Zero/ Roundup weedicide
NEW STUDIES: MONSANTO’S BEST SELLING ‘SAFE’ PESTICIDE IS HIGHLY TOXIC
Two new peer-reviewed scientific studies have further confirmed the toxicity of glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used herbicide. The June 2005 scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives reports that glyphosate, sold by Monsanto under the brand name Roundup®, damages human placental cells at exposure levels ten times less than what the company claims is safe. A study in the August journal Ecological Applications found that even when applied at concentrations that are one-third of the maximum concentrations typically found in waterways, Roundup® still killed up to 71 percent of tadpoles in the study. Similar glyphosate studies around the world have been equally alarming. The American Academy of Family Physicians epidemiological research has now linked exposure to the herbicide with increased risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a life-threatening cancer, while a Canadian study has linked glyphosate exposure with increased risk for miscarriage. A 2002 study linked glyphosate exposure with increased incidence of attention deficit disorder in children. Despite these studies, Monsanto continues to advertise Roundup®, sprayed heavily on 140 million acres of genetically engineered crops across the world, as one of the ’safest’ pesticides on the market. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html
Organic farms come out best
A recent study funded by the British government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, reported that organic farms in the UK support, on average, 32% more birds and 35% more bats than non-organic farms. According to the study, thicker hedging, smaller fields and the lack of pesticides on organic farms were all contributing factors to the richer wildlife. http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/birdsbats080305.cfmSaturday, August 13, 2005 – The Globe and Mail – That pesky bylaw.
Undeterred by past, soundly delivered defeats, the pesticide industry is taking another run at a Toronto bylaw that restricts cosmetic use of chemicals to kill off dandelions and bugs on homeowner lawns. Earlier this week, Croplife Canada and the Urban Pest Management Council (both representing manufacturers and distributors) launched an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn a lower court decision that strongly upheld the 2004 city bylaw. If the top court agrees to hear the case, and that’s no slam-dunk, the legal debate could be scheduled for 2007.Wednesday August 10, 2005 – The Tillsonburg News – Pesticide group will continue to push issue.
Nancy Boutin – Staff Writer.
Where cosmetic use of pesticides is concerned, local environmentalists aren’t giving up their push for restrictions. On Aug. 8, Canadian Cancer Society community outreach consultant Nathalie Noel came before council for the Town of Tillsonburg to express the society’s official position on the cosmetic use of pesticides. Noel’s presentation called for a ban on the ornamental use of pesticides on lawns and gardens, and cited the fact that ornamental pesticide use “has no countervailing health benefits,” and actually has the potential to cause harm. “The Canadian Cancer Society believes we should limit exposure now, rather than possibly face illness later,” she said. “To put it at its most basic level, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/story.php?id=177630
