Skip to main content

Monsanto Pushback, More Countries Ban Toxic Roundup

Countries are gradually banning the use of Monsanto Roundup herbicide around the world as a danger to the environment and human health, and Bermuda is one of the latest to join the ranks. These moves come soon after a recently published metastudy conducted by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer published in The Lancet Oncology determined that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, is probably carcinogenic to humans.

Colombia stopped using Roundup to kill illegal coca plants. France banned the sale to homeowners, and Germany is poised to do the same. A group of 30,000 Argentine physicians are calling for a ban there, where it’s blamed for boosting birth defects and cancer. Others, including the Brazilian federal prosecutor, are demanding that Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, be pulled off the shelves.

In the U.S., the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) is assisting efforts in cities, counties and school systems to enact immediate bans of glyphosate-based sprays. IRT is also calling for schools to measure the amount of glyphosate residues in school meals and to take steps to eliminate them if found.

Source: EcoWatch

Global Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

Upcoming Events Near You
Follow Us On Facebook