A Greener View:  Glyphosate, one of the most commonly used chemicals –  Jeff Rugg

By Jeff Rugg, contributing writer

I recently wrote an article about two property owners sharing a fence line who needed to have their common weeds dealt with. The first thing I told them to do was to pull or cut the weeds down and then pull them.

Next, I explained that the EPA regulates pesticide chemicals. Household items like vinegar and dish soap are not on the list of ingredients that are regulated, so I couldn’t recommend them. I then explained how two groups of regulated herbicides work.

One group inhibits a plant enzyme and the other manipulates plant growth hormones. Lastly, I told them that installing a weed barrier would prevent them from needing to spray in the future. My recommendations were non-chemical, but I wanted them to understand the difference between the soap herbicide they attempted to use and other herbicides.

When writing about the first group I mentioned that the most famous of the more than 750 herbicides is Roundup. That product name caused me to receive the following email: “How much did they pay you for the Round-up plug? GLYPHOSATE is a KNOWN carcinogen. May YOU get a face full of it. You B—–D.”

I won’t respond personally to the person who sent this, nor will I print the person’s name. I won’t respond personally because the person’s account may have been hacked and this person may not be as big of a jerk as they seem, but mainly because there is nothing useful to respond to. I won’t mention the person’s name because the person may get an ego trip from seeing their name in print, and I don’t want to embarrass the person’s family.

People who write vindictive emails embarrass their cause. These people often say they are all about “the science,” but this email doesn’t give any evidence of actually knowing any science.

So, what does science say about glyphosate and cancer?

As the International Agency for Research on Cancer website says: In March 2015, the IARC classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” This was based on “limited” evidence of cancer in humans (from real-world exposures that actually occurred) and “sufficient” evidence of cancer in experimental animals (from studies of “pure” glyphosate).

According to the American Cancer Society, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is linked to a variety of risk factors. Some risk factors associated with lymphomas include: age, gender, race, ethnicity, country of residence, family history, and exposure to particular chemicals and drugs. Researchers continue to study possible links between multiple chemical substances and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

On the other hand, as recently as July of this year the European Food Safety Agency concluded that it had not identified “critical areas of concern” to prevent renewed approval in the European Union for glyphosate. In 2020, the EPA released a statement that glyphosate does not pose a risk to humans as long as it is used according to directions. They also stated that it is unlikely that it causes cancer in humans.

One of the most commonly used chemicals in the world

One of the reasons it is hard to study glyphosate is that it is one of the most commonly used chemicals in the world. As of 2018, 91% of the cotton, 94% of the soybeans and 90% of the corn grown in the United States were so-called “Roundup-Ready” varieties. But its use doesn’t stop there. It is also used on non-GMO crops like avocados, apples, barley, beans, blueberries, cherries, chickpeas, cucumbers, dates, dried peas, garlic, lemons, oats, olives, peanuts, pomegranates, potatoes, rice, spinach, sugarcane, tobacco, tomatoes, walnuts and wheat.

According to the National Cancer Institute and others, if you really want to stay away from foods that might cause cancer, then you may need to stay away from alcohol, artificial sweeteners, canned foods, dairy, farmed fish, fried foods, grilled meat, hydrogenated oils, microwave popcorn, pickled foods, potato chips, processed meat, red meat, refined sugar and sodas.

As always, everyone should use all household chemical products according to the label directions, which are designed to keep the user and the environment safe.

___

To read more columns on gardening by Jeff, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/?s=jeff+rugg

To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at [email protected]. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2023 JEFF RUGG – DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS