Anonymous
May 1, 2023, 12:22 pm
7.9k Views
45 Comments
By an edhat reader
The city is spraying Round Up in pristine Parma Park. Crazy to me that our town, which prides itself on its natural beauty, would still be using a product known to cause ecological collapse as well as lymphoma.
Would be great if SB could follow suit with banning the use of Round Up, as so many less beautiful cities have already done. How can the community mobilize against this?
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According to the EPA it is not harmful to Humans. Just because someone sued and extorted millions of dollars from a corporation, does not means their product is bad. Drywall causes cancer too, oh and so does sawdust.
100572P and VOICE – sorry to bust your cancer lover’s bubble, but glyphosate is extremely toxic to animals as well, regardless of your feelings about Prop 65 (insert eyeroll here). It’s a toxic chemical, so why are you ok with it being sprayed in our parks?
Don’t forget Aloe Vera, Aspirin, alcohol, and that’s just the A’s. Take a look at the ingredients on the back of processed foods, sunscreen, etc. and see if you can find more on the list: https://oehha.ca.gov/media/downloads/proposition-65//p65chemicalslistsinglelisttable2021p.pdf
There is no “as well”. Humans are not at risk from Round up unless you freaking drink it. It does not go in our ground water as it binds to the Earth. If animals eat plants right after it is sprayed, then yeah – they might barf and drool a bit, but all of the major animal welfare organizations as well as Vet organizations HAVE YET TO TAKE A STANCE on whether Round Up is bad for your pet. More eye rolling happening.
Not sure powering it all over yourself would be considered using it in accordance with it’s label “As part of this action, EPA found that there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label. EPA also found that glyphosate is unlikely to be a human carcinogen.” https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20this%20action,to%20be%20a%20human%20carcinogen
roundup isn’t harmful to people? LOL ok dude, go play with it, pour it all over yourself and then come back in 5 years when you’re covered in tumors and lesions.
Take some pictures…let’s shame the city bureaucratic who approve this poisoning of our local parks…
Glyphosate (Roundup) is a real threat to our ecosystem.
If in fact they are using Riund Up, then humans, animals, and insects are completely safe. Formula was changed many years ago, so not too worry…unless you are a weed.
It’s known that round up is toxic. But if you decide to ignore that please expose yourself to lots of it and let us know how you’re doing. Because, the condition you have isn’t curable.
it is known that eggs raise your cholesterol. Or at least that is what we thought….. until we knew better and/or became more educated.
Way too windy out to be doing that, yikes.
Definitely worth a read, very educational (I get the point being made her about Roundup):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyphosate
I still don’t and won’t use it in my garden, which is messy and natural and voluptuous; I have my own personal poppy superbloom! A lot of grass this year too, oh well.
@04:47 – Whoa, Nelly. ” – natural – voluptuous -personal poppy superbloom.” Now that has to be some ‘kinda poppy. Don’t think I’d want that Glypho whatever you call it messing around those blooms:)
Sacjon ,
Take a look at section 11. I’ve cited something why don’t you try it? Let’s see the data you implied.
https://greenhouse.ucdavis.edu/pest/pmsds/Roundup.PDF
https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20this%20action,to%20be%20a%20human%20carcinogen
4:18 – I’ll concede I thought it was more toxic than studies seem to now show. Appears I wasn’t right. I’m adult enough to admit that.
Funny you suggest I don’t cite sources though. You must be new here.
The city only uses pesticides like Round Up with prior approval from an independent body in a public, Brown Act meeting. They’re all tree huggers, both the committee and the City folks. The approvals are for specific, limited, applications. There’s no story here, only people freaking out over details they aren’t willing to dig in to.
You’re totally correct. Oops, and thank you.
to clarify & correct Transparent, it’s an herbicide not a pesticide.
Isn’t the vinegar/salt solution cheaper, safe for the environment, and effective?
Salt is not a good idea, unless you want nothing growing there again.
Why doesn’t the City borrow some goats? Not as crazy at it sounds. Quite effective.
Because goats eat everything, not just targeted micro-areas or types. You can use them in some places, not others.
The City has used goats in Parma Park in past years. But goats can’t be allowed to roam everywhere in the park, they are fenced in certain areas when they are there.
Parma is far from pristine.
From FDA.gov:
Has the EPA established tolerances for safe use of glyphosate?
EPA has established tolerances for glyphosate on a wide range of human and animal food crops, including corn, soybean, oil seeds, grains, and some fruits and vegetables, ranging from 0.1 to 400 parts per million (ppm).
Are there any safety concerns about exposure to glyphosate?
The EPA evaluates the safety of pesticides such as glyphosate. According to the EPA, glyphosate has a low toxicity for people. Pets may be at risk of digestive or intestinal problems if they touch or eat plants that have just been sprayed. In December 2017, as part of a glyphosate registration review, the EPA issued a Draft Human Risk Assessment for Glyphosate, which concluded that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic in humans. In April 2019, the EPA released a Glyphosate Proposed Interim Registration Review Decision for public comments. In January 2020, after considering the public comments received, EPA released the Interim Registration Review Decision. The EPA continues to find that there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label.
My dog like many dogs eat grass. He got very sick after eating neighbors grass. Vet said he is seeing more sick pets from roundup ingestion. Just FYI
From the National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State: (for the “We believe in Science crowd and those who believe in science… well, until they choose not to)
Did you know Roundup is used to ripen crops?
What is glyphosate?
Glyphosate is an herbicide. It is applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses. The sodium salt form of glyphosate is used to regulate plant growth and ripen specific crops.
Glyphosate was first registered for use in the U.S. in 1974. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States. People apply it in agriculture and forestry, on lawns and gardens, and for weeds in industrial areas. Some products containing glyphosate control aquatic plants.
What are some products that contain glyphosate?
Glyphosate comes in many forms, including an acid and several salts. These can be either solids or an amber-colored liquid. There are over 750 products containing glyphosate for sale in the United States.
Always follow label instructions and take steps to avoid exposure. If any exposures occur, be sure to follow the First Aid instructions on the product label carefully. For additional treatment advice, contact the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222. If you wish to discuss a pesticide problem, please call 800-858-7378.
How does glyphosate work?
Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill most plants. It prevents the plants from making certain proteins that are needed for plant growth. Glyphosate stops a specific enzyme pathway, the shikimic acid pathway. The shikimic acid pathway is necessary for plants and some microorganisms.
How might I be exposed to glyphosate?
You can be exposed to glyphosate if you get it on your skin, in your eyes or breathe it in when you are using it. You might swallow some glyphosate if you eat or smoke after applying it without washing your hands first. You may also be exposed if you touch plants that are still wet with spray. Glyphosate isn’t likely to vaporize after it is sprayed.
What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to glyphosate?
Pure glyphosate is low in toxicity, but products usually contain other ingredients that help the glyphosate get into the plants. The other ingredients in the product can make the product more toxic. Products containing glyphosate may cause eye or skin irritation. People who breathed in spray mist from products containing glyphosate felt irritation in their nose and throat. Swallowing products with glyphosate can cause increased saliva, burns in the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fatalities have been reported in cases of intentional ingestion.
Pets may be at risk if they touch or eat plants that are still wet with spray from products containing glyphosate. Animals exposed to products with glyphosate may drool, vomit, have diarrhea, lose their appetite, or seem sleepy.
What happens to glyphosate when it enters the body?
In humans, glyphosate does not easily pass through the skin. Glyphosate that is absorbed or ingested will pass through the body relatively quickly. The vast majority of glyphosate leaves the body in urine and feces without being changed into another chemical.
Is glyphosate likely to contribute to the development of cancer?
Animal and human studies were evaluated by regulatory agencies in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the European Union, as well as the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues of the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO). These agencies looked at cancer rates in humans and studies where laboratory animals were fed high doses of glyphosate. Based on these studies, they determined that glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic. However, a committee of scientists working for the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the WHO evaluated fewer studies and reported that glyphosate is probably carcinogenic.
Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to glyphosate?
Long-term feeding studies in animals were assessed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory authorities. Based on these evaluations, they found there is no evidence glyphosate is toxic to the nervous or immune systems. They also found it is not a developmental or reproductive toxin.
Are children more sensitive to glyphosate than adults?
As required by the Food Quality Protection Act, the EPA has determined that children are not more sensitive to glyphosate as compared to the general population.
What happens to glyphosate in the environment?
Glyphosate binds tightly to soil. It can persist in soil for up to 6 months depending on the climate and the type of soil it is in. Glyphosate is broken down by bacteria in the soil.
Glyphosate is not likely to get into groundwater because it binds tightly to soil. In one study, half the glyphosate in dead leaves broke down in 8 or 9 days. Another study found that some glyphosate was taken up by carrots and lettuce after the soil was treated with it.
Can glyphosate affect birds, fish, or other wildlife?
Pure glyphosate is low in toxicity to fish and wildlife, but some products containing glyphosate may be toxic because of the other ingredients in them. Glyphosate may affect fish and wildlife indirectly because killing the plants alters the animals’ habitat.
As of April, 2023, there are currently 4,143 lawsuits against the neurotoxin glyphosate. https://www.drugwatch.com/legal/roundup-lawsuit/
I get so upset seeing gardners in neighborhoods spraying round up in yards. It does go into ground water I have had it tested. Children and pets touch the ground and we all breath the air. It’s in almost all non organic foods. They spray the grains. Yu can have yourself tested I bet you would be shocked as to how high your levels are. Dawn soap and vinegar works too for weeds .Santa Barbara should ban it along with laundry /dryer sheets with toxic chemicals.
ALEX – If your comment is directed to me (08:13), what do you mean by “other people?”
Huh. What about other people? Do they enter into your equation at all? Or is it just me, me, me.
MEBK – We never know what’s going to end our days, or when. I choose not to run around testing the water, ground or myself. Once I get an “all clear” on my “level” and on the water I’ve been drinking, I’ll step off the sidewalk and get nailed & killed by an errant driver. I’ll have clean water in my system but I’ll still be dead. I choose to relax with the time I have left. No problem with you doing what makes you comfortable.
I just think it’s more than a little amusing that the VORs of the world are CERTAIN THAT BIG PHARMA IS COLLUDING WITH GOVERNMENT TO LIE ABOUT COVID 19.
But Roundup is perfectly safe and the company that produces it totally honest, yup, yup.
I was just reposting something directly from the EPA. I think’s what’s amusing is how you and many here were/are so certain the CDC / FDA were on the up and up with Big Pharma (contrary to the actual history showing otherwise) but are now claiming the EPA is not and fail to see how your trust in bureaucratic agencies is determined by your feelings on a matter rather than the actual facts and history associated with it. Actually no, it’s not amusing.
What’s really amusing is that you make the same unfounded assumptions about what other people believe, over, and over, and over.
Where did I say the EPA is honest or dishonest.
Never did. So you fail the honesty test…again.
To quote you:
“…fail to see how your trust in bureaucratic agencies is determined by your feelings on a matter rather than the actual facts and history associated with it. ”
You should literally video yourself saying this and play it back to yourself as that’s what you are doing here.
The City is trying to use the most appropriate method to control vegetation that can be a serious problem in case of wild fire. I live near Parma Park and lost my home to a wild fire years ago. I support the City’s attempt to mitigate the risk to those of us in the vicinity.
I am not saying that Round up is safe because the Monsanto says it is. There are hundreds of glyphosate formulations for sale that have nothing to do with Monsanto. Glyphosate itself has been found to be OK for use around livestock, crops over and over by the scientists at the FDA, by the scientists at the National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State. A jury that chose to believe in personal injury lawyers rather than science came up with a judgement award which is not scientific proof of anything either way.
Anyone ask the city what was going on? Here’s their response to questions about Roundup in Parma Park.
I have received a few messages on this subject today, so I want you to know that this message (below) is being sent both to you and other inquirers.
Thanks for your message and your concern for our community’s environment. I do want to assure you that the City has a robust policy which only allows the use of glyphosate across the City’s public spaces to specific cases that are approved by the City’s independently appointed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Committee. Parks and Recreation received approval from the IPM Committee to use glyphosate on a specific native habitat restoration project at Parma Park this spring to combat invasive species including Peruvian pepper trees as part of the Sustainable Trails Plan currently underway at the park.
Since implementing an Integrated Pest Management policy nearly 20 years ago, Parks and Recreation has dropped the use of pesticides and herbicides from regular applications at most parks to applications by IPM Committee approval only which typically total several ounces in a given year. Strategies that we use now include:
Biological controls – use of natural enemies including predators, parasites, pathogens, and competitors
For example, installing owl boxes in Parks to hunt gophers
Cultural practices – practices that reduce pest establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and survival
For example, drip irrigation systems, weed cloth, and mulch to reduce weed growth
Mechanical/Physical controls – practices that kill a pest directly, block pests out, or make the environment unsuitable
For example, pulling weeds by hand and installing gopher wire
There are times – like now at Parma Park, when the methods above cannot effectively tackle the pest problem that we face. In those cases, we exhaust all avenues that do not use pesticides before coming before the IPM Committee with a request to use the smallest quantity of the least toxic chemical available to treat the problem. We only make requests if necessary to protect public assets, public safety or the environment. In the case of Parma Park this is an environmental protection effort as we have recently begun Phase 1 of the Sustainable Trails Plan for Parma Park, and part of this project includes restoring several acres of native habitat that currently contain young, woody invasive plants – mainly Peruvian pepper trees. These plants will regrow from stumps and we cannot remove the stumps without bringing large machinery in which would cause serious damage to the habitat surrounding the invasives. We made a request to mechanically remove the plants down to the stumps and to paint the stumps with glyphosate guaranteeing that the stumps do not regrow. This work is being done behind fenced areas to ensure no public access during treatments.
Somewhat ironic that goats and sheep were used last year for weed control, when native habitat biologists via science have found that when invasive species are present, the goats, sheep eat them, but do not control them, in fact, spreading invasive species via their feces. In other words, the year after using goats and sheep, there will be a net increase in square footage of cover of invasive species. The scientists did their survey and seem to have concluded round up is the lesser of two evils. This is not uncommon. Invasive species are generally very adaptive, have high reproduction, propagation rates, spread easily by birds, mammals and are highly resistant to mechanical and manual means or eradication.. No, black plastic isn’t going to stop them. No, salt and vinegar simply burns the foliage back and will not eradicate the worst invasives. Plus Salt, Vinegar, Plastic have worse observable effects on mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects than round up. How would you like to be sprayed with acid?(vinegar) The non-scientists would rather have invasive species than Round up treatment once or twice a year for a couple years because of personal injury lawyer fear mongering
Painting with glyphosate inside a fence is a scientifically proven method to be beyond simply safe and is also the only way to kill a plant that regenerates easily and dynamically from stumps and root fragments. Digging the stump and roots up can actually spread the invasives because the tiniest piece of root left behind resprouts, and there are often hundreds of viable pieces created in the digging process. One can easily turn a small clump into a huge clump even after using a soil sifter. Monsanto isn’t out there paying off native plant biologists and the city of SB to paint $2 worth of generic glyphosate directly onto a newly cut invasive stump behind a fence.
Be consistent, go out and cross out the line on your yard sign that says “we believe in science” and replace it with “we believe in Michael Avenatti and his ilk”
“Woody invasives” the city mentioned can’t be eradicated without Round-Up are olive trees, palm and pepper trees and their suckers, shoots, etc. City Parks says they will cut and then paint with Round-Up.
Who can think of other ways to get rid of these? Dig them out. Cut as low to the ground as possible and cover with a biodegradable material that shuts out the light etc. Increase the manual labor. As the saying goes – If there is a will there is a way.
It was wonderful to see the olive trees make a full comeback after the massive fire that burned them to the ground. Now they are a “woody invasive” problem?
Let the olive trees be. Also, someone cut a line right through the middle of the meadow. Hope that wasn’t roundup. The quickest way to destroy a meadow is to cut it in half.
ok i’m going to squash this arguement now. A lot of you say, hey it’s safe. Many of you claim the key ingredient is safe because the company says so. You say it’s safe because the companies paid research through their own labs claims its safe. Wanna know what else companies claimed was safe? Safe for decades. Safe for kids to be around, safe for pregnant women to be around and now 50 + years later we KNOW it’s not. Here is a copy/paste from an old advert:
“In this ad, steel-nerved oil well firefighter “Pat” Patton endorses Camel cigarettes “for digestion’s sake.” Run in 1937, the ad was part of a campaign that claimed smoking Camels assisted digestion by increasing the movement of alkaline digestive fluids. Eventually, the Federal Trade Commission sent a cease-and-desist order to the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, forbidding them from representing Camels as being beneficial to digestion. Unfortunately, this didn’t happen until 1951 – more than 10 years after the advertisements had stopped running.”
Yeah companies marketing their product and paying off government agencies to turn their heads, like Monsanto did, will say anything to get you to buy their product. That is capitalism run amock. They advertise that you need it and it’s safe when it’s not and you don’t, but you still go and buy it because they say so. Just like cigarettes. Just like these items too: these are also called safe by the FDA and ther companies that use them, indepenent tests show factual data that these ingredients will really harm you….
brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to neurological problems; thyroid, heart and liver problems; and behavioral, developmental and reproductive issues.
Potassium bromate has been linked to cancer.
Propyl paraben has been shown to cause endocrine disruption and reproductive issues in lab animal testing.
Red Dye No. 3 has been found to cause cancer and thyroid tumors in lab animals and has been linked to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral effects in children. Health effects like these led the FDA to ban its use in cosmetics more than 30 years ago.
Titanium dioxide has been linked to digestive tract problems, and it was banned in Europe because scientists there could not rule out genotoxicity, the ability of the substance to damage genetic information in the body’s cells
@KARMSB You mean to tell us the FDA has labeled things as “safe” and turns out they not only weren’t safe but were paid off by major corporations to say otherwise? Whoa!!! This all sounds very very familiar. At least Round Up actually stops the spread of weeds.