U.S. EPA says glyphosate not likely to be carcinogenic to people (Roundup)

Reuters ^ | December 20, 2017 | Tom Polansek

[BraveMan]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto Co’s top-selling weed killer Roundup, is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans, contradicting a World Health Organization panel.

The EPA, in a draft risk assessment report issued on Monday, also said it found “no other meaningful risks to human health” when glyphosate, the world’s biggest-selling weed killer, is used according to its label instructions.

[PIF]

There is zero doubt...
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You are welcome to your opinion as far as it goes, but all I see is your opinion that such a thing happened, not any such evidence of a corporate pay off.

And by the way, those “overwhelming multitude of studies” are scientifically bogus and not valid having been done by those with preconceived notions looking for proof of same. Those that purport to offer proof rely on incidents where the label was not followed and bad things happened - not the chemical’s fault, rather the applicator who did not follow or willfully ignored the explicit directions.

I wonder if you have ever actually read the label for glyphosate, let alone used it properly.

[Balding_Eagle]

Thank you, I was hoping someone with actual experience would speak up.

[Parmy]

I don't think weeds are becoming resistant to Roundup because it only works on plants that are growing. It is absorbed through the leaves and minimally through the roots and kill the growing plant, itself.

Therefore there is no carry over. The plant can't transfer resistance to its seeds.

[BwanaNdege]

The real problem is that weeds are becoming resistant to it, and there is no substitute anywhere near its effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and non-toxicity.

Goats!

(plus, they are tasty when roasted!)

[WildHighlander57]

Vinegar works just as good as motor oil & roundup.

[azkathy]

I tend to agree with you on not trusting this report. I went to the EPA site to see if there were any other tidbits we might be interested in. Lot’s of info there, https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/epa-releases-draft-risk-assessments-glyphosate

“The ecological risk assessment indicates that there is potential for effects on birds, mammals, and terrestrial and aquatic plants.”

So, there is potential for effects on birds and mammals but you stupid humans keep right on using the weed KILLER and don’t worry about how it might effect you. You can totally trust your government. Sarcasm tag

[Mase]

Evidence-based science means little to the true believers, Monsanto haters and GMOphobes. On every FR thread on this subject someone inevitably uses the old line that "if glyphosate is so safe, why don't you drink a glass of it?" The absurdity of that statement is always lost on those who post it. Organic farmers use manure to fertilize their crops, so I'm sure these same people would have no problem eating a plate of it.

These conservatives won't hesitate to side with the likes of Greenpeace when they declare glyphosate a "probable" carcinogen, all the while ignoring the fact that they eat cancer causing chemicals in food every single day.

Fear of glyphosate is irrational and unfounded. Glyphosate herbicides all work in the same way – they inhibit an enzyme that plants need to promote growth. The specific enzyme is called EPSP synthase. Without this enzyme, the plant cannot create the proteins required for growth, leading to the plant’s death. Because most plants use this enzyme, most are susceptible to glyphosate applications. Humans and animals do not use EPSP synthase. That fact, however, won't stop them from believing otherwise.

[Mastador1]

Shyster lawyers that have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars ambulance chasing on TV for litigants are crying in their beer right now.

[bmwcyle]

A complete lie.

[Kickass Conservative]

Does this mean all those Ambulance chasing Lawyer Commercials we see on TV will stop?

My favorite one is from a Law Firm that wants to Sue big Pharma because a Chemotherapy Drug may cause permanent Baldness.

[Kickass Conservative]

Glyphosate goes great with Leaded Paint Chips.

It’s just like Milk and Cookies.

[Old Forester]

“Then they need to drink some.”

When Roundup first became popular in the agricultural market place, a factory rep came to our tree improvement cooperative meeting and told us it was so safe that one of the chemical engineers demonstrated by drinking a glass of it. No word on his health in the subsequent 30+ years....

[PIF]

Thanks for being more through than I was. Also lost on these folks is as you said: “... inhibit an enzyme that plants need to promote growth. The specific enzyme is called EPSP synthase ...”

Last I checked humans including the haters of chemicals lack plant enzymes, however, I could be mistaken ... as the number of times aliens are mentioned on FR could mean that some Freepers are aliens with plant enzymes. Will have to consult on this point.

[Boogieman]

“Therefore there is no carry over. The plant can’t transfer resistance to its seeds.”

If the plant is resistant, why wouldn’t it transfer that to its seeds? It’s not going to die before producing seeds and passing that mutation on, because it is resistant.

[Norseman]

It is becoming a concern though, so it’s not b.s.

The problem is that it’s sprayed on thousands of acres at a time and it only takes one ragweed plant on those thousand acres to survive the application because of a genetic abnormality. It might reproduce and spread the genetic resistance.

Part of the problem also comes from spraying at less than recommended rates of application, which makes it more likely that particular weeds will survive, and that their descendants will then strengthen the genetic disposition and survive a full-strength application.

[PIF]

It might reproduce and spread the genetic resistance ... spraying at less than recommended rates of application.

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Might ... less than ... are all weasel words used to prove a point, justifying a predetermined end result. Therefore in conclusion ... using chemicals to control weeds is wrong and must be stopped at all costs because we don’t need to feed everybody, a little hunger is acceptable and also there are too many people in the world so starvation is great as long as its not me or mine. QED.

[Norseman]

I probably go through forty to sixty gallons of mixed glyphosate a year using a back pack sprayer. It makes my life far easier than it would be otherwise. For example:

1. You can keep a gravel driveway in excellent shape by spraying growing weeds early in the spring, and again two or three times in the summer. If you don’t, weed growth traps blowing dust, dirt, and “stuff” and eventually you won’t have a gravel driveway any longer. You’ll have a farm road with two gravel ruts in it and will be mowing the edges and the middle.

2. If you have a border around your buildings of stone, gravel, cement, etc., the same three or four applications as above will keep it clean all spring, summer, and fall. No more pulling weeds, or having small volunteer trees uprooting landscaping as they grow.

3. If you have a little woods/field you like to walk in the summer, spraying a two-yard wide path in the spring on the low growing vegetation will clear it, and respraying about three more times during the summer will keep it open so you can enjoy your walks all summer and fall and not fight off eight-foot high nettles and goldenrod that would be there otherwise.

4. If you spray your garden very early in the spring, avoiding the few garden plants that germinate early, you can kill all the weeds that are getting a head start, especially quack grass, and make it far easier to keep the garden clear of weeds the rest of the summer.

5. If you have quack grass, which sends runners underground into your garden plants making it impossible to pull, just put a little glyphosate mix on the leaves that have spread outside the plant and it will kill all the quack grass in the good plants, leaving them in fine shape.

6. If you’ve got a patch of blackberries that is easy to spot in the early summer when it’s flowering, spray a narrow trail through the woods to it and repeat later. You’ll be able to walk right to it instead of fighting off six feet of nettles, etc., to get to it.

7. Want a little mulched path down through your lawn to the garden? Just spray a two-foot wide stretch of grass down the intended path, wait for it to turn brown in a week or so, and cover it with the mulch. It will be high for a while, but eventually the grass will deteriorate under the mulch and the growing grass on the side will build up the sod level and you’ll have an easy path to maintain. Just spray the edges a couple times a year to keep the grass from re-claiming the path.

There’s probably another time or two I use it, but that’s the bulk of it. In short, it makes life in the country a whole lot easier.

[Norseman]

>>Might ... less than ... are all weasel words used to prove a point, justifying a predetermined end result.<<

Oh, really?

For starters, I use glyphosate, quite a bit of it, in fact. But weed resistance is a problem. Can’t you deal with two facts at the same time without assuming someone has an agenda?

Fact #1: Glyphosate is a safe, useful, product.
Fact #2: Glyphosate is used so widely that inevitably some weeds have developed a resistance to it, a resistance that, if it spreads sufficiently, will render glyphosate less useful.

So stuff your QED, or maybe assess which of your assumptions were flat-out wrong.

[Mase]

It’s possible. Alien physiology is much different than that of humans. Aliens could also explain why there are so many chemicalphobes among us. Of course, I always expected aliens to be of higher intelligence so they might just be human morons.

[PIF]

I use glyphosate by the 10s of gallons ...

“inevitably” .. another weasel word and an assumption not proven any where in the literature.