Campaigner Hannah Wakley @ Leicester FOE
A campaign which has been running for several years is still determined to bring about change
Hannah Wakley and her colleagues at Friends of the Earth in Leicester have been actively campaigning to get the city council to change their ways since 2021:
As a first step they urged the local authority to stop spraying parks and felt they’d had some success when the council started using a different formulation of weedkilling chemical but that was short-lived as a temporary hiatus:
“They're using a 50% solution now instead. We were watching what they were spraying around the parks the first year and, looking now, they have reduced where they're spraying.
“So they don't spray around tree bases anymore and they've also stopped spraying around the rocks in one of the parks. They are still spraying around bins, and they're spraying around fence lines, and also, even within children's play areas. That’s one of the things that really gets me, because I take my nephew to the local park and they spray where it's on the edge of the bark chip, where it meets the grass which is exactly where he goes to play. So we're still talking to them.”
As part of their campaigning, the group recently organised a child-friendly “bee picnic”. The event was used to raise public awareness of herbicides, which they argue are both a threat to biodiversity and a danger to human health, particularly that of children.
They also gave information about the damage done by pesticide use more generally, to try to encourage schools, businesses and private individuals to stop using them.
Fall in insect populations
A recent study found that populations of flying insects in the UK had fallen by 60% between just 2004 and 2021, and by a further 18% by 2023.
This adds up to major implications for biodiversity, with many insect species threatened with extinction and knock on effects further up the food chain amongst other species, such as many birds. Insects are suffering from both direct poisoning and loss of habitat.
Hannah said: the decline in insect populations in the UK was really worrying.
“While much of the decline is being driven by unsustainable farming practices, insect populations in towns and cities are also suffering, due to an unnecessary obsession with ‘tidiness’. We don’t need to use herbicides to destroy wild areas around the edge of parks – they actually provide valuable habitat and could be providing a sanctuary for wild creatures.”
The impact of herbicide use on human health is also a major concern, since there is considerable evidence of exposure to many common herbicides having long-term health implications. Many have been identified as potential carcinogens, and there is also evidence of them causing liver damage or increasing the likelihood of someone developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Young children can be at particular risk of exposure in urban areas, due to the way that herbicides are used by councils in areas such as parks.
The group highlights the fact that some councils have already gone pesticide free and are allowing hard to mow areas to remain wild or exploring other alternative to control wild plants.
Commitment to alternatives
In response to our enquiry, a Leicester City Council spokesperson said: “We have reduced our use of glyphosate by half since 2017 and remain committed to exploring alternatives.
“We have continued to benchmark good practice and engage with other local authorities through the Association of Public Service Excellence network, which covers the UK. We have also worked with Pesticide Action Network (PAN).
“The products we use are Soil Association and Ecocert certified, and operatives are trained and licenced in their correct use. Extensive risk assessments are also undertaken prior to spraying.
“We are currently trialling alternative weed control methods. These include a 50/50 glyphosate and adjuvant mix and mechanical weed removal methods. Non-glyphosate products are also being trialled, but our experience so far is that these products are significantly affected by poor weather and heavy rain.
“Alongside our expert contractors, we will be continuing to explore and assess alternative treatments over the coming months.”
Update May 8: After the Soil Association pointed out that glyphosate is prohibited and that no product containing glyphosate would get their approval, Leicester Council has admitted a mistake and made it clear that it was the “adjuvant products” used which are Soil Association and Ecocert certified.” We’re happy to put the record straight!
This journalism was made possible by the Tenacious Awards as part of our In the weeds campaign and is freely available using a Creative Commons Share and Attribution Licence.
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