As consumers and regulators do soul-searching over how much pesticides mean to the economy and their grocery bills, chemical companies are racing to develop the next big organic pesticide. That’s not an oxymoron. There are a lot of misconceptions about what you’re getting when you’re buying organic foods.
Rachael Bale
Reporter / researcher
Rachael Bale is a reporter and researcher for The Center for Investigative Reporting. Previously, she worked at KQED in San Francisco and The Center for Public Integrity, an investigative journalism nonprofit in Washington, D.C., where she covered campaign finance in the 2012 election. A California native, she has a bachelor's degree in political science from Reed College and a master's degree in journalism from American University.
Posted inSustainability
5 pesticides used in US are banned in other countries
As the European Union moves to phase out 22 toxic pesticides, a new study raises the question of what will happen to crops without them. In the United States, growers rely on many pesticides that other countries have banned. Many farm groups in the U.S. argue that there are no acceptable alternatives to these pesticides – that […]
Posted inEnvironment, Pesticides
5 pesticides used in US are banned in other countries
U.S. growers rely on several pesticides that have been prohibited by other countries after being linked to health risks and the disappearance of bee colonies.
Posted inSustainability
The problem with America’s abandoned mines
A mine plans its death before its birth. The leftover waste from mines is so hazardous that mining companies must figure out what to do with it decades in advance, even before they start digging. That’s how it works today, at least. But in 1981, when the United States government began requiring mines to have […]
Posted inEnvironment, Oil and Mining
The problem with America’s abandoned mines
By some estimates, there are as many as half a million abandoned mines in the U.S., sites that have the potential to contaminate water, pollute soil, kill wildlife and sicken humans.
Posted inEnvironment, Oil and Mining
Here’s what you need to know about the deep-sea gold rush
The ocean floor is a treasure trove of valuable minerals and metals, and the first deep-sea mine could begin operations as soon as 2017, but the environmental risks aren’t fully known.
Posted inEnvironment, Oil and Mining
China’s other pollution problem – its soil
An environmental ministry report revealed that at least one-fifth of all arable land is contaminated with heavy metals, putting the country’s food supply at risk.
Posted inEnvironment, Oil and Mining
Massive Mongolian mine endangers nomads’ water, way of life
Mongolia boasts one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, thanks in part to a booming copper and gold mine. But it has struggled to live up to its promises of world-class environmental standards.
Posted inBorder Patrol, National Security
What happens to migrant children after the Border Patrol detains them?
More than 57,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border since October. This FAQ explains what happens to those children between the time they’re apprehended and the time they’re put into the system.
Posted inBorder Patrol, Immigration, National Security
Border agency blocks release of independent report on use of force
A man walks along the border fence in Tijuana, Mexico, near where a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot Mexican citizen Edgar Ortega in 2008. Authorities said Ortega was throwing rocks at agents.Guillermo Arias/Associated Press Despite pledges from the Obama administration for greater transparency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has kept secret a potentially embarrassing independent […]