The lack of regulation in the US pesticide market in the 1980s prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to take action, effectively shrinking the marketplace for rat poisons. However, the presence of e-commerce today has created a loophole in EPA regulations, allowing dangerous engineered chemicals like brodifacoum to reach consumers through online shopping. While these rodenticides can kill rats in just a few moments, the toxins can stay trapped in animal tissue for months after being consumed. Thus, they also affect animals that eat rodents and pose an ecological menace. Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
