Last week I received in the mail someTrue ValueReward coupons that I could redeem at my local hardware store. I cut out the RoundUp coupon and mailed it back to the hardware store. I requested that the hardware store take RoundUp off its shelves, along with any other herbicide containing glyphosate. In March 2015, the United Nations’ World Health Organization stated that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” I told the hardware store to stop taking chances with our health.
In March 2016, “The Netherlands and Sweden have joined France in coming out strongly against the re-licensing of glyphosate-based herbicides in Europe. Nearly 1.5 million people have petitioned the European Union’s health commissioner for a ban on glyphosate. The Swedish environment minister said, ‘We won’t take risks with glyphosate and we don’t think that the analysis done so far is good enough’” (Sustainable Pulse, March 5, 2016). “France is banning glyphosate mixed with additives due to its perceived risks to human health. France’s minister of ecology called for the ban” (ecowatch.com, April 8, 2016).
Who is concerned about my health, here in the United States? Some countries in our world are concerned about the way the pesticide is being tested. “Chronic tests on pesticides may not reflect relevant environmental exposures if only one ingredient of these mixtures is tested alone” (Biomedical Research International).
What work is our Environmental Protection Agency doing with regard to this wide use of RoundUp in our neighborhoods, in addition to what is being used by farmers? “The United States Geological Survey has found RoundUp in our air, rain, streams and surface water and our food” (Ground Truth, Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, April 16, 2015).
I have noticed that there is a caution printed on the packaging of RoundUp. “Caution: Keep out of reach of children.” If only it read, “Keep out of reach of all humans.” I wish each human being who wants to use RoundUp will decide to find an alternative to using poisons to get rid of “weeds.”
I rather kneel and get my knees dirty. Then while I am down there connecting with the earth, I can pay due honor to this precious activity. And by the way, vinegar works wonders.
Consider investing in your local organic farm, instead of Monsanto.
Patricia Heather-Lea
Bristol