I don’t care about spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees… this was the Joni Mitchell song in the 70s when DDT was a common pesticide. It may be banned in America but its effects linger on. Then there are entire classes of pesticides that are believed to be killing us in […]
Rachel Carson would be shocked: A recent study has found that the concentrations of banned chemicals like PCBs, DDT and organochlorines found in human breast milk of women sampled throughout Tunisia indicate widespread and elevated contamination particularly in older members of rural populations with high dairy and meat intake. Although these concentration levels are relatively low for […]
We’ve killed it! Once the fourth largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is about 10% of its former size.
The tragedy of two little girls dying from pesticide poisoning in Jerusalem, while their older brothers fight for their lives highlights the immediate dangers of pesticides. This graphic incident has finally succeeded in bringing to the forefront the seriousness of overuse of pesticides in a country whose best loved vegetables carry heavy pesticide loads.
This is just one reason why I don’t allow pesticides to come near my home and children: two children have died, and two more are in critical condition after a Jerusalem exterminator applied the pesticide aluminum phosphide in a Jerusalem apartment.
Even a small swarm of locusts can eat the food of 35,000 people! The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is alerting North Africa to prepare people and food producers about a damaging swarm of locusts expected to move in over the coming weeks. The UN organization is alerting North Africa’s Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and […]
Down side of crop dusting is pesticides that cause neurological damage: photo by Alberto Denkberg/Haaretz Air and water pollution in Israel from insecticides, oil and other petroleum-based residues from older gas stations; and other chemicals are feared to be causing neurological damage to people according to new studies. Various forms of insecticides, especially the use […]
Fresh produce stands like this one are popular all over Turkey. But these colorful displays contain a toxic blend of pesticides, according to a new Greenpeace report (in German). Of 76 different fruits and vegetables recently evaluated, Turkish peppers contained the most excessive and dangerous amounts of pesticide chemicals, according to Food Without Pesticides, a new 26-page guide […]
With farming traditions that are already “organic”, embattled Syria can easily become an important organic food producer, based on climate, practices and location to Europe. This past January President Bashar Assad issued Legislative Decree No. 12 for 2012 related to organic farming in Syria. The decree aims at laying the foundation for developing organic production […]
These innocuous-looking pellets release deadly fumes that killed a young IT professional in Dubai last week. This is the second pesticide-related tragedy we are covering this week. A few days ago, no fewer than 15 top racing camels in Qatar died after their breeder administered a toxic chemical to their skin, which the owner blames […]
Camels are prized by their owners. Did the Qatari breeder kill 15 of his own through negligence, or is the vet to blame? More than two dozen racing camels in Qatar died after their breeder administered a toxic pesticide to their skin. Misfer Safran Al Merri purchased Diazinon from the Al Shahainya veterinary center and then […]
This really bad picture of former Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister Youssef Wali should not blur his egregious crimes. Hosni Mubarak is not the only official to lose tremendous face following the dramatic Egyptian revolution earlier this year. The former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Youssef Wali also became the subject […]
Increased flooding and temperatures could increase our exposure to chemicals kept in check according to the terms of the Stockholm Treaty. In 2004, the Stockholm Treaty was established to manage exposure to 21 dangerous chemicals. The Jerusalem Post reports that a recently-published United Nations document shows that climate change could undermine the ability of 172 […]
Pregnant women in Jerusalem might not be receiving adequate protection against harmful pesticides, while those with graduate degrees had the highest levels of all. Given the choice between a roach-free house or one filled with scattering critters, most people will take the former. But in some parts of the Middle East, such as the UAE, […]
Plastic bags, however you use them, is one reason for an increase in petroleum production in Middle Eastern countries. How greasy is that outfit you’re wearing? People don’t always realize that today’s modern fabrics may contain petroleum. And petroleum is used in a surprising number of consumer items. Petroleum production and consumption increases greenhouse gases […]
Ramadan observers frustrated over sluggish herb supply might be relieved to keep their meals pesticide-free During Ramadan, families tend to stay home and cook more. Perhaps too much, at times, since earnest observers generate 500 tonnes of organic trash. But what is your favorite cous-cous dish, or other Iftar meal, without a generous helping of […]
The aphids’ survival technique against chomping mammals may be used against them to spare crops Whether we’re trying to ensure public health in Iran or expanding limited water sources in Israel, we’re constantly mining solutions to humanity’s woes. Unfortunately, many businesses leave their ethics at home and invest in ventures, such as pesticides, that are […]
Agrochemicals might be big business, but they are a bad deal for the environment and human health. Israeli firm, Makhteshim-Agan Industries, believes that there is a bright future for chemical pesticides. It has just bet $1 billion dollars on this hope, buying out the Albough chemical manufacturer in a move which, according to Ha’aretz, will […]
Need another reason to eat organic? Or at least pesticide-free? In a study to be published this month, Israeli researchers examining the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in the Wadi Ara communities in northern Israel found an unusually high prevalence of the disease in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh. Baqa al-Gharbiyeh, an Arab community, has an incidence of 73.39 […]
Bug off, eh? When a virus carried by the whitefly almost destroyed Israel’s tomato crop, Meteor developed an innovative new anti-insect net to keep the bugs out. Meet Avi Klayman. He’s the man who saved Israel’s tomato crop and in the process stumbled onto a multi-million dollar industry that is now creating a green revolution […]
Plant pathologist Norman Borlaug, 95, died this Saturday, raising questions about the legacy of industrial food in the Third World. In 1970, Borlaug received a Nobel Peace Prize for averting famine through bringing fertilizers, pesticides and new plant strains to countries like India, Mexico and Pakistan. But environmentalists argue that his plant engineering only delayed […]
As part of its long bid for European Union membership, Turkey has announced that 74 pesticides are off limits because they are poisonous. The Hurriyet Daily News reports that the EU has a list of 135 illegal chemicals, and Turkey is working on the others. This is part of several environmental moves afoot in Turkey, […]
The army unit I served in (way back when) was featured in tonight’s news broadcast for having cancer levels more than twice as high as other infantry units. Channel 2 TV (Arutz 2) reported this evening (video, in Hebrew) that IDF’s Nachal infantry had 2.5 as many Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cases than either Paratroopers or Golani, […]
One of the wonderful customs that the American settlers here in the Middle East has brought over from the old country is Thanksgiving. Here is my green tribute to them! In 1621, the Plymouth colonists, led by William Bradford and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the […]
(Image credit: Corbis) It’s bad for the environment, but you know you want it. You want those strawberries in the dead of winter. You know you should be eating local produce year round to avoid all of the carbon emissions associated with flying in food from distant places or using energy guzzling greenhouses to grow […]