Garden Soc asks Council to ban controversial pesticide

EAST LONDON GARDENERS will be taking a petition to the Town Hall on 19th September asking the Council to ban the use of Roundup in public areas within Tower Hamlets.

The announcement was made in the September issue of The Voice, monthly newsletter of the East London Garden Society, which points out that Roundup contains glyphosate, a very controversial pesticide.

A court case in California has recently concluded with a jury finding that Monsanto, which manufactures Roundup and RangerPro (a similar product), knew these herbicides could cause cancer and failed to warn the public. Monsanto has been ordered to pay £226 million in damages to an industrial user of the herbicides who contracted cancer.

The Council meeting is scheduled to start at 7pm and members of the public who want to come and show their support should attend early to obtain a ticket for the public gallery, as space is limited.

The Voice is always a good place to learn more about plants, and this month there’s an article about the workings of plants’ immune system. There’s also links to events and resources from which you can learn even more about the fascinating world of plant and animal life going on in our public and private gardens.

•Read more about it:
August “Voice” is here for gardeners
April Voice warns of eucalyptus tree danger