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- Kids' Health
- Health Threats & Effects
- Farming & Pesticides
- Chemicals at Home, School & Work
- Science & Public Policy
In Brief Articles
- The EPA’s Pesticide-Protection Failure
Opinion - Linda Greer, the director of NRDC’s public health program, discusses the failure of the federal government to implement the Food Quality Protection Act, a groundbreaking 1996 law recognizing that children are particularly vulnerable to the ill-effects of pesticides.
- Facts about Pollution from Livestock Farms
Fact Sheet - Facts and figures about pollution from factory farms, which produce staggering amounts of animal wastes that pollute the environment and do serious harm to humans, fish and ecosystems.
- Pollution from Giant Livestock Farms Threatens Public Health
News - Factory farms -- giant livestock farms that house thousands of cows, chickens or pigs -- produce staggering amounts of animal wastes. These wastes are often stored and used in ways that expose people to dangerous bacteria, toxic gases and other hazardous substances, and punish the natural environment.
- Safe Ways to Control Pests Around Your Home
Guides - These alternatives to toxic pesticides will protect the health of your household, while keeping insects, rodents and other pests at bay.
- EPA Won't Restrict Toxic Herbicide Atrazine, Despite Health Threat
News - White House documents obtained by NRDC reveal that industry influenced the decision.
- Organic Food 101
Fact Sheet - Over the last 50 years, farmers have become increasingly dependent on pesticides, fertilizers, and hormones. While this has helped to raise yield, it may wreak havoc on human health and the natural environment. In response, thousands of farmers across the U.S. have switched to organic growing methods. What exactly is organic food, and what are its advantages for farmers and the public?
- CSA: Farm Support with a Twist
FAQ - Since the mid-1980s, many communities in the U.S. have joined with local farms in food purchasing coops. This practice, known as Community Supported Agriculture, matches consumers interested in safe food with small local farmers seeking stable markets for their crops.
- The Story of Silent Spring
History - Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) was one of the landmark books of the 20th century. It described how DDT entered the food chain and accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals, including human beings, causing cancer and genetic damage. Silent Spring not only exposed the hazards of the pesticide DDT, but eloquently questioned humanity's faith in technological progress and helped set the stage for the environmental movement that followed.
