500 signatures reached
To: Calderdale Council
Calderdale Council - Switch from using Toxic Glyphosate on Our Land to Safe Alternative
End the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in Calderdale's publicly owned spaces and use a safe alternative such as Foamstream
Why is this important?
Glyphosate-based herbicides such as Round Up and Touch down pose a real risk to the public, our environment and horticultural workers.
Calderdale’s Wildflower areas have all been treated with glyphosate to prepare for new seeds. This is irresponsible towards our people and insects.
Roundup kills beneficial insects, it has been proven to cause mortality of live beneficial species including bees, thrichgramma, predatory mites, lacewings, ladybugs, and predatory beetles.
Glyphosate in soil takes 140 days to break down to half its toxicity and will continue to be taken up by plants from the soil for 2 years and longer. It’s toxic to earthworms and inhibits mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal fungi are essential for tree health, collecting nutrients and water to feed their host plant and protecting tree roots from harmful fungi and root rot diseases.
Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that it was “probably carcinogenic”. Recently a break through court case against Monsanto was won by a man who developed cancer after using Roundup. He was awarded $289 million in damages.
We know that in Hebden Bridge, Calderdale Council have sprayed Glyphosate each year on the following sites:
Calder Holmes Park - wildflowers lawn
Stubbings wharf – Heptonstall Turning circle wildflowers microsite
Oldgate – wildflowers lawns
In 2016 Calderdale Council announced a plan to reduce the use of glyphosate by 15% year, however figures show that in 2017 the amount used increased. Other councils now use the eco-friendly alternatives such as non-toxic Foamstream.
