Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the well known herbicide RoundUp. First used in 1974, it’s now been on the market 43 years, and has become the world’s most widely used herbicide. It’s pollution is widespread; it pollutes land, surface and groundwater, and our food. One test showed detectable levels in 1 out of every 2 people tested.
Glyphosate is a ‘probable carcinogen’, and associated with a long list of other health and reproductive problems.
It’s used by farmers, gardeners, cities and municipalities and others all over the world. Huge numbers of people come in physical contact with it every day. People use it in their own gardens, but also spray it other places. I’ve been through RoundUp wars in my community gardens, where gardeners sprayed it in each others gardens, and heard of many similar stories with home gardeners.
Most people I know who use it are completely unaware of the dangers, and don’t think anything of endangering others. Certainly local governments are rarely concerned about using it in public spaces.
We’ve now had 43 years of complete failure. Governments have failed us by approving it’s use, and not properly regulating it. Farmers and corporations have failed us, by putting profit and greed before our health. NGOs and environmental organizations have failed us, by failing to speak out loudly and effectively against a flawed and failing system of industrial agriculture and it’s poisons. There are no winners and no victories, only complete failure.
End of Life
Now we’ve finally reached glyphosate’s useful end of life. All relevant patents have expired, and there’s no way for the world’s wealthiest 1% to make grotesque profits from it’s use any more. It’s available in cheap generic formulations. There are super weeds in many areas that are resistant to it. In addition there are many newer, more effective, herbicides in the research pipeline. It’s time to send it the way of the standard light bulb, and ban it, so everyone who currently uses it is forced onto more expensive and possibly more dangerous alternatives.
Want to help out? If you live in Europe, there’s a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) calling for glyphosate to be banned. With your signature, you can help make the world’s wealthy wealthier and help increase corporate profits.
In Europe the funding of organizations is always a secret, and the only way you can follow the trail of money is by taking notice of an organizations activities and partners. Many of the organizations putting their names forward on this initiative are the same ones that have failed us in the past, and are known to accept money from the food industry.
The Real Solution
The real solution is a complete reform of the food industry, grassroots driven, top to bottom. We need to address those profit mechanisms that have polluted the world with RoundUp. We need a complete rethink of the way our food is grown, and how it’s paid for.
