Disturbing and depressing news about Glyphosate

[KarenParticipant]

Just wanted to rant and share…

The husband told me that he heard from the radio that Glyphosate (Roundup weedkiller) was found in the groundwater of 20 different locations in Brandenburg. This is rather disturbing and horrific to hear.

A recent study had found that Glyphosate is highly linked to cancer. It is no wonder that we constantly hear of someone having died from cancer. And of course Monsanto have disputed this finding.

And I would bet my last dollar that the whole world´s groundwater is polluted by this poison, especially in agriculture lands.

This is truly depressing and one wonders if Monsanto will ever be held accountable for their introduction of this poison into the agricultural and horticultural industry. 🙁

[LeifParticipant]

Do you have links? There is an awful lot of misinformation about. As far as I know glyphosate is safe when used in modest amounts, as it acts on metabolic pathways found in plants, as distinct from animals. The problem in the US is that they grow glyphosate tolerant crops, hence they spray on massive amounts, which gets into the ground water. Of course you might have more up to date and accurate information than me. 🙂

[KarenParticipant]

Hi Leif,

I did remember watching on CNN a few months ago about this too…

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/27/opinion/schubert-herbicides-crops/index.html

Google glyphosate and cancer and you will find lots of info about it.

I just didn’t even think that it was so bad here in Germany that the groundwater would be polluted with it.

As far as I am concerned, no matter what corporations or scientist claims that weed killers are safe, it is pure hogwash. Ultimately, it is a form of poison… period. 🙁

Not to forget, the meat we eat too ingest these poisoned produce, hence we are doomed! Hubby says no point getting stressed over it, we all will suffer the same fate, just enjoy and live quality lives. We are fortunate to have a huge garden to grow our own produce.

[KarenParticipant]

oh btw, we live in a UNESCO Biosphere protected area, however, whose to say it doesn’t stop households from using these weedkillers, hence still no escaping from it. We are also lucky that we use rainwater to water our plants, but then again, haha… I am sure there are just as bad pollutants and residue of weedkillers evaporating into the air… etc. 🙁 definitely a lose lose situation. No escaping.

My apologies to everyone for me sounding all doom and gloom 🙁

[KarenParticipant]

oh… was just hand weeding and I just remembered! I had actually embarked on a Horticulture degree about 8ish years ago in New Zealand. And Weeds was one of my subjects. I did really well in the assignments…. however, when it came to the topic of weedkillers, e.g. Glysophate (Roundup), I just couldn’t buy the story about how safe etc. It just couldn’t fit into my mindset about how this could possibly be natural and organic???? Killing weeds by chemical spraying???? Seriously?!!!! Hence, I dropped out of Uni and just didn’t want to be conned into the conventional way of farming. It just didn’t make any sense whatsoever!

I have learnt wayyyyyyyyyyyyy more from Charles´s books since I came across it about 5 years ago and have been absolutely amazed by the results that I have gotten with using horse manure, homemade compost etc. It was only this year after our visit to Charles´s course (as well as Steph´s cooking!) that I got really motivated and inspired to grow more variety of vegetables as opposed to just mostly fruit.

I am just so glad that I was lucky to have come across his books! And everything he mentions just made PERFECT sense! Just natural and common sense!

[gardenjimParticipant]

hello Karen.. I am just new to this website, Charles etc.. I have been prepping my acreage for another round of veg gardening for a full year now. I want to reply just a bit to your round up “rant”! LOL I have spent too much time on it in the past but two seasons ago I became an activist regarding it for sale everywhere in our small town in the mountains east of Seattle. There were three stores that featured round up each spring. Two were grocers.. while marketing their produce as organic, local etc.. there were large. .LARGE displays of round up outside the main entrances to these .. organic/local produce.. grocers. I went on a personal campaign to educate the employees, in conversations, as I shopped and checked out. Then I took it to the managers of the grocers.. then I took it to the headquarters via phone and emails.. I kept at it all summer, 2 summers ago.. not letting up.. then I did that same at our locally owned Ace Hardware store.. a large national hardware chain that are all locally owned. The owners did not even consider, or educate themselves, and were quite surprised. The good news is they did research and began “hiding’ the product on shelves inside the store .. instead of featuring the monsanto monster poisons.. I am happy to say.. last season the grocers did not have any.. ANY of the monsanto products offered! NONE.. Ace Hardware is beginning to understand and say they are selling less and less. Become an activist where the products are sold.. Please don’t stop with forum posts and rants.. get on your feet and educate those that sell the products. I am happy to say it works.. I am 73 and they have listened! LOL good luck..

[charlesModerator]

Wow gardenjim, that is amazing news, I love your commitment and effort. What an inspiring story.

[markoParticipant]

Monsanto is not your average Pesticide Manufacturer Glyphosate is a derivative of Agent Orange used in Vietnam to Defoliate the country and caused a lot of problems there other than defoliation.
Because of UKs lax laws and collusion of our politicians Monsanto dumped Agent Orange and other Horrors in quarries in Wales!!, Worldwide Monsanto is synonymous with not giving a f$$$ for Organic life of any kind.
So much so that they have merged/bought out with Bayer perhaps because Monsanto is hated by people who read a little.
Lots and lots on the internet about this, even from scientist who worked for the UN.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/feb/21/monsanto-brofiscin-pollution

The British Government Colludes with Monsanto. Crimes against Humanity and “Ecocide”

[KarenParticipant]

Hello gardenjim…. wow…I am speechless. You definitely are a hero too. I have shared my views with friends and acquaintances and hopefully too they are convinced by it. It can be somewhat intimidating trying to change the minds of people who are fixed in their own ideas.

To give an example, a few days ago, I went to my neighbour to give them salad plants to plant. To my horror, I saw their beds were DUG OVER like some big animal (most likely the husband) had made a mess with the soil! Charles, you would soooooo cringe! ha! They said they had to mix the soil with fertiliser to plant their potatoes. (I highly suspect they buy fertiliser – the chemical type…. I don’t even know how to describe what those are called – never used them before) I told them never to do this and explained and that our very own garden was an example of Charles´ no-dig method and everything flourishes with no back-breaking tasks. I was kinda irked when they said this digging over has always been the method adopted like forever! I honestly dislike advising people who are fixated in their ideas and aren’t open-minded and have any common sense. Explained to them in the wild and forests, no one digs the soil, all the goodness and decomposition of organic matter are performed by the gazillion of microbes/insects/soil animals to enrich the soil etc. Haha… sorry for my rant again.

and Marko… it is quite horrifying too that the German firm Bayer bought Mosanto. I hope they will reverse the ´damage´ done by the predecessor. But knowing these big mega corporations…. I am quite doubtful.

[KarenParticipant]

oh…. another example about how difficult it is to change the mindset of others too….

I gave a german copy of Charles´ Vegetable Garden Course book about the no digging method to an old fella (my hairdresser´s building caretaker/janitor) as he showed me his ´garden´ from pictures. The bare soil and digging over. He was so proud that he digs his soil etc. I thought after reading the book and that he wouldn’t have to resort to this method and be enlightened by the ´new´ method.

A few weeks later, I was at my hairdresser´s and she told me he still digs! I rest my case! ha!!

Gardenjim…. you are 73 years old. Am sooooooooo glad you are way more open-minded and not fixed in your ways. Hats off to you. 🙂

[charlesModerator]

Karen, thanks for sharing your experiences.
People are afraid to change, and I see glimmers of hope. I hope the latter prevails over the former. Your garden, for anyone looking at it, is a seed of change.

[KarenParticipant]

Haha! Thanks Charles.

There is a glimmer of hope after all. I just met up with my TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) doctor today and she too is very encouraged by your no dig method as I had also given her a copy of your priceless book. She has also shared with me that some people have been asking her about it as well. Ha! There is hope after all! 🙂

You are right. Our gardens (yours and mine and other followers of yours) are just clear cut proof of the huge success of no dig method. If others choose to think otherwise… there´s not much else to say other than ´lack of common sense´…ha!

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