I've long been concerned about routine pesticide use, and its threat to both human health and the environment. Most of us know about widespread pesticide use in agriculture, but it may come as a surprise to know that glyphosate-based herbicides (weedkillers) are used routinely across Bedford Borough in parks, green spaces and on public footpaths in May and September. You may have seen council operatives spraying around almost every tree, lamppost and all along kerbs, right outside people's front doors and school entrances. Bedford Borough spends over £80,000 a year in total on spraying these areas *

What about our health?

Glyphosate has attracted controversy in recent years. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer* at the World Health Organisation (WHO), glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic". The IARC's decision was reached by 17 scientists led by Aaron Blair—an internationally renowned epidemiologist who spent thirty years at the National Cancer Institute, and the author of more than 450 scientific papers. Some have criticised these findings but last summer a US jury gave a terminally ill retired groundskeeper $289m in damages for his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which it attributed to glyphosate – the active chemical in Roundup. Several thousand similar cases are pending.

Although the greatest, long-term risk is probably to operatives tasked with regularly spraying the chemicals, local residents (including young children whose bodies are more vulnerable to toxins) in the vicinity are obviously not wearing protective clothing! 

What about the environment?

It's not just about human health. Glyphosate threatens biodiversity by killing any plant it comes into contact with, for the sake of 'tidiness' in urban areas. Thus, many bees and other insects are deprived of their habitat and food source which is bad news for nature and the environment. The chemicals also enter the soil and leach into water where they often do not break down for many weeks. (In January a paper ** was published revealing that pesticide residues were found in 80% of agricultural soils tested in 11 European countries. Of the 500 active substances currently used in the EU, the most common pesticide detected at the highest concentration was glyphosate. This sits in direct contrast to manufacturer's touted claims that glyphosate does not persist in soil).

Are there alternatives to spraying weedkiller across our town?

YES. Questioning the routine use of toxins in our town and campaigning to end their use is vital. Councils such as Fulham and Hammersmith, Croydon, Wadebridge and Glastonbury have all gone pesticide-free, carefully exploring various alternatives which may not be so instant but which definitely pose no risk to our health or the environment. Dozens of other towns have very active campaigns to ban or phase out pesticide use 

Bayer-Monsanto is a huge multi-national corporation whose profits depend on the universal use of weedkillers and other pesticides by farmers and councils across the world. Not surprisingly they have spent millions funding research to try to show their products are safe. But we believe protecting human health and the environment is more important than Bayer-Monsanto profits! If in doubt, stop spraying.

PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION TO TELL BEDFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL TO PHASE OUT PESTICIDE USE.

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* £26,539 by environment services & £55,355 by the highways department.

** https://www.iarc.fr

*** https://phys.org/news/2019-01-pesticides-european-soils.html

For more info see: www.pan-uk.org

https://theecologist.org/2015/jul/07/monsanto-and-epa-knew-glyphosate-cancer-link-1981