What if one of the most widely used pesticides in the world is something most people have never even heard of, despite likely encountering it daily?

In episode 206 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast we are discussing neonicotinoids, often called “neonics.”

They’re the most commonly used insecticides in the United States, applied to crops, lawns, gardens, golf courses, and even found in flea and tick treatments for pets. They’re designed to make plants themselves toxic to insects—but that efficiency comes at a cost to people and the planet.

So how are chemicals with these kinds of impacts still allowed in our food, water, and everyday products? And why has federal regulation lagged so far behind the science?

To help answer those questions and more, I’m joined by Daniel Raichel, an expert on pollinators and pesticides at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The NRDC is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than three million members and online activists. Since 1970, NRDC has used science, policy, law, and people power to protect public health and confront the climate crisis.

Dan is an attorney by training and directs NRDC’s work focused on protecting bees and other wildlife from toxic pesticides. Before joining NRDC’s Nature Program, he co-directed the Community Fracking Defense Project and worked on industrial pollution cleanup in the New York region.

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More Information

Dan Raichel: https://www.nrdc.org/bio/daniel-raichel

Neonics 101: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/neonicotinoids-101-effects-humans-and-bees

The Toxic Truth: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/neonics-toxic-truth

NRDC sues EPA: https://www.nrdc.org/press-releases/nrdc-sues-epa-unreasonable-delay-addressing-toxic-pesticides-food