As Pittsburghers, we have a lot of retaining walls on our property, and we knew it was only a matter of time before we would have to repair one. Last year our driveway wall was compromised by a tree I loved very much. In order to replace the wall and ultimately protect the foundation of the house, I had to make a hard decision.
I arrived at vegetarianism 20 years ago to support animal welfare; I upped the stakes to vegan this month to decrease my carbon footprint. Cutting animal products out of your diet is one of the best things you can do for the environment, and more people are taking steps in that direction for just one meal a day or one day a week, rather than going cold-turkey.
We’ve examined both sides of the issue, and it’s still less than clear. Are juries deciding cases based on fear instead of facts? Are scientists being muzzled? What happens if we get rid of glyphosate for good – is it a win-win, or will there be some losers? Here are some final thoughts, organic alternatives, and ways to get involved, if you so choose.
It would be hard for anyone to parse all the information available on Roundup – there is just so much of it. One count claims over 3,300 peer-reviewed studies on connections between glyphosate and cancer. But what do these studies tell us, and is cancer the only risk? Glyphosate is winding up in our stomachs and may be having an impact on our gut bacteria.
Give anybody a controversial topic and the internet, and sparks are sure to fly. In this post we will go through the history of glyphosate studies and the contradictory results that have left two intensely opposed camps in their wake. We will also take a look at some questionable actions on Monsanto’s part that are not helping parent company Bayer through its current legal battles.
About a year ago, I was out in my garden doing battle with weeds when my neighbor casually suggested that I use Roundup so I didn’t have to work as hard. Once I figured out that he wasn’t joking, I was shocked and horrified. Since then I’ve followed the ups and downs of Roundup, Monsanto, Bayer, scientific studies, and court cases.