Glysophate

[Tee Gee]

I received this report from a contact in Germany;

The translation reads:

on Monday it is in Brussels on the future of the agricultural industry in Europe.

After May 18 came fortunately no majority for re-authorization of the plant Gifts glyphosate materialize, the EU Commission is now trying everything to still keep glyphosate on the market.

So she plans to hold a vote on Monday on an "extension" of the current glyphosate approval.

An extension means that chemical and agribusiness so on can carry on as before. No restrictions, no restrictions, no protection of biodiversity and our health.

Agriculture Minister Rupprechter must adhere to France, Italy and Malta, all say no to glyphosate, take an example.

Please write here a message to Minister Rupprechter and ask him to say no to also glyphosate!

Chances are that it regains the EU Commission on Monday a majority of EU countries for glyphosate together.

But we should not be lulled into a false security!

That is why it is so important that even Austria No to Pesticide says. Austria could end up tipping the scales.

Make now print! Say no to also glyphosate!

Thank you for such an important support!

Best regards

Gerald Oster Bauer for GLOBAL 2000

[Tee Gee]

[Obelixx]

Here is some background info on the vote and environmental concerns -

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2987554/european_parliament_votes_to_ban_most_uses_of_glyphosate.html

and here - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/11/two-thirds-of-europeans-support-ban-on-glyphosate-says-yougov-poll

It seems there will be another vote next week and AVAAZ has organised a petition - https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_glyphosate_loc_eu/?bfTPHkb&cl=10078556687&v=77071

[Obelixx]

An update on glyphosate and the EU:   Monsanto license not extended pending further independent research into toxicity:-

18 months ago, Monsanto's vast chemical-agricultural empire was rock solid.

Now, after over 2 million of us ran 20 campaigns, with millions of signatures, messages, phone calls, stunts, advocacy meetings and media stories... the future of the 'Monsanto model' is actually in question!!

The European Union just refused to grant Monsanto a new license for its flagship product - the pesticide glyphosate. This is massive - glyphosate accounts for up to a third of all Monsanto's revenue!
"Looking to where we were in the beginning of this year and where we are now, Avaaz is indisputably the driving force of the fight for glyphosate discontinuance."
Pavel Poc, Vice-Chair of the EU Parliament's Environment Committee, and key leader of the glyphosate fight



This is far from over. But it's an utter game-changer for countries like Germany, France and Italy to challenge the basis of Monsanto's entire business model.

Avaaz petition delivered to European Parliament

We haven't been knee-jerk anti-pesticide. Our campaign calls for a suspension until independent science determines the safety of glyphosate. We'll keep fighting, but if the EU allows 18 months for a new scientific process to weigh in, and we can ensure that process is truly independent, we could win this!!

We can also use the next 18 months to focus scrutiny on the global environmental impact of the Monsanto model, which is turning the surface of our planet into strange, toxic "biodeserts" where only one genetically modified Monsanto crop can grow.

Like with climate change and the Paris agreement, Avaaz has mobilised people on this issue at an unprecedented scale - we've taken the fight against Monsanto to a whole new level, and now it's up to all of us, over the next 18 months, to win it.

First big oil, now Monsanto. We are taking on the dragons of our world. But if we stick together, and choose to believe and act, we can do anything.

With hope and determination,

Ricken, Alice, Bert, Pascal and the whole Avaaz team

PS - For more detail on all the tactics, meetings, and story of Avaaz's glyphosate campaigning in the last year, here's a summary.

[ancellsfarmer]

Could be short lived "victory ", may not last beyond June 24th!  Will you be stockpiling too ?

[ed dibbles]

I'm confused. I thought glyphosate was a herbicide not a pesticide.

[squeezyjohn]

It would be great to know if glyphosate and other big herbicides were actually carcinogenic as has been proposed by some scientists without big businesses spending millions on their own scientists to come up with the results that play well with lawyers and their shareholders rather than just seeking the truth.

I hate weedkillers, I've got a well meaning allotment neighbour who regularly sprays down our border fence line and very often ends up killing or severely knocking back plants on my side.  And I scrupulously weed my side of the fence and get so angry with his laziness damaging my plants.  But I've occasionally used it myself too because it's there and it works.  I really struggle to keep a barrier between the back of my plot and the weeds in the field behind and I sometimes spray the border myself.  If it was illegal I'd probably just bite the bullet and hand weed that too to keep the fence clear to make sure I can keep the rabbits from biting through.

The thing is that I would think that home-gardeners and allotment people are probably not a problem the way they use weedkillers carefully.  Farmers round us regularly spray whole fields and the spray goes for miles - and if it isn't carcinogenic then I think we need to have it proved in an unbiased way before it's licensed again.

[sparrow]

Couldn't agree more with you squeezyjohn - I've used it twice in the past out of desperation, but it's a last resort for me too.

I'd just like to know for sure whether it is or isn't. And if it is, for its use to be stopped in commercial agriculture in particular.

I imagine there will be very loud shouts of protest though.