Roundup: Common Sense Has Left the Building

$39.95 at the Iwilei Home Depot

Hawaii's fecundity is integral to its appeal but is an extra burden to property owners.

The weeds had found the cracks in the asphalt around my parents' home and had grown noticeably. Because family volunteers perform maintenance irregularly, I went to Home Depot for Roundup, which kills weeds to the root. It took about 30 minutes to spray the front half of the home.

Roundup is effective in killing plants where they don't belong. Lately it has been in the news because of jury awards to users who have contracted non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

California wants to regulate Roundup, but the Trump Administration has "ordered companies to ignore state requirements that businesses warn customers". Of course the discussion has turned political, exacerbated by the billions of dollars at stake (google non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and at the top of the list is an ad for potential Roundup plaintiffs).

Below is a representative quote from an environmental advocate (bold added):

“The Trump EPA’s disgusting campaign to hide glyphosate’s well-documented links to cancer from American consumers is hideous,” said Brett Hartl, the director of government affairs for the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is just the latest example of the Trump administration’s disturbing push to ignore peer-reviewed independent research by leading scientists in favor of whatever pesticide companies claim their own confidential research reveals.”

Whether or not there is a warning label, users of Roundup--or any other powerful substance--would have to be naive not to take precautions such as wearing protective clothing, eyewear, or gloves. On the other hand the vast majority of home gardeners can take comfort because people who work with the chemical in agriculture or professional gardening seem to be the only ones at risk.

Common sense tells you that one cigarette a week won't kill you but two packs a day might. The same is true for Roundup; if you use it once every two months or so you'll be fine. It's neither 100% safe or 100% dangerous, but common sense has left the building.