by Professor Parthiba Basu A reduction in the volume of pesticide consumption in certain countries is often cited as a success of anti-pesticide use campaigns. The pesticide industry also cites such declines as evidence for positive and pro-environment progress. It is true that the use of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides and fungicides) [...]
In a German nationwide monitoring programme, a consortium of scientists led by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has shown that the governmental thresholds for pesticides are generally too high and that even these excessively high levels are still exceeded in over 80% of water bodies. Loss of biodiversity [...]
by Dr Harry Siviter A doctor will always ask if you are on any other medication before they write you a prescription. This is because pharmaceuticals can interact with each other and potentially disrupt treatment, or even harm the patient. But when agrochemicals, such as pesticides, are licensed for use [...]
by Prof Dr Josef Settele The fight against global warming and for sustainable development can only succeed if all political decisions take the issues of climate protection, biodiversity and social justice into account equally. This is the core message in the recent peer-reviewed workshop report, Biodiversity and Climate Change, by [...]
by Dr Julie Schneider (CHEM Trust) and Dr Francesca Bevan (Marine Conservation Society) Chemical pollution is a big concern for aquatic wildlife in the UK. Agricultural pesticides and road runoff, household and industrial wastewater, as well as leachates from landfills and past industrial sites, all end up as mixtures of [...]
by Tari Gunstone and Dr Aditi Dubey Soils are incredibly biodiverse ecosystems, containing millions of organisms that provide essential services for our survival. Thanks to the busy work of these unsung heroes, we are fed, have filtered water and recycled waste, and our planet’s temperature is regulated. Unfortunately, soils are [...]
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and its partners support over a million cotton farmers in India. Recently BCI India approached PAN UK and asked for training on the basics of agroecology to help farmers to produce a healthy crop with reduced pesticide use. Over 270 staff and implementing partners from BCI [...]
by Josie Cohen, Brighton & Hove resident and Head of Policy & Campaigns, PAN UK We were disappointed to read recent articles by The Guardian, Sunday Times and Daily Mail attacking Brighton & Hove City Council for their ban on urban pesticides. These articles completely ignore the human health benefits of [...]
by Emma Pavans de Ceccatty, Pesticide-Free Towns Campaign Manager, PAN UK Our recent series of talks Reassembling Our Cities brought together 16 inspiring speakers to celebrate the diversity of nature in our cities and gardens, and the incredible projects that these speakers have set up to promote and protect it. Our [...]
By Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology, University of Sussex NOTE: We have until the 26th January to collect 100,000 signatures in order to trigger a debate in parliament. Please add your name below. SIGN THE PETITION We are calling for the UK Government to ban the use [...]
By Jon Farrant, Head of Finance & Governance, PAN UK The last year has been a year unlike anything in living memory with significant uncertainty and disruption flowing from the continuing coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has impacted on all organisations, including PAN UK, and we have had to respond to [...]
by Dr Robin Mesnage, King's College London Herbicides have become a vital tool for weed management in an intensified agricultural production system. Nontrivial amounts are also sprayed on industrial sites, roadsides, railway tracks, sports areas and even private gardens. Determining whether the use of a pesticide is likely to [...]
A guest blog by RSPB's Stephanie Morren about an exciting joint project we are running together: Increasingly, farmers and other land managers are looking for ways to reduce their reliance on pesticides. This is due to a number of reasons including concern for the environment, concern for their [...]
by Dr Alex Stuart, International Project Manager, PAN UK Due to the beautiful and complex interactions that occur between species, maintaining biodiversity underpins all life on earth. However, according to a recent UNEP report, the global rate of species extinction is now tens to hundreds of times higher than the [...]
by Keith Tyrell, Director, PAN UK Three decades ago, as a young graduate I embarked on a career in environmental and safety management. One of my first jobs was working on the safety systems of highly hazardous industries like oil and gas and chemical plants to ensure that the risk [...]
The result of the London Mayoral election has finally been decided, a year behind schedule, and Sadiq Khan will be in power for another four years. At the London Mayoral Environment Hustings prior to the election, PAN UK was heartened to hear from all political parties in attendance that they [...]
by Susan Haffmans, PAN Germany At first glance it might not look like much: PAN International issued two new documents today. Instead of fancy layouts and colourful pictures the documents offer lists, facts and numbers. But those numbers are quite something. They provide transparency and guidance to drive political [...]
PAN UK chatted with journalist Carey Gillam, author of the new book The Monsanto Papers: Deadly Secrets, Corporate Corruption, and One Man’s Search for Justice PAN UK: Your new book is described by one reviewer as “a powerful story, well told, and a remarkable work of investigative journalism…. a [...]
Red Tractor is the UK’s largest food standards scheme with roughly 46,000 British members (21% of all UK farmers). It aims to drive up standards in the three areas of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. In January, Red Tractor launched a two-month public consultation on proposals to update [...]
by Sarah Haynes, Collaboration Coordinator, hosted by PAN UK Over the last few months, PAN UK and RSPB have mobilised 45 organisations and individual farmers and academics to respond collectively to the UK Government’s public consultation on the revised UK National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides [...]
