Category Archives: agriculture

The EU Poised to Allow Gene-editing to Improve Farming Methods and Nutrition

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Thoughtscapism

The current EU GMO-legislation, based on late 1990s understanding of biotechnology, would leave Europe without access to current and future gene-edited crops, including existing ones like fortified tomatoes, soybeans with healthier fatty acid profiles, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria for fertilising agricultural … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biology, environment, nutrition, organic, society | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Toward More Intuitive Toxicology Information

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

Last week I had the privilege to attend a conference on risk science in New Orleans, and hold a roundtable together with neuroscientist Alison Bernstein from SciMoms. We were kindly invited to talk about our approach to risk communication by Center … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, chemistry, health, science communication | Tagged , | 11 Comments

No, Glyphosate Is Not a Threat to Bees

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

Glyphosate is a herbicide, in other words, it is toxic to plants. Its target enzyme is not found in insects or other animals, so it is generally not very harmful to them – and as confirmed by a recent study, even … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, environment | Tagged , | 16 Comments

Risk In Perspective: Zero Risk Is an Impossible Dream

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Thoughtscapism

This series is a collaboration between neuroscientist Alison Bernstein and biologist Iida Ruishalme. Errors in risk perception are at the core of so many issues in science communication that we think this is a critical topic to explore in detail. … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, alternative medicine, energy, environment, health, psychology | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

New Study Finds Neonicotinoids May Have Harmful, Beneficial, or No Effects on Bees

Posted on July 2, 2017 by Thoughtscapism

Two new bee papers were published just a few days ago. Below I will take a closer look at one of them, the larger European study, partly funded by pesticide companies but performed by an independent research lab, and it was … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biology | Tagged , | 33 Comments

From Ideas to Evidence, an Interview: My Organic Crisis and the Birth of This Blog

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Thoughtscapism

In four short years, since I started looking at the science of farming more closely, the topic of organic vs conventional has felt very worn out to me, several times. I already know how it will go: some people have … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, chemistry, environment, health, meta, nutrition, organic, science communication | Tagged | 1 Comment

‘Treatment-free’ Beekeepers Give Varroa Mite Free Rein

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Thoughtscapism

Infestations rarer among professional beekeepers Hobby beekeeping is very common. A European Bee Health Report found that in many countries, the majority of beekeepers pursue the activity as a hobby. They give Germany as an example: 80% of beekeepers keep just 1–20 … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biology | Tagged , | 44 Comments

No, The UN Did Not Dismiss Pesticides as Unnecessary

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Thoughtscapism

The authors of this report unfortunately do the discussion on pesticide use a disservice by relying on hyperbole from activist organisations rather than focusing on peer-reviewed sources. Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biotechnology | Tagged , | 4 Comments

14.-16. Glyphosate and Field Ecosystems

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Thoughtscapism

In my series 17 Questions about Glyphosate, question 14. deals with glyphosate resistant-weeds: whether they pose a problem, and why campaigners against glyphosate should be the last ones to worry about this particular issue. Question 15. looks at the soil ecosystems: … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, environment | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

13. Glyphosate and The Environment

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Thoughtscapism

In my series 17 Questions about Glyphosate, question 13. looks at glyphosate and its impacts on farming methods and the environment. Even if glyphosate poses no risk for the consumers, perhaps its problems lie in the effects on the environment? Let’s look … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, biotechnology, environment | Tagged , | 3 Comments