Rocco Passafaro
Contributor
Five years have passed since the 11th of March 2011, when one the most devastating natural disasters of our decade took place in Japan. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident was the consequence of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, so strong that it permanently moved Japan’s main island more than two metres to the east, which
Polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as PCBs, are a group of highly toxic man-made chemicals introduced in the early twentieth century and quickly acclaimed as an industrial breakthrough. Like the pesticide DDT and herbicide Agent Orange, which were also once thought to be safe, PCBs have a dark side. They don’t break down easily and can
Italian plant neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso has been working tirelessly to teach the world that plants are intelligent creatures that are able to communicate with each other in order to find nutrients, propagate their species and defend themselves against predators. Naturalist Charles Darwin introduced this notion in the late 1800s, although it was not taken seriously
The advent of the new millennium has seen the rapid, unstoppable growth of what is now the hugely popular organic movement. A multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, in many cases organic means big business, led by corporations often attempting to cut corners in order to maximize profits. Consumers can choose to buy from
Water is what citizens most fear in the US city of Flint, Michigan as lead contamination has caused physical and mental health issues for local consumers. According to them these include skin lesions, hair loss, high levels of lead in the blood, vision loss, memory loss, depression and anxiety. President Barack Obama has declared a
Water fluoridation is one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century according to the US Centers for Disease Control, but long-term studies show that fluoride may cause negative health effects. Most of Europe has rejected this practice, and while 25 countries have water fluoridation programmes, more people drink artificially fluoridated water
Discussions about GMOs, carcinogenic pesticides and food allergies are making Americans take a step back, looking back to a time when nature ruled. The US, where wheat is the principal food grain, is seeing a resurgence of ancient varieties such as Turkey Hard Red Winter Wheat, which came to the country in the 19th century,
