Glyphosate, retreat of the antis pt1

[mikep]

Brighton Council, that bastion of the Green movement and all things trendy thought it would be a good idea that they should ban the use of glyphosate on the city streets to help the environment.
Roll on four years and having tried all the green alternatives the place is a jungle and they have just voted to bring back glyphosate.
They wanted to be green in one way but got it in another

 

[yoki]

Always wondered what they spray the railway with here, and presumably other places too.

One spray per year, zero vegetation.

But then I guess the railway isn't classed as a public space whereas lots of places where glyphosate can be used with relative safety are.

 

[Bogweevil]

Councils can halve glyphosate by using it in spring and then spraying off in autumn with acetic acid based products and still get fair results. Everyone is then happy(ish).

There are strict rules on spraying hard surfaces with glyphosate - gutters, drain covers and slabs where no weeds grow must not be treated. Targeted glyphosate applications can be automated at a price. The rate payable per kilometre of pavement is about £15.

 

[Bogweevil]

Always wondered what they spray the railway with here, and presumably other places too.

One spray per year, zero vegetation.

But then I guess the railway isn't classed as a public space whereas lots of places where glyphosate can be used with relative safety are.

I met the head due of the company who sprays the tracks in mainland Britain. They use glyphosate for the grassy weeds and a residual (DFF, flazasulfuron ) for the broadleaved ones. The spray trains are GPS controlled and switch off the residual when the train passes bridges over water as only glyphosate is approved for use near water.

One residual is used in the North and another one in the South and switch each year to prevent resistant weeds getting a hold.

Railway ballast always rests on clay to divert water away from the track into the drainage so is classed as a hard surface - only specifically approved products can be used on railway ballast

 

[farmerm]

Brighton Council, that bastion of the Green movement and all things trendy thought it would be a good idea that they should ban the use of glyphosate on the city streets to help the environment.
Roll on four years and having tried all the green alternatives the place is a jungle and they have just voted to bring back glyphosate.
They wanted to be green in one way but got it in another

It appears in my fb feed from time to time with folk getting all excited and asking why they’re council and so evil and why haven’t they followed the oh so wise ones of Brighton council. I do ask if they shall volunteer their weekends to hand weed, strim and prune their local street but they gaze blankly in confusion .

 

[Bogweevil]

Pesticides and/or glyphosate bans or phase-out commitments around the UK
(As found by the Pesticides Action Network)

Glastonbury, Somerset – June 2015 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods. The first UK council to do so.

Erewash, Derbyshire – October 2015 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Wadebridge, North Cornwall – March 2016 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Hammersmith & Fulham, London – June 2016 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods. The first London Borough to do so.

Lewes District, East Sussex – June 2017 – Committed to a 6 month glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives. Partnered with contractor to buy Foamstream.

Cowes, Isle of Wight – March 2018 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Brighton and Hove, East Sussex – May 2018 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Frensham, Surrey – September 2018 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods. Read more here.

Peterlee, Durham – December 2018 – banned glyphosate from all land they managed and replaced with strimming three times a year.

Shaftesbury, Dorest – February 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Trafford, Manchester – March 2019 – Committed to a one-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – May 2019 – Banned the use of herbicides in all the parks and open spaces. Ran a trial using no herbicides in all public areas. It is continuing to use herbicides on streets elsewhere in the city, with the aim of further reducing its use in 2023.

Midlothian, Scotland – April 2021 – Retracted decision to re-allow glyphosate use after local residents contested and offered to hand-weed the concerned areas.

Highland, Scotland – June 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate in all sports, recreation facilities and play grounds and schools and moved to pesticide free methods.

Lyme Regis, Dorset – July 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Greater London Authority – July 2019 – Passed a motion calling for the end of the use of glyphosate and other herbicides on the all GLA controlled areas. Tfl is investigating alternatives.

Frome, Somerset – September 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Chichester, West Sussex – September 2019 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Colchester, Essex – November 2019 – Committed to a glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Derry, Londonderry – November 2019 – Committed to phasing out glyphosate and trialling alternatives.

Folkestone & Hythe, Kent – November 2019 – Committed to a one-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives. Is still moving towards phasing out all use and trailing alternatives.

Shetland, Scotland – January 2020 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Petersfield, Hampshire – February 2020 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Lambeth, London – April 2020 – The use of glyphosate for routine weed management is now banned across all parks and open spaces and on Lambeth housing estates, as well as to treat weed growth in tree pits across the borough. The council has cut its use to treat weeds on streets by a third and continues to trial alternative methods, with residents weeding their streets by hand.

Faversham, Kent – May 2020 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Hexham, Northumberland – June 2020 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Hadleigh, Suffolk – June 2020 – Passed a motion to immediately cease the use of pesticides, especially glyphosate-based herbicides within the Town Council’s managed land and implement alternative natural methods of weed and pest control.

Balerno, Edinburgh – July 2020 – Committed to a two-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Wirral, Liverpool – August 2020 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Waverley, Surrey – October 2020 – Committed to a three-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Sunderland, Tyne and Wear – March 2021 – passed a motion to phase-out all pesticides and are trialling alternatives such as Foamstream.

Warminster, Wiltshire – March 2021 – The council’s climate change declaration and pesticide policy aims to stop using pesticides by phasing them out and finding suitable alternatives.

Manningtree, Tendring, Essex – April 2021 – Banned all pesticides and turned to community hand-weeding.

Reading, Berkshire – June 2021 – Have been reducing its pesticide use over the past years and is trialling alternatives.

Bath and North East Somerset – July 2021 – Approved a permanent ban on the use of glyphosate weedkiller and are trialling alternatives to control street weeds in the Council area.

Renfrewshire, Scotland – October 2021 – Made the decision to phase out the use of glyphosate entirely and trial alternatives in parks and schools.

Guildford, Surrey – December 2021 – Passed a motion (with cross party support) to become a pesticide free town following a three-year phase-out plan.

Chelmsford, Essex – December 2021 – Phased-out the use of pesticides on the land it manages, aside from exceptional applications on invasive species, but the highways are still sprayed as they are managed by Essex County Council.

East Devon, Devon – April 2022 – Phasing-out the use of all weed killers in favour of Foamstream.

Marlow, Buckinghamshire – May 2022 – Have become a bee town with a pollinator policy which includes running trials to end the use of glyphosate on the land they manage, and working with local agencies/ landowners, places of worship, community growing groups, allotments etc. to adopt the same approach.

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire – June 2022 – Have approved a new three-year pesticide phase-out strategy. This includes reducing and ultimately ending the use of all pesticides on Council-managed land; bringing in other local stakeholders to follow suit, and finding ways to help and encourage residents to adopt a pesticide-free approach at home.

Worthing, West Sussex – July 2022 – Passed a Glyphosate-Free Motion and will start phasing out glyphosate from pavements, promenade and parks in an 18 month period.

Newcastle, Tyne and Wear – July 2022 – Pledged to phase-out pesticides over five years.

Portsmouth, Hampshire – July 2022 – Passed a Motion and adopted a three-year phase out plan for all pesticides.

Westminster, London – October 2022 – Have banned glyphosate on all their managed outdoor space, using the high footfall and regular brushing for street management, and alternatives to manage parks and estates.

West Suffolk District, Suffolk – December 2022 – announced they are to stop the general use of glyphosate from April 2023. They attributed an extra £20,000 to their budget to adopt alternatives, and are encouraging residents to accept more weeds.

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – December 2022 – Resolved to require all staff and contractors not to use pesticides on the property they manage, and encourage other land managers in the town to phase-out their use.

 

[yoki]

I met the head due of the company who sprays the tracks in mainland Britain. They use glyphosate for the grassy weeds and a residual (DFF, flazasulfuron ) for the broadleaved ones. The spray trains are GPS controlled and switch off the residual when the train passes bridges over water as only glyphosate is approved for use near water.

One residual is used in the North and another one in the South and switch each year to prevent resistant weeds getting a hold.

Railway ballast always rests on clay to divert water away from the track into the drainage so is classed as a hard surface - only specifically approved products can be used on railway ballast

I'm in Northern Ireland so we (probably) do things different here.

All I know is that there's one spraying done annually, late springish, and everywhere is done in that one go.

So seems fair to assume that it's something with a residual effect.

 

[mikep]

Pesticides and/or glyphosate bans or phase-out commitments around the UK
(As found by the Pesticides Action Network)

Glastonbury, Somerset – June 2015 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods. The first UK council to do so.

Erewash, Derbyshire – October 2015 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Wadebridge, North Cornwall – March 2016 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Hammersmith & Fulham, London – June 2016 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods. The first London Borough to do so.

Lewes District, East Sussex – June 2017 – Committed to a 6 month glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives. Partnered with contractor to buy Foamstream.

Cowes, Isle of Wight – March 2018 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Brighton and Hove, East Sussex – May 2018 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Frensham, Surrey – September 2018 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods. Read more here.

Peterlee, Durham – December 2018 – banned glyphosate from all land they managed and replaced with strimming three times a year.

Shaftesbury, Dorest – February 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Trafford, Manchester – March 2019 – Committed to a one-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire – May 2019 – Banned the use of herbicides in all the parks and open spaces. Ran a trial using no herbicides in all public areas. It is continuing to use herbicides on streets elsewhere in the city, with the aim of further reducing its use in 2023.

Midlothian, Scotland – April 2021 – Retracted decision to re-allow glyphosate use after local residents contested and offered to hand-weed the concerned areas.

Highland, Scotland – June 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate in all sports, recreation facilities and play grounds and schools and moved to pesticide free methods.

Lyme Regis, Dorset – July 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Greater London Authority – July 2019 – Passed a motion calling for the end of the use of glyphosate and other herbicides on the all GLA controlled areas. Tfl is investigating alternatives.

Frome, Somerset – September 2019 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Chichester, West Sussex – September 2019 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Colchester, Essex – November 2019 – Committed to a glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Derry, Londonderry – November 2019 – Committed to phasing out glyphosate and trialling alternatives.

Folkestone & Hythe, Kent – November 2019 – Committed to a one-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives. Is still moving towards phasing out all use and trailing alternatives.

Shetland, Scotland – January 2020 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Petersfield, Hampshire – February 2020 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Lambeth, London – April 2020 – The use of glyphosate for routine weed management is now banned across all parks and open spaces and on Lambeth housing estates, as well as to treat weed growth in tree pits across the borough. The council has cut its use to treat weeds on streets by a third and continues to trial alternative methods, with residents weeding their streets by hand.

Faversham, Kent – May 2020 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Hexham, Northumberland – June 2020 – Banned the use of glyphosate and moved to pesticide free methods.

Hadleigh, Suffolk – June 2020 – Passed a motion to immediately cease the use of pesticides, especially glyphosate-based herbicides within the Town Council’s managed land and implement alternative natural methods of weed and pest control.

Balerno, Edinburgh – July 2020 – Committed to a two-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Wirral, Liverpool – August 2020 – Committed to phasing out pesticides and trialling alternatives.

Waverley, Surrey – October 2020 – Committed to a three-year glyphosate phase out period trialling alternatives.

Sunderland, Tyne and Wear – March 2021 – passed a motion to phase-out all pesticides and are trialling alternatives such as Foamstream.

Warminster, Wiltshire – March 2021 – The council’s climate change declaration and pesticide policy aims to stop using pesticides by phasing them out and finding suitable alternatives.

Manningtree, Tendring, Essex – April 2021 – Banned all pesticides and turned to community hand-weeding.

Reading, Berkshire – June 2021 – Have been reducing its pesticide use over the past years and is trialling alternatives.

Bath and North East Somerset – July 2021 – Approved a permanent ban on the use of glyphosate weedkiller and are trialling alternatives to control street weeds in the Council area.

Renfrewshire, Scotland – October 2021 – Made the decision to phase out the use of glyphosate entirely and trial alternatives in parks and schools.

Guildford, Surrey – December 2021 – Passed a motion (with cross party support) to become a pesticide free town following a three-year phase-out plan.

Chelmsford, Essex – December 2021 – Phased-out the use of pesticides on the land it manages, aside from exceptional applications on invasive species, but the highways are still sprayed as they are managed by Essex County Council.

East Devon, Devon – April 2022 – Phasing-out the use of all weed killers in favour of Foamstream.

Marlow, Buckinghamshire – May 2022 – Have become a bee town with a pollinator policy which includes running trials to end the use of glyphosate on the land they manage, and working with local agencies/ landowners, places of worship, community growing groups, allotments etc. to adopt the same approach.

Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire – June 2022 – Have approved a new three-year pesticide phase-out strategy. This includes reducing and ultimately ending the use of all pesticides on Council-managed land; bringing in other local stakeholders to follow suit, and finding ways to help and encourage residents to adopt a pesticide-free approach at home.

Worthing, West Sussex – July 2022 – Passed a Glyphosate-Free Motion and will start phasing out glyphosate from pavements, promenade and parks in an 18 month period.

Newcastle, Tyne and Wear – July 2022 – Pledged to phase-out pesticides over five years.

Portsmouth, Hampshire – July 2022 – Passed a Motion and adopted a three-year phase out plan for all pesticides.

Westminster, London – October 2022 – Have banned glyphosate on all their managed outdoor space, using the high footfall and regular brushing for street management, and alternatives to manage parks and estates.

West Suffolk District, Suffolk – December 2022 – announced they are to stop the general use of glyphosate from April 2023. They attributed an extra £20,000 to their budget to adopt alternatives, and are encouraging residents to accept more weeds.

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland – December 2022 – Resolved to require all staff and contractors not to use pesticides on the property they manage, and encourage other land managers in the town to phase-out their use.

I wonder who will be the next to retreat?

 

[Oliveau]

Seems to me that some of those bodies listed above need to be educated regarding the difference between ‘Pesticide’ and ‘Herbicide.’

Perhaps I’m being pedantic, but it strikes me that before these people start laying the law down they should get their facts correct.

 

[Bongodog]

Brighton Council, that bastion of the Green movement and all things trendy thought it would be a good idea that they should ban the use of glyphosate on the city streets to help the environment.
Roll on four years and having tried all the green alternatives the place is a jungle and they have just voted to bring back glyphosate.
They wanted to be green in one way but got it in another

I wonder who will be the next to retreat?

Cambridgeshire announced this week that they will resume use of glyphosate in 2024. We have weeds everywhere, they didn't realise that allowing weeds to grow un restricted eventually destroys tarmac

 

[czechmate]

Always wondered what they spray the railway with here, and presumably other places too.

One spray per year, zero vegetation.

But then I guess the railway isn't classed as a public space whereas lots of places where glyphosate can be used with relative safety are.

Simozine?

 

[mrnick]

I'm sure simazine lost all approved uses years ago

 

[serf]

Seems to me that some of those bodies listed above need to be educated regarding the difference between ‘Pesticide’ and ‘Herbicide

How do you mean ? R'up is a herbicide but also comes under the collective name of pesticide so both names are correct

 

[fudge]

Unfortunately pesticides have become a political football. It will be interesting to see what happens after the next election.

 

[Oliveau]

How do you mean ? R'up is a herbicide but also comes under the collective name of pesticide so both names are correct

I know I’m just a simple old peasant, but for me :
Herbicide = weedkiller
Pesticide = insect killer
Fungicide = disease killer
Simples!

 

[serf]

I know I’m just a simple old peasant, but for me :
Herbicide = weedkiller
Pesticide = insect killer
Fungicide = disease killer
Simples!

Wrong !
Pesticide is collective name for all the chems , insect killer is insecticide.

 

[yoki]

Seems to me that some of those bodies listed above need to be educated regarding the difference between ‘Pesticide’ and ‘Herbicide.’

Perhaps I’m being pedantic, but it strikes me that before these people start laying the law down they should get their facts correct.

I brought it up a few years ago with a department official relative to spraying certificates and told him that all the EU regulation was in relation to "pesticides", so how come it was necessary to have a spraying certificate to spray herbicides?

First of all he told me there was no difference, to which I replied there was a massive difference between fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides. He then huffed and told me I was just being difficult, the law is the law, etc, etc, typical department bulls**t.

So I asked a local agronomist first time I was talking to him after and he said while I was technically correct, even weeds are now classed as a pest therefore what you kill them with is classed as a 'pesticide".

Not sure if that would stand up in court if you were taken up for using a herbicide with no certificate and you were rich enough and pig headed enough to push it, but I guess it demonstrates how an initially narrower focused piece of legislation can morph in to something that an entire industry is beholding to.

 

[Hindsight]

I brought it up a few years ago with a department official relative to spraying certificates and told him that all the EU regulation was in relation to "pesticides", so how come it was necessary to have a spraying certificate to spray herbicides?

First of all he told me there was no difference, to which I replied there was a massive difference between fungicides, pesticides, and herbicides. He then huffed and told me I was just being difficult, the law is the law, etc, etc, typical department bulls**t.

So I asked a local agronomist first time I was talking to him after and he said while I was technically correct, even weeds are now classed as a pest therefore what you kill them with is classed as a 'pesticide".

Not sure if that would stand up in court if you were taken up for using a herbicide with no certificate and you were rich enough and pig headed enough to push it, but I guess it demonstrates how an initially narrower focused piece of legislation can morph in to something that an entire industry is beholding to.

You are great value and do give me a chuckle at times Yoki. Keep it up. Cheers.