The government's response has been published to the online petition.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page17354
Is anyone comforted by their statement 'However the Government confirms that this has no implications for human or animal health' ...??
Trust me, I'm a politician. As if!!
That's disappointing, if not surprising. I have four copies of pretty much word for word the same statement in response to letters to MPs, MEPs, Ministers, etc.
The bad news is that Dow are intending to have the products back on the market in time for spraying in the spring according to a recent press article.
"However the Government confirms that this has no implications for human or animal health."
This bit annoyed me in particular. Do they not realise that some of us rely on the crops that we grow to eat as we can't afford to buy it? If Aminopyralid isn't directly harmful to health (which I'm not convinced of yet) then by killing or stunting the growth of our plants surely it's still harmful.
I agree Looby.... but then when did a politician every make sense? ???
Making sense has never figured in the politician's job description. They just need to bullshit their way through, and get re-elected.
Quote from: Looby Loo on November 05, 2008, 07:14:04
"However the Government confirms that this has no implications for human or animal health."
Didn't Dow also manufacture Agent Orange? I'm sure they said the same thing about Dioxin back then as well.
I wrote a long reply to this but my computer crashed before it would post so here's a shorter version.
It does have implications for human health......if crops and I don't just mean allotment crops but commercial growers as well...fail because of this herbicide then we'll have food shortages. Lack of food affects human and animal health!
Politicians are always blinded by science they don't understand it and scientists never agree (politicians are always looking for black and white) what usually happens that they side with the loudest/most moneyed (sorry couldn't think of a better word) view.
If the herbicide gets into the re-cycle bins and the compost made from it causes losses.
Then people will not buy the compost and the councils will not be able to get rid of their green waste and their land fill needs will increase and that will result in them not meeting their quotas.
QuoteThe bad news is that Dow are intending to have the products back on the market in time for spraying in the spring according to a recent press article.
...the Government has formally suspended their approvals whilst they investigate the options for mitigating against a recurrence of this problem. Only when the Government is satisfied that the necessary measures to achieve this can be put in place will aminopyralid products be allowed back on the market.
Looks like Dow intends to lobby hard for the suspension to be lifted. I suggest counter-lobbying - and in particular to lobby hard to ensure that the "necessary measures" are both appropriate and acceptable (and not just a quick fix for the sake of expediency).
The government reall will have egg all over their faces if they approve it again, and there's another round of poisoned veg. They need to be reminded how many voters there are growing their own!
I agree with all the sentiments expressed here. However, I fear our voice is a small one in the overall scheme of things. The farmers love this stuff because it does a better and longer-lasting job than other products (i.e. saves them time and money). Even the RHS has said it has advantages as it has to be sprayed less often and so is better for the environment. So, in the 'for' corner we have the farming lobby, the most respected gardening organisation in the country and a multi-national, multi-billion pound chemical company. And in the 'against' corner, a few allotmenteers. Despite all the publicity and media coverage, the online petition only got 1500 signatures. Who do you think will prevail?
But the case isn't for or against its use - it's about ensuring that the disposal of sprayed produce is watertight - and strictly adhered to. Surely all of the groups you mention, including Dow, would want that?
Yes, they would, but they are unlikely to care whether manure continues to be available to amateur gardeners. These are now market-leading products. A second manufacturer got a licence to make their own version this year, no doubt others will follow. If it comes back on the market, there may well be no such thing as safe manure any more.
This is so disappointing, another petition would seem pointless -- or would it ?
Seems to me there is a market here for Organic Chemical Free Compost !!
If I win the lottery ,will go for it ' big time '.
floss x