Pesticides Are Spreading Toxic 'Forever Chemicals,' Scientists Warn

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Dear Reader, Our reckoning with so-called "forever chemicals"—the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, that have been used in numerous consumer goods and linked to several ailments—has been a long time coming. The Biden administration has published a PFAS Strategic Roadmap and Congress is looking into passing laws to regulate their use. But scientists are pointing to one use of these chemicals that has been relatively overlooked: pesticides. Find out more about the problem in our lead story this week.

Andrea Thompson, Associate Editor, Sustainability

Pollution Pesticides Are Spreading Toxic 'Forever Chemicals,' Scientists Warn Common chemicals sprayed on many crops each year are cloaked in bureaucratic uncertainties By Meg Wilcox

Biochemistry 'Superworms' Eat--and Survive on--Polystyrene Identifying the gut microbes in plastic-munching beetle larvae illuminates bacteria that could help degrade plastic waste By Fionna Samuels

Animals Wiggling Whiskers Help Hungry Seals Hunt in the Dark A new seal's-eye view shows these specialized hairs in motion at sea By Sasha Warren

Pollution The EPA Plans to Rein in Truck Pollution to Ease Asthma, but It May Not Go Far Enough Scientists say the agency's analyses do not capture the full extent of how bad exhaust is for segments of the population By Andrea Gawrylewski

Animals See the Mysterious Sea Creatures That Only Come Up at Night "Blackwater" divers photograph the largest migration of animals on the planet By Andrea Gawrylewski

Renewable Energy Renewable Energy Credits Allow Companies to Overstate Emissions Reductions The findings of a new study call into question whether businesses are truly meeting climate goals By Camille Bond,E&E News

Genetics Stress Management Helped Wolves Become Dogs Genetic mutations related to production of the stress hormone cortisol may have played a role in the process of canine domestication By Rachel Nuwer

Renewable Energy Engineers Look to River and Ocean Currents for Clean Energy The Department of Energy is helping to fund 11 projects that are designed to harness the power of moving water By John Fialka,E&E News

Fossil Fuels Oil Companies Tee Up the Next Supreme Court Climate Showdown The companies are asking the justices to step in once again in a sprawling legal fight over the industry's climate liability By Lesley Clark,E&E News

FROM THE STORE The Science of Climate Change As evidence for human interference in the Earth's climate continues to accumulate, scientists have gained a better understanding of when, where and how the impacts of global warming are being felt. In this eBook, we examine those impacts on the planet, on human society and on the plant and animal kingdoms, as well as effective mitigation strategies including resourceful urban design and smart carbon policies. *Editor's Note: This Collector's Edition was published as Climate Change. The eBook adaptation contains all of the articles, but some of the artwork has been removed to optimize viewing on tablet devices.

QUOTE OF THE DAY "Why on earth would you allow PFAS to be put in something that's sprayed on millions and millions of acres every single year? It's called a forever chemical for a reason" Kyla Bennett, the director of science policy at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

FROM THE ARCHIVE Can We Forecast Caldera Collapses? The formation of cauldronlike volcanic depressions is enormously destructive—but it may also be predictable By Fabrice R. Fontaine | September 2019

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