Stephanie Elliott, Lake:

On September 4, around 11am, I was walking my dog along Lake Cliff Path.

It was a pleasant day and there were lots of people enjoying one of our Island’s favoured walks.

The peaceful ambiance of the day was abruptly interrupted by two Island Roads quad bikes spraying substances along the walkway.

I was concerned for my dogs’ health, so I asked one of the drivers what they were spraying; he could not say what the substance was but assured me it was harmless to dogs and humans.

I questioned why, if this was the case, the drivers of the bikes were wearing masks, but I was informed “we are just doing our jobs”.

Disappointingly, I have since discovered that the Isle of Wight Council use Gallup Hi-Akti, which is a glyphosate-based product.

I appreciate that there is a lot of controversy around this product, and the manufacturers claim that it does not harm humans or wildlife. 

However, I do not consider that information from manufacturers and distributors to be a balanced representation. 

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified glyphosate as a probable human carcinogenic. 

Likewise, Blood Cancer UK cites research that highlights that glyphosate is “most likely carcinogenic to humans”.

They recommend that we should take seriously its view that glyphosate increases lymphoma risk.

Clearly, there are strong correlations between the use of glyphosate and the adverse effects it has on human health. 

In 2019 the Isle of Wight Council declared a climate emergency.

Most environmental organisations express significant concern about glyphosate-based herbicides, stating that they can negatively impact wildlife by destroying habitats and food sources for insects and other animals, potentially harming beneficial insects like bees, and impacting aquatic life due to its water solubility.

They actively advocate for reducing glyphosate use and for designating pesticide-free areas to protect biodiversity. 

Additionally, there is extensive independent scientific literature that concludes that the current use of glyphosate-based herbicides poses a significant risk to bee health and to the survival of their colonies, and that it has a massive impact on their ability to produce the next generation.

Moreover, it is starving bees and pollinators of the wildflowers they need for food. Bees as well as other pollinators are in massive decline, and without them, there will be no food for us.

Glyphosate is currently banned in several countries, including Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

However, there are success stories of pesticide-free places also in the UK, where steps have been taken to reduce or eliminate pesticides.

I would implore the Isle of Wight Council to learn from their advances for the sake of wildlife and humanity because as we know the two go hand in hand.