In our Berkey Water Filters Europe blog category drinking water issues we will be devoting attention to the various threats posed to fresh water in the UK and Europe. We will be mainly linking to articles, videos, etc. and where we find it relevant we will add comment.
Shaftesbury in Dorset bans the use of Glyphosate
As only the second town in the UK our local Shaftesbury council has taken the lead from a central government compromised by corporate influence and banned the use of glyphosate throughout all it's public spaces. Congratulations are in order.
Glyphosate not the most toxic ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup
Independent scientists have released a study showing that the so-called "inert" ingredients in Monasanto's Roundup are more toxic than their more well known malefactor glyphosate. Meanwhile the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states that glyphosate is “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans.” The EFSA report is partially based upon industry based submissions. An EU authority meant to protect the public weal partially bases it's report on industry submissions. Further comment not required.
What the frack. Lets dump fracking wastewater in the sea.
You've got to wonder what possesses these people? I mean besides money. As far as I'm aware there is no such thing as a free lunch and for every action there is an equal reaction. Do these people just think this polluted water just disappears? Dumping slightly radioactive fracking wastewater in the sea is a stupid idea and any fracking company shill bleating to the contrary is a greater fool than he appears to be.
Daily Telegraph gardener caught red-handed: clueless
The Daily Telegraph's gardening columnist is quoted as saying: "It seems to me that at the moment there is no scientific evidence that Monsanto's Roundup is dangerous." Either this woman has no idea what she's talking about or she has no idea what she's talking about. I would suggest she pour a pitcher of Roundup into her well and then drink it unfiltered for a few months but I don't think she'd be amenable to the idea. All herbicides eventually end up in the groundwater, the least you can do as a gardener is stop using them.
Fracking is an uncontrolled science experiment on our groundwater
A great article by a well informed Canadian journalist. The UK government is actively promoting fracking in a densely populated country while ideologically ignoring the ecological consequences. Infatuated by their neo-liberal economic dogmas they wilfully ignore a most basic premise: biology trumps economy all the time. All economy is based upon the natural world (biology) and not the other way around. Nuff said.