(Rotterdam, NL) Just a short while ago, on June 27th, the Rotterdam city council voted to ban Monsanto’s controversial Roundup herbicide. The initiative was begun largely thanks to a citizen run petition campaign appropriately named, “Non-toxic Sidewalks for Our Children”, along with a lot of support from the Green Party to get it passed.While glyphosate(RoundUp’s “active” ingredient) has long been believed to be quite non-toxic, recent studies have shown that to be very much untrue. The herbicide, currently the most used in the world by a large margin, has been found to be especially harmful when combined with the adjuvants labeled as “inert ingredients” which are designed to increase delivery of the pesticide to target plants. This ban is considered a big win by the city and a large number of the citizenry who have been working hard to both start the initiative and get it passed. RoundUp has already been found in the urine of a majority of western European urbanites, according to a recent study. “It is bad stuff and I’m glad we’re giving it up,” says Emile Cammeraat, Green party leader in the council. ’The producer Monsanto also provides genetically engineered seeds, Monsanto’s own plants are the only thing RoundUp doesn’t kill. In such a business district as you want to be, no Roundup is simply necessary, as there are organic alternatives. ” (Translated by Fritz Kreiss) In addition to this win, the Greens have many more reasons to celebrate as they had 12 more of their proposals passed. The city will be designing and building many more projects all over ranging from new parks and play areas, new fruit trees all over, initiatives to help support the bees and other important wildlife, all the way up to new green wall projects being erected. ”Think of more flowers, more space for urban wildlife and (natural) scrublands, and less lawnmowing.”, said Ms. Cammeraat. The initiative was clearly started primarily out of parents’ concern for the children playing in parks and other areas that may be contaminated by the pesticide, but as often is the case with environmentally related initiatives such as these; the benefits it ultimately results in are innumerable. Total cost of the 12 initiatives is projected to be approximately 90,000 euros (the glyphosate ban costs little to nothing at all). Sources: https://rotterdam.nieuws.nl
Good for them. "the glyphosate ban costs little to nothing at all" I find that a bit hard to believe. If stopping using roundup was cheap, lots of councils would do it. The problem is that roundup IS cheaper on yearly budgets than the other options.
"How is glyphosphate cheaper than boiling water? Education is what is needed for local councils." Hey Pak Have you looked at actual costings? There is at least one council in NZ that has trialed steam. There was some issue with the company that provided the machines charging through the teeth because they had a monoply (something like that). The machine also needs certain kinds of kerbing to run along (ie they couldn't use steam on roads that didn't have kerbing). So the council switched to pine oil (which makes some people sick). Yes, both the monopoly and the kerbing issue are resolvable theoretically, but probably beyond the scope of the individual council. I also think that if one did a true costing (taking into account the local economy vs monsanto profits in the global economy, local employment etc) that methods other than roundup would be more cost effective. Most ratepayers would probably disagree with me though ;-)
How can you come to that conclusion of cost when you take into account at least 7 generations of toxin in the soil vs. Boiling water (not steam) in 1 day with no side effects? How do you weigh the side effects of a chemical in terms of medical & other costs as cheaper vs. uhm... water?
Pretty good Pak. It's pretty obvious that Councils don't take long term residues into account in their budgets. Or the other things I mentioned in my post. Which I am sure you well know
I figure this is a better place to put this than any other on the subject, Especially since it directly references Glysophate A New Monsanto Growth Initiative Sprouts Up https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/07/27/a-new-monsanto-growth-initiative-sprouts-up.aspx
What sickens me is the actual profits this obscene company is raking in and bragging about are the result of an apathetic ignorant public believes whatever they are told because some Authority says so.
