This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Friday, 26 November 2021
A Roundup For 'Roundup'?
The active ingredient in the most widely-used herbicide preparations of farmers and gardeners, is glyphosphate. This compound may, however, be genotoxic and could cause cancers. The European Chemicals Agency and the European Food Safety Authority are due to evaluate whether to renew the EU licence for glyphosphate herbicide use, when current approval expires in December 2022. A number of EU countries (supported by farming lobbies?) are pushing for this to happen. A paper from the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna is casting some doubt. It showed that the vast majority of studies submitted to support their case by the producers, fail to meet current international standards to ensure scientific validity (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/26/glyphosate-eu-regulators-studies-roundup-weedkiller). It is worrying that the decision to relicence glyphosphate may be based on dodgy data, as well as being influenced by pressures from herbicide manufacturers and 'Big farmer'.
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