By Bridget Doherty

Glyphosate: Where it is Banned, Where it is Found, and the Dangers it Poses to Us All

As the temperatures rise and the days grow longer, people are spending more time outside. Whether they are gardening, taking their dogs for a walk or playing with their children in the yard, people are much more likely to come into contact with chemical lawn products and weed killers. Roundup weed killer is used in more than 160 countries worldwide, and countless individuals who frequently use the herbicide are at risk of being harmed by its active ingredient, glyphosate.

Glyphosate is extremely effective at eliminating unwanted weeds from lawns, gardens, and farmland, but it may also cause adverse effects to humans. Repeated contact with the chemical has been linked to non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Leukemia. In fact, the manufacturer Bayer was famously ordered to pay $289 million to the family of a groundskeeper whose lymphoma was caused by frequent Roundup use. The settlement was later reduced, but news of this huge court decision made waves among affected communities, which include landscapers, groundskeepers, agricultural workers and recreational gardeners

Despite the ever-growing number of Roundup lawsuits, Agricultural conglomerate Monsanto was acquired by Bayer AG in 2018. The German company was hoping this merger would expand its reach beyond household cleaners, animal products, and prescription, as well as over-the-counter drugs. However, scientific studies have continued to publicize the dangers that glyphosate poses to humans, the agriculture industry, animals and the environment. While the link between glyphosate and cancer in humans has been written about in the news for years, more recent articles have exposed the presence of glyphosate in many popular foods and even in some brands of beer and wine.

Many consumers are rightfully concerned as more alarming news about glyphosate comes to light. The chemical was initially patented as an antibiotic, and a study published in October 2018 linked the herbicide to the growing epidemic of antibiotic resistance. Many countries are starting to take action to protect their citizens from the dangers of glyphosate. Europen countries such as Germany and Belgium have banned it, and Ireland and France are working to stop all glyphosate use within the next few years.

Legal Woes

In the United States, Roundup is still legal and widely used, but Moms Across America members from all 50 states have asked their governors to outlaw the product. In addition, California has issued a statewide warning against the use of Roundup. Countless users nationwide have been harmed by the product, and more than 11,200 of the affected herbicide users have sued Monsanto and its new owner Bayer for damages.

As the use of Roundup continues around the world, the scrutiny of the product continues to grow. Most recently, Monsanto was found liable for a man’s Roundup-caused cancer and was ordered to pay $80 million to the man and his family. In addition, all glyphosate use in France will be stopped by 2020, and no new glyphosate-containing products can be introduced to the Australian market. Until all use of glyphosate is stopped, consumers can protect themselves and their families from this life-threatening chemical by eliminating the use of the chemical on their own property.

©2019 Bridget Doherty

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2 Responses to “Final Solution to Glyphosate Question is Banning”

  1. Tonino says:

    Glyphosate is toxic but Roundup formulants are thousands times more dangerous for life. Banning glyphosate would not be enough, by far.
    That’s how Monsanto deception was done.

    “Formulants of glyphosate-based herbicides have more deleterious impact
    than glyphosate on TM4 Sertoli cells”
    http://www.seralini.fr/wp-cont.....o_2018.pdf

  2. Marie Freeman says:

    Absolutely banning! But until then!
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ybiHGCA71G8