[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Roundup information




Reply to 10 Reasons not to use Glyphosate:

Hello,

 I am a plant breeder with a company whose parent also happens to
manufacture a glyphosate salt analogue in Canada.  I have a bit of
experience in summarizing the effects of glyphosate salts.  I work with
Roundup resistance genes in crops and have to file with different
governments for field trialling this material.  This is my bias, up front.

I respect your right to express yourself but you or the NCAP had better
brush up on your science (particularly biochemistry, organic chemistry, and
toxicology).  I am quite familiar with the studies you cite and I take
issue with your out-of- context summaries of ALL the studies you cited. 
Your intentions are clear but your conclusions are not correct.

I believe in sustainable agriculture which by definition would involve
reduced and careful usage of man made organic compounds.  Of all the
chemical (as opposed to  'organic') controls out there for weeds, I put it
to you that Roundup is the lesser of the evils for large scale commercial
weed control.  It's accute mammalian toxicity is less than that of common
table salt; the glyphosate molecule breaks down within 30 min. of contact
with the soil, forming harmless compounds that are eaten by soil bacteria. 
The residues you referred to were non-toxic breakdown products (edible to
soil bacteria) and are not known to have any acute or chronic effect on
humans.  The earthworm study in New Zealand was totally inconclusive ( as
judged by peer reveiw).
I could go on.....

I don't expect to change your mind - I enjoy a healthy exchange of views. 
Roundup isn't God's gift to agriculture by any means but it's use versus
the alternatives out there, is I believe, at this point in time, a step in
the right direction.  If you really want to attack some herbicides there
are a heck of a lot of others out there that you could really go to town
on!


Follow-Ups: References: