Calls for a ban on roundup ??

_Brian

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/03/24/394912399/a-top-weedkiiller-probably-causes-cancer-should-we-be-scared

Seems like the pressure on Monsanto seems to be growing.

If roundup and similar products were banned, what would the options for a general weedkiller be, what other products do the same job and are as cheap to buy (not that its really cheap).

I read through the article and TBH they mention nothing significant at all, they even admitt that long term review of agricultural workers using roundup show no higher incidents of cancer.

Its much more "possibly could cause cancer" than probably will cause cancer. Surely oil/petrol/diesel/detergents that we handle daily (rarely with gloves) possibly could cause cancer yet the chances of them being banned is slim..

I think this is as much to have a go at Monsanto as anything else, not that thats a bad thing in itself, what they have lobbied for and made happen in american farming is just wrong on so many levels..

ganmo

The French have banned it from garden centres recently. Would support the same here as is very effective at what it does and those who use it aren't always as careful with it as they should.

But a full ban...it's too useful

farmerjj

We,ll be banned from milking soon unless we do a ten day course....Nanny states

_Brian

farmerjj wrote: »

We,ll be banned from milking soon unless we do a ten day course....Nanny states

It's hard to believe that roundup is more dangerous than Mortone or Grazon90. I do wonder if this isn't just poking a stick at the beast that is Monsanto.

Now, we use Gallup in general but the notion of just mass spraying whole resistant fields of crops just wrong. Everything has it's use but use needs to be controlled.

It's a good promotion for te professional training.

Training and proper procedure should be sufficient to handle these chemicals safely.

I previously worked in an industry where we handled boron, arsenic, chlorine and a host if eat your face off acids. But once proper procedure was used and respect shown then handling them was "safe".

Dawggone

ganmo wrote: »

The French have banned it from garden centres recently. Would support the same here as is very effective at what it does and those who use it aren't always as careful with it as they should.

But a full ban...it's too useful

The French are going to ban it from home garden use...unless you get the necessary spray certs. Pure poppycock!

Sam Kade

farmerjj wrote: »

We,ll be banned from milking soon unless we do a ten day course....Nanny states

Remember when the department decided to inspect farmers while milking? All they did was drive the cows daft with their pencil scratching so they had to abandon the idea

Nekarsulm

Hopefully the "Anti Corporate America" bandwagon jumping tree huggers hug some poison ivy in the course of their "work"

frazzledhome

Sam Kade wrote: »

Remember when the department decided to inspect farmers while milking? All they did was drive the cows daft with their pencil scratching so they had to abandon the idea

They still inspect the milking procedure on a full x compliance inspection

td5man

frazzledhome wrote: »

They still inspect the milking procedure on a full x compliance inspection

😉

Sam Kade

frazzledhome wrote: »

They still inspect the milking procedure on a full x compliance inspection

What do they look out for?

frazzledhome

Sam Kade wrote: »

What do they look out for?

Procedure and good practise whatever that is.

td5man

Sam Kade wrote: »

What do they look out for?

Asked me what time I milked at in the morning. Must have been too early. ;-)

Capercaillie

Meanwhile here is some pesticides that are actually legal because their "natural" and allowed in organic farming. Rotenone is incredibly toxic and awful for the environment, it has a lower LD 50 (meaning it's poisonous in lower doses) than roundup yet you never hear anyone complain about it as it's not related to Monsanto. http://risk-monger.blogactiv.eu/.../save-the-bees-ban.../

Will_mck

If it was left to professional sprayer operators to apply who knew what they doing instead of these idiots who throw a bit extra in for luck or think PPE is something they did at school there would be zero risk of cancer

paddysdream

Will_mck wrote: »

If it was left to professional sprayer operators to apply who knew what they doing instead of these idiots who throw a bit extra in for luck or think PPE is something they did at school there would be zero risk of cancer

Two points.
Firstly have done the sprayer "course" so am a fully qualified professional user!!
If you think that doing it will mean any difference to the farmer who has done it then dream on.Everyone on my course and all those who have otherwise done it basically saw it as just another paperwork,box ticking exercise,jobs for the boys, whilst costing each of us 200 euro plus 2 or 3 days wasted.

Secondly did anyone actually read the article?
Its just a compilation of previous studies and not a new one.Also the risk level is the same as that of night working(circadian rhythm disruption) or drinking too much tea.
GM debate has nothing really to do with roundup apart from the fact that Monsanto are involved with both.

Blackcurrants

"The WHO conclusions are based on a very selective set of data. The most comprehensive review of Glyphosate carried out in the world, conducted by DE and peer reviewed by The EU Member States and the European Food Safety Authority does not concur with the WHO findings."
Department of Ag,Food and the Marine

Markcheese

Think it'd be a mistake to ban it- I can see the worth of not letting any idiot off the street go in and buy it though .
I think the courses are more ass covering than not - if you have to pass a course - you can't say how was I supposed to know - I shouldn't drink it - pour it down drain- leave the bottle lying around ect ect.
Really not keen on the use with GM though- just spray your crop with higher and higher doses of glyphosphate - no thanks