Occasionally, a nation has an opportunity to improve the regulation of pesticides. The Australian government gave itself that opportunity and the result will put profit and easier access to chemicals before human, animal and environmental health. What is at stake, and why is this such a lost opportunity?
Category: Chemicals
Glyphosate: War of the Weedkiller?
Weed mat avoids the need for weed control amongst a pineapple crop. It also helps cool soil and conserve moisture. Cook Islands. Letter to Graham Readfearn, a Brisbane-based journalist at The Guardian Australia concerning his recent article about glyphosate, the world’s favourite herbicide.
How much do you know about PFAS, the ‘forever’ poisons found in homes, workplaces, food, soil, water…even compost?
In the last two decades, the Australian government has failed to have PFAS sites remediated or PFAS wastes destroyed. This failure has resulted in offsite dumping including release of PFAS contaminated water to rivers and the ocean. The most shocking example was the almost a million litres of PFAS contaminated water that was used in to make NuGrow compost.
Use Grey Water For Gardening? Then Use Green Cleaners For Cleaning.
If you’re watering plants with grey water, the type of detergent you use really makes a difference to both their health and the health of the soil.
Do Landscape Suppliers Ever Sell Genuine Soil?
Question: A Brisbane landscape supplier sold me soil for my raised vegetable beds. All my vegetables keep failing. I did a soil pH Test and the result was pH 9. Is there any hope I’ll be able to grow spring crops successfully?
Footpath Gardening: To Boldly Garden Where No One Has Gardened Before…
Nature strip gardening can beautify streets capes, improving the retail sale prices of real estate. Reseach has proven nature strips provide valuable social and environmental services.
Public safety is vital. Plants in nature strips should not be spiny, caustic, toxic or allowed to overgrow, or cause trip hazards, impede wheelchairs, or block lines of sight. The effect should not be overgrown, full of litter or claustrophobic, it should be park-like.
Kew Guild Grand Reunion Garden Party
Thirty four years ago, I graduated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Biodispersal: Another word for the dictionary
A student at Dekin Uni is writing about GM foods. She wanted my opinion, so here is my reply – it was published eight years ago in response to an opinion piece written by Jennifer Marohasy (a member of the Institute of Public Affairs, a pro-industry lobby group) in the Courier Mail…
Nicotine And Old Roses
Food security alert: Neonicotinoid pesticides, like Confidor, are creating a dangerous world where caterpillars are becoming poison bird bait, where bees and migratory birds ‘forget’ how to navigate and bees and other pollinators are becoming suicide junkies.
Glyphosate, The World’s Favourite Herbicide
Glyphosate-based herbicides are bee-killing global pollutants of groundwater, rivers and surface water. More recently glyphosate has been detected in rain. The latest research reveals that glyphosate damages the beneficial bacteria in the gut of the honeybee, making them prone to to deadly infections. Previous studies have shown that pesticides such as neonicotinoids cause harm to bees,…
Towards Valentine’s Day
For a more sustainable Valentine’s Day, buy your loved one a potted plant. Like love, you can watch your gift grow.
Book Review: Medicinal Plants in Australia
Australia is a massive pharmacy store, where some very useful plants grow in our streets, reserves and gardens.
Jerry Coleby-Williams 