I teach English conversation to Belgian research scientists who told me several years ago that glyphsate is under investigation by the EU as it has been found in water courses and is causing problems so is not as inert as is claimed once it hits the soil. In South America where they allow GM crops it is sprayed at high concentrations by aeroplane so there is drift and locals living nearby have unusually high levels of cancer and children born with defects.
Chances are it will be banned sooner or later but Monsanto has a powerful lobbying arm so maybe later.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
'Boffins' is not really a helpful term. Most scientists nowadays at least (including, I like to think, myself) have at least a modicum of common sense and everyday experience. The time of the 'boffin' locked away in his (they were almost all male) laboratory and lacking everyday social contact was 50 years ago. I remember the crop circles incident - clearly the people investigating it weren't up to speed, and it's questionable whether any real science was involved. The essence of science is questioning, testing and changing your hypothesis till it stands up to the tests.
The effect of TV watching is easy - square eyes. My mum told me that. And tea makes you produce compost activator.
Are you in Belgium, Obelixx? I'm in West Flanders at the moment.
The paper says glyphosate is adsorbed onto the soil particles more or less immediately and broken down by bacteria within a few days. But yes, if it finds its way into watercourses there's nothng there to break it down and of course it's not removed at water treatment works.
I don't use it either, Verdun, but I know lots of people do.
I use it, but sparingly, I don't use it near any veg preferring to dig out any weeds or hoe them out. I trust these companies about as much as trusting a slug not to be hungry, I am cynical about claims made over a range of products supplied to us as the general public. Companies are there to make money whether to sell us food or luxury goods and everything in between, so should we be surprised when they make claims which turn out to be either false or misleading. A touch of cynicism is no bad thing. A bit of honesty didn't hurt anyone.
Near Gembloux. I use it sparingly too on paths and pernicious weeds if I can't dig them out. I do it on still, dry days so it gets nowhere near water. I never buy the branded Monsanto stuff. Dreadful company.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Yes - it would be easy, assuming there's a suitable test. B ut no-one's done it because (I suppose) (a) no-one cares and (b) it's only recently been considered a problem. None of us had heard of it till a few hours ago!
Anyway, we don't spray it on crops. I still think it's probably OK to use it carefully on otherwise ineradicable weeds in otherwise vacant land. If we can find any that's not made by M*ns*nt*, which is unlikely.
Moderation in all things, including moderation. You can have too much moderation, you know.
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I teach English conversation to Belgian research scientists who told me several years ago that glyphsate is under investigation by the EU as it has been found in water courses and is causing problems so is not as inert as is claimed once it hits the soil. In South America where they allow GM crops it is sprayed at high concentrations by aeroplane so there is drift and locals living nearby have unusually high levels of cancer and children born with defects.
Chances are it will be banned sooner or later but Monsanto has a powerful lobbying arm so maybe later.
I agree with most of that, Verdun, but...
'Boffins' is not really a helpful term. Most scientists nowadays at least (including, I like to think, myself) have at least a modicum of common sense and everyday experience. The time of the 'boffin' locked away in his (they were almost all male) laboratory and lacking everyday social contact was 50 years ago. I remember the crop circles incident - clearly the people investigating it weren't up to speed, and it's questionable whether any real science was involved. The essence of science is questioning, testing and changing your hypothesis till it stands up to the tests.
The effect of TV watching is easy - square eyes. My mum told me that. And tea makes you produce compost activator.
Are you in Belgium, Obelixx? I'm in West Flanders at the moment.
The paper says glyphosate is adsorbed onto the soil particles more or less immediately and broken down by bacteria within a few days. But yes, if it finds its way into watercourses there's nothng there to break it down and of course it's not removed at water treatment works.
I don't use it either, Verdun, but I know lots of people do.
I use it, but sparingly, I don't use it near any veg preferring to dig out any weeds or hoe them out. I trust these companies about as much as trusting a slug not to be hungry, I am cynical about claims made over a range of products supplied to us as the general public. Companies are there to make money whether to sell us food or luxury goods and everything in between, so should we be surprised when they make claims which turn out to be either false or misleading. A touch of cynicism is no bad thing. A bit of honesty didn't hurt anyone.
Quite.
Near Gembloux. I use it sparingly too on paths and pernicious weeds if I can't dig them out. I do it on still, dry days so it gets nowhere near water. I never buy the branded Monsanto stuff. Dreadful company.
Yes - it would be easy, assuming there's a suitable test. B ut no-one's done it because (I suppose) (a) no-one cares and (b) it's only recently been considered a problem. None of us had heard of it till a few hours ago!
Anyway, we don't spray it on crops. I still think it's probably OK to use it carefully on otherwise ineradicable weeds in otherwise vacant land. If we can find any that's not made by M*ns*nt*, which is unlikely.
Moderation in all things, including moderation. You can have too much moderation, you know.
And eggs are now OK, apparently.
No chemical ever does exactly what you want and nothing else.
eg. a course of antibiotics or chemotherapy. They don't just do the job, they have side effects.
In the sticks near Peterborough
True 'nuff.