ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An environmental group has given formal notice that it will sue the federal government to protect polar bears from pesticide pollution. The Center for Biological Diversity on Wednesday gave 60-day notice it will sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to consider the effects of pesticides on polar bears and their Arctic habitat.

The government has won its appeal against a High Court ruling that DEFRA had failed in its duty to protect rural residents during pesticide applications. The Court of Appeal decided in DEFRA's favour on Tuesday (7 July). It is a blow for anti-pesticide campaigner Georgina Downs, who had argued that DEFRA failed to abide by European pesticide rules.

One of the reasons I don’t buy organic – besides being on a professor’s salary, which I have no complaints about but I’m certainly not going to waste it on organic – is that the so-called claims and rules are followed about as thoroughly as Peanut Corporation of America can pass an audit and end up having 4,000 products recalled because Salmonella makes people barf

I don't believe in organic. There, I've said it and I feel better. It's something that's been on my mind for years.