Female swallowtail on Joe Pye weed (Naomi Sachs)
I love my fair city of Beacon, NY, but sometimes our little local newspaper, the Beacon Free Press, gets me down. This week, the garden column featured a long article about the benefits of the herbicide Roundup. This mentality elicits in me a combination of sadness and anger. 'I don't have time to respond to this, just let it go,' I thought, but here I am, several hours later, with a draft of the letter I'm going to send to the Beacon Free Press, with fingers crossed that they'll print it in full. As an aside, this is also a testament to Facebook and Twitter. When I did decide to write something, I put the word out in both places for help with building my case. Within 24 hours I had received over ten responses, more than enough for me to write my letter with solid research rather than just my own personal feelings. So, here it is. Feel free to share and comment!
Think twice (and hard) before using Roundup
I would like to respond to Mark Adams’ “Get Growing” column from August 4th (“Special advice for dealing with overwhelming weeding issues”). Roundup is a poison. That's how it kills weeds! This herbicide is harmful to animals (including us), to our groundwater, and even to our gardens (more on this in a minute). Monsanto claims that Roundup is "as safe as table salt," but there is plenty of evidence to the contrary.
The active ingredient in Roundup is glyphosate, which has been found to be toxic to animals, including humans. Noticeable symptoms include eye and skin irritation, headache, nausea, numbness, elevated blood pressure, and heart palpitations. But wait, there’s more!
A new study in the respected journal Toxicology has shown that, at low levels that are currently legal on our food, Roundup could cause DNA damage, endocrine disruption and cell death (specifically embryonic, placental, and umbilical cord cells). The study shows that glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic to human reproductive cells. The potential real-life risks from this are infertility, low sperm count, and prostate or testicular cancer (so make sure to get yourself tested annually, Mr. Adams!). Exposure is associated with an increased risk of miscarriages, premature birth, and the cancer non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Recent studies have also found that Roundup’s inert ingredients – solvents, preservatives, and surfactants - are hazardous when combined with glyphosate. In other words, Roundup’s inert ingredients amplify its active ingredient’s toxic effect, especially at the cellular level.
Even New York State’s Attorney General isn’t so sure about Roundup. They sued Monsanto for claiming that the herbicide is "safe" and "environmentally friendly." This suit ended in a settlement, with Monsanto agreeing to cease and desist from using these terms to advertise Roundup in our state. Although Monsanto did not admit to any wrongdoing, they paid the state of New York $250,000 in settlement of this suit. When Monsanto violated the first settlement agreement by advertising within New York that Roundup is "safe," a second agreement was negotiated (see http://www.naturescountrystore.com/roundup/index.html).
Roundup, especially when used regularly, in large quantities, or incorrectly, is harmful to humans and to pets, to wildlife, to our groundwater, and even to our gardens! Yes, Roundup changes the pH of the soil, kills earthworms, and makes the plants we do want (flowers, shrubs, vegetables, etc.) less resistant to diseases and pests.
As both a landscape designer and an avid gardener, I understand the frustration with weeds growing where you don't want them. Roundup is, indeed, an effective herbicide, but especially for home gardeners who may not be aware of its harmful effects and best practices when applying, I urge people to err on the side of safety first. Weeding is just another part of gardening (and it’s good exercise!); mulch makes an effective weed barrier while also nourishing soil and keeping plants from drying out; white vinegar applied to weeds is a much less toxic solution. These are just a few of the many safer alternatives (for more, see http://www.beyondpesticides.org). Your family, your pets, the birds and butterflies, the water you drink, and your neighbors will all thank you!
Articles referred to for this letter:
Naomi Sachs, ASLA
Beacon, NY
Principal, Naomi Sachs Design
Founder & Director, Therapeutic Landscapes Network
