Pesticide campaign group PAN UK is launching an initiative aimed at ridding public parks in Britain of toxic herbicides and pesticides – starting with Brighton & Hove.
PAN UK says there is a growing body of evidence about the harmful effects of pesticides on human health and the environment. Just a few weeks ago the International Agency for Research on Cancer said that, following an exhaustive review of the research data, it now views glyphosate – the most widely used herbicide in the world – as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.
The group says it is time that Britain “catches up with other progressive countries around the world already making a stand against the use of pesticides in urban areas”. In France, it says, 300 towns and villages, including Paris, have gone pesticide-free.
PAN UK’s campaign starts with Brighton & Hove where it already has support from local groups, including Brighton Breast Cancer Action and the Brighton and Hove Organic Group
When Brighton Breast Cancer Action recently made a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to find out what pesticides were being used by Brighton & Hove City Council, the group was shocked to discover that a number of glyphosate-based products, including Monsanto’s Roundup Hi Active, were listed.
PAN UK says it hopes that a “successful shift in Brighton can inspire others across the UK” – and is offering help to anybody wanting to start their own local pesticide-free campaign.
