/oss/taxonomy/term/557/all en /oss/article/environment/glyphosate-trial <p>First of all, let’s point out that this trial dealt with occupational exposure to glyphosate and had nothing to do with trace amounts of the chemical in our food supply. Nevertheless, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Washington, an advocacy organization that is a long-standing critic of the use of glyphosate, took the opportunity to ride on the coat tails of the publicity garnered by the California lawsuit to publish a report about traces of glyphosate in oat products and suggested that these were a threat to health.</p> Thu, 16 Aug 2018 17:38:12 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7310 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/should-we-worry-about-glyphosate-residues-wine <p><span>Scarcely a day goes by without some scary story about glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide. It is best known as the active ingredient in Monsanto’s “Roundup” which is used to kill weeds in fields planted with seeds that have been genetically engineered to produce crops that are resistant to glyphosate. Fields can be sprayed to kill weeds without harming crops. But glyphosate has many other applications as well. It is used to kill weeds in orchards, clear railroad tracks and eliminate weeds in urban settings.</span></p> Thu, 08 Mar 2018 18:02:33 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 6958 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-news/us-epa-approves-new-herbicide-system-first-time-ever-restrictions <p>The Environmental Protection Agency disregarded critics by approving Enlist Duo, a new herbicide developed by Dow AgroSciences. In fact Enlist Duo is not totally new. It is a combination of two widely used herbicides, glyphosate and 2,4D. The herbicide, to be used with Dow‘s genetically modified corn and soybean seeds, was developed to counteract the problem of weed resistance.  A serious issue, caused among other things, by the overuse of single herbicide systems based on glyphosate, the herbicide developed by Monsanto for use with its Roundup Ready crops.</p> Mon, 27 Oct 2014 02:02:43 +0000 Ariel Fenster PhD 2208 at /oss /oss/article/controversial-science-environment-food-health-news-technology/seeds-hope <p>Why would anyone oppose a technology that dramatically increases crop yields and protects farmers from excessive exposure to pesticides? Because of irrational fears about the technology involved, which is of course genetic modification. A battle is now brewing in India and Bangladesh over the planting of eggplant that has been genetically modified to resist attack by insects. Eggplant is a staple in many dishes in India and Bangladesh but unfortunately the plant is susceptible to attack by the fruit and shoot borer and farmers have to spray to prevent infestation on a regular basis.</p> Fri, 21 Nov 2014 22:30:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2214 at /oss /oss/article/food/many-scientists-smell-rat-french-gmo-rat-study <p>A recent French study that purports to show a link between the consumption of genetically modified corn and a variety of ailments, including cancer, was just the tasty morsel that critics of genetically modified foods (GMOs) hungered for.  For many scientists, however, the study proved to be a source of indigestion.</p> <p> </p> Sun, 10 Feb 2013 17:42:04 +0000 OSS 1869 at /oss /oss/article/environment-health-technology/resistance-24-d-resistant-corn-and-soy <p>Get ready for a new controversy.  Corn and soybeans that are genetically engineered to resist the weed killer 2,4-D are heading for approval.  And they are also heading for an onslaught of opposition from activists and some farmers.  The idea of genetic modification for herbicide resistance is not new.  Corn, soybean, canola and cotton growers in North America have been using Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” seeds for years.  Previous to the introduction of this technology large amounts of chemicals had to be applied to plowed fields before seeding to eliminate weeds.  With Roundup Ready crops th</p> Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:05:42 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1703 at /oss