering from a lack of bees. The plentiful wildlife, so abundant just weeks before, was gone. Everything was still, silent. As an environmental scientist trained to investigate disease outbreaks, she rose to the challenge. Step by step, day by day, despite facing headwinds from skeptical neighbors, environmental experts, and agricultural consultants, she'd assembled information. Her observations provided a framework, a timeline to explain the evidence she'd collected. The chemicals found in her water samples showed beyond any doubt that not only her farm, but her greater farming community, was at risk from toxic chemicals that travelled with rain water over the land, into water, and deep within the soil. Hilborn was given a front row seat to the insect apocalypse. Even as a scientist, she'd been unaware of the risks to life from some common agricultural chemicals. Her goal was to protect her farm and the animals who lived there. But first she had to convince her rural neighbors of the risk to their way of life, too.A lyrical celebration of nature by a passionate citizen scientist who felt called to advocate for the land, earth, and creatures who don't have a voice, Restoring Eden ultimately offers hope that citizens can create change, that reform is possible.

Nano-Enabled Agrochemicals in Agriculture presents a targeted overview of the safe implementation of nanotechnologies within agricultural and horticultural settings, with the purpose of achieving enhanced production while maintaining ecological integrity. The growing global request for agricultural crops and products requires high standards of quality and safety, which has stimulated the search for new technologies that preserve their quality and delay their decomposition. Nanotechnology may boost plant production by improving nutrient uptake/use efficiency with nanoformulations of fertilizers and agrochemicals for plant enhancement, detection and treatment of diseases, and host-parasite interactions at the molecular level using nanosensors. It also may improve plant disease diagnostics, removal of contaminants from soil and water, postharvest management of vegetables and flowers, and reclamation of salt-affected soils. Although the markets for nanoproducts and nanoformulations continue to increase, there are also growing concerns regarding the fate and behavior of nanomaterials in environmental systems. Exploring important topics related to nanotechnology and nanomaterials, the book includes the use of nanochemicals in insect pest management, as nanofungicides, nanoherbicides, micronutrient supply, and nanosensors to monitor crop and soil health conditions, from detection of agrochemicals to their slow release of agrochemicals, and their impact on related environs. This book will serve as an excellent resource for a wide range of plant scientists who have concerns about nanomaterial interactions with terrestrial and aquatic plants. - Focuses on emerging important topics related to nanotechnology and nanomaterials on agricultural systems - Emphasizes new applications of nanomaterials in the agricultural sciences, from fertilizers to irrigation systems - Addresses concerns about nanomaterial interactions with terrestrial and aquatic plants

A David and Goliath battle for truth A specialist in GM foods and pesticides, the biologist Gilles-Éric Seralini has studied their toxicity and effects on people's health for many years. In September 2012, for the first time in a major scientific journal (Food and Chemical Toxicology), he published a study showing the effect on the liver and kidneys of two of Monsanto's flagship products: Roundup weedkiller and the GM foods created to absorb it. Images from the study of tumor-ridden rats fed with GM foods and Roundup went viral. The study was a PR disaster for Monsanto. The multinational soon bounced back and did everything in its power to cover up the study—leaning on the publishers to retract the findings. Monsanto began a series of smear campaigns to discredit Seralini and fellow researchers and intimidate their supporters, while pumping out their own collection of fake research findings and testimonies. These practices were met with huge suspicion, but there was no concrete evidence until, in 2017, Monsanto was ordered to publish tens of thousands of confidential documents in a class-action lawsuit presented by thousands of individuals afflicted with serious illnesses from their use of Roundup. The'Monsanto Papers'that were produced subsequently proved the company's cynical attempts at a cover-up as well as its fraudulent practices. Gilles-Éric Seralini and Jérôme Douzelet delved into the documents and discovered how, in the pursuit of its own short term economic interests, Monsanto used sophisticated methods of deceit to bypass legislation devised to protect millions of people. Seralini and Douzelet discovered how Monsanto managed to provide phony assessments to conceal the poisons its products contain, thus deceiving the public authorities and the scientific and medical communities.

Klingende Worte beschreiben die Zerstörung der Natur. Die Rede ist von Pestiziden, die Mensch und Tier vergiften, vom gestörten ökologischen Gleichgewicht, von erschöpften Böden. Die ökologische Krisenpublizistik hat Metaphern hervorgebracht wie Ackergift und Mutter Erde, Waldsterben und chemischer Tod, Giftwelle und Krieg gegen die Natur. Die Vergiftung der Erde ist nicht bloß ein toxikologischer Befund, sondern eine kulturelle Leitmetapher in ökologischen Diskursen. Was ist deren naturwissenschaftlicher Kern? Gründen diese politischen Metaphern gar in jahrhundertealten antijüdischen Stigmawörtern wie der Brunnenvergiftung? In einer faszinierenden Studie verbindet der Autor Aspekte der agrarischen Industrialisierung mit der Geschichte der politischen und religiösen Giftmetapher, der Naturwissenschaft vom Gift und der Geistesgeschichte organischer Erdmetaphern.

Sustainable Use of Chemicals in Agriculture, Volume 2, explores the wide breadth of emerging and state-of-the-art technologies used to study the sustainable use of chemicals in agriculture. Sections in this new release include modern agriculture in Europe and the role/place of chemicals, a regulatory vision of the sustainable use of pesticides and risk mitigation, the perception of the concept in other regions of the globe, certification and added value for farm production, and how research and education can influence implementation and development, among other valuable topics. - Covers a wide breadth of emerging and state-of-the-art technologies - Includes contributions from an International board of authors - Provides a comprehensive set of reviews

Agricultural production is in a period of rapid transformation which has seen an increase in the use of biotechnology, synthetic chemistry, biological chemicals and biopesticides. These disciplines are integrated with improvements in application technology, digital farming and the use of big data. Whilst offering unique opportunities to reduce potential environmental impacts, these advances also raise new environmental concerns. This book provides an overview of the changes occurring in the agricultural industry, highlighting opportunities to address impacts and indicating potential barriers to adoption of the technology. This new edition has been updated to include the very latest in agricultural developments, including organic farming and genetically modified crops. It is of interest to students and academics, as well as farmers and landowners and those working in legislation.

This concise, accessible introduction to understanding agricultural chemicals and public health combines a broad synthesis on a global scale with rich ethnographic narratives on a human scale. Drawing on epidemiology, policy analysis, and social science research on the global commodity chain, the authors describe the system of global agrochemical dependence that constitutes a major threat to human health. Then they draw readers into the lush mountainsides of highland Guatemala, telling personal stories of farmers, their experiences with public health programs, their struggles against agrichemical dependence, and their innovations in sustainable agriculture. Finally, they show how this kind of qualitative, multi-level analysis holds practical lessons for public health. This engaging, brief text is an ideal supplement for courses in global health, introducing students to key concepts with broad coverage and engrossing ethnographic detail.

An investigation of the massive agribusiness company, from a winner of the Rachel Carson Prize: “Well supported by wide-ranging scientific evidence.” —Kirkus Reviews The result of a remarkable three-year-long investigation that took award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin across four continents, The World According to Monsanto tells the little-known yet shocking story of this agribusiness giant—the world's leading producer of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)—and how its new “green” face is no less malign than its PCB- and Agent Orange–soaked past. Robin reports that, following its long history of manufacturing hazardous chemicals and lethal herbicides, Monsanto is now marketing itself as a “life sciences” company, seemingly convinced about the virtues of sustainable development. However, Monsanto now controls the majority of the yield of the world's genetically modified corn and soy—ingredients found in more than 95 percent of American households—and its alarming legal and political tactics to maintain this monopoly are the subject of worldwide concern. Released alongside the documentary film of the same name, The World According to Monsanto is sure to change the way we think about food safety and the corporate control of our food supply.

Rodale was founded on the belief that organic gardening is the key to better health both for us and for the planet, and never has this message been more urgent. Now, with Organic Manifesto, Maria Rodale, chairman of Rodale, sheds new light on the state of 21st century farming. She examines the unholy alliances that have formed between the chemical companies that produce fertilizer and genetically altered seeds, the agricultural educational system that is virtually subsidized by those same companies, and the government agencies in thrall to powerful lobbyists, all of which perpetuate dangerous farming practices and deliberate misconceptions about organic farming and foods. Interviews with government officials, doctors, scientists, and farmers from coast to coast bolster her position that chemical-free farming may be the single most effective tool we have to protect our environment and, even more important, our health.

Advances in Fluorine Science is a new book series presenting critical multidisciplinary overviews on areas in which fluorine and fluoride compounds have a decisive impact. The individual volumes of Advances in Fluorine Science are thematic, addressing comprehensively both the science and applications on topics including the Environment, Green chemistry, Medicine, Health & Life Sciences, New Technologies & Materials Science, Energy and the Earth Sciences. In the present volume, the key-position of fluoro-products in agriculture is reviewed, since a large percentage of agro-chemicals and pesticides contain at least one fluorine atom. However, improvements in the use of fluorine-based products in agrochemicals cannot be developed without taking into consideration a safer environment, on both levels of greener synthesis routes and a reduction of the negative impact on plants and organisms. Within this scope, fluorine has a very peculiar place, since its high reactivity yields several advantages, for instance in by-passing various polluting multi-step reactions. Fluorine-based materials are reviewed as efficient tools for protecting our cultural heritage. Also using up-to-date techniques such as ion beam analysis, this element can help relative dating applications, ranging from burial durations of archaeological bones and teeth to the determination of exposure ages of meteorites on the Antarctic ice shield. - Providing an original approach of the complex relationships between chemistry and the environment - Reviewing the key-position of fluoro-products in agriculture - Multidisciplinary contributions from chemists, geologists, biologists, environmentalists and industry staffs

Chemical Concepts in Pollutant Behavior demonstrates how the properties of a chemical determine its fate and distribution in the environment. Over the past thirty years the author has worked with colleagues on addressing problems associated with chemicals, particularly pesticides, and it has become evident how important a chemical perspective can be in understanding and minimizing these problems. Now in a newly updated second edition, this accessible text requires only a basic understanding of chemistry. Classroom tested, it is an excellent resource for students and professionals working in environmental science, toxicology, chemistry, and engineering, as well as ecology, public health, agriculture, and forestry.

Environmental and consumer activists have for a long time blamed pesticides, fertilizers and other aspects of intensive farming for causing environmental degradation and human disease. Yet, as the authors in this book show, intensive farming has enabled growth in food production at a rate greater than population growth, thereby ensuring that people are better fed than ever before, whilst simultaneously limiting the effect of farming on the environment.The authors debunk numerous pervasive myths, including:Myth: Pesticides are bad for the environment and bad for human healthFact: Synthetic pesticides enable the production of large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables, which means that people are better protected against cancer. In addition, the synthetic pesticides themselves are often less toxic than natural pesticides. Overall, synthetic pesticides present a net gain in health terms.Myth: Antibiotic resistance in animals is spreading to humans.Fact: The use of antibiotics in young animals keeps meat prices low and does not materially contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans.Myth: Nitrate fertilizers are a threat to human health.Fact: Nitrate fertilizers are probably beneficial to human health.Myth: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are bad for the environment and bad for our health.Fact: Many environmental problems associated with agriculture can be reduced by using GMOs, which have the potential to improve yields and quality which simultaneously reducing associated inputs, such as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Commercially produced GM foodcrops have no known impacts on human health and future GM foodcrops are likely to have health benefits (enabling such things as low-fat chips/french fries and non-allergenic peanuts).Myth: Instances of food poisoning would be reduced if we had more regulations.Fact: Instances of food poisoning in the UK may have been exacerbated by over-cautious government regulation.Myth: Subsidies are needed to order to ensure that food and fish are produced in environmentally sound ways.Fact: Subsidies to fisheries and farming have caused widespread environmental degradation.Myth: Packaging and transporting food is environmentally unfriendly.Fact: Packaging enhances the shelf life of products and reduces wastage during transport. Transporting food allows society to take advantage of different environmental and socio-economic conditions that exist in different places.

Enormous increases in agricultural productivity can properly be associated with the use of chemicals. This statement applies equally to crop production through the use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, as to livestock production and the associated use of drugs, steroids and other growth accelerators. There is, however a dark side to this picture and it is important to balance the benefits which flow from the use of agricultural chemicals against their environmental impacts which sometimes are seriously disadvantageous. Agricultural Chemicals and the Environment explores a variety of issues which currently are subject to wide-ranging debate and are of concern not only to the scientific establishment and to students, but also to farmers, landowners, managers, legislators, and to the general public.

First Responder's Guide to Agricultural Chemical Accidents provides emergency safety and health information for 452 toxic and hazardous products. These products, frequently used by pest exterminators and farmers, include those insecticides, pesticides, rodenticides, herbicides, and fertilizers commonly transported on highways and by rail carriers. The book lists products alphabetically and includes the manufacturer and telephone number, chemical identification, physical properties, hazard ratings, neutralizing agents (when known), fire fighting agents, special warnings, evacuation distances, protective clothing, health hazard information, and emergency first aid for exposure. This important information allows any First Responder to establish a safe plan of action without having to reference the library of chemical books normally carried by a Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team (HERT).First Responder's Guide to Agricultural Chemical Accidents is an essential reference that provides critical hazardous materials data for personnel at fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and emergency medical agencies. The book will also be useful for business or individuals that store, sell, or use agricultural chemicals.