[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/womensvoice.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/toxicturf_1000x480-copy.png” alt=”Three middle aged men jumping and very happy” title_text=”toxicturf_1000x480 copy” admin_label=”Fullwidth Image” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ z_index_tablet=”500″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][et_pb_fullwidth_code raw_content_tablet=”<\/p>\n
Parents face ongoing challenges in raising healthy, well-nourished children in a world where sugary temptations lurk around every corner.<\/p>\n
” raw_content_phone=”” raw_content_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Text – Fullwidth Leader Text” module_id=”fullwidth-leader-text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ z_index_tablet=”500″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”] Roundup is one of the most widely used weedkillers. Monsanto created it in the \u201970s for use in agriculture and landscaping. Its active ingredient, glyphosate, has been a major concern among environmentalists and health advocates for decades.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For years, Monsanto continuously dismissed health claims and marketed their product as \u201csafe\u201d and \u201cnon-toxic.\u201d Exposure to glyphosate has been associated with DNA damage, elevated risk of cancer, reproductive problems, early-life neurodevelopment issues, an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease, and other serious health concerns. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In recent years, the consequences of glyphosate use have gained widespread attention following lawsuits against Monsanto\/Bayer linking the chemical to cases of non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma. By October 2024, approximately 177,000 legal claims had been made against Monsanto\/Bayer\u2019s Roundup, and the company had paid more than $11 billion in settlements and court cases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s a grim story of corporate profits superseding human health, and this story is far from over.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To protect its public image and regain trust, Bayer announced that starting in 2023, they\u2019d remove glyphosate-based Roundup from U.S. retail consumer stores. While glyphosate-based Roundup will still be used in farming, your local Home Depot or Lowe\u2019s will offer alternative formulations for the average homeowner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2024, Friends of the Earth, an international environmental organization, investigated the new Roundup formulations to determine whether they were safe for consumers. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, what did they find?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On average, the new formulas are 45\u202ftimes more chronically toxic to human health following long-term exposure and are far worse for the environment than the original formula.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The new Roundup formulas carry higher risks of harming bees, birds, fish, earthworms, and aquatic organisms. They replace glyphosate with a combination of four chemicals: diquat dibromide, fluazifop-P-butyl, triclopyr, and imazapic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Friends of the Earth report, \u201cAll four chemicals pose a greater risk of long-term and\/or reproductive health problems than glyphosate, based on the EPA\u2019s evaluation of safety studies. Diquat dibromide \u2013present in all the new formulations \u2013 is 200\u202ftimes more chronically toxic than glyphosate, classified as a highly hazardous pesticide, and is banned in the EU. Imazapic is also banned in the EU.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s painful to imagine so many unsuspecting people reaching for what they assume is a harmless product to care for their lawn, only to put their family, pets, and the environment at risk. Children are running through the lawn barefoot, and pets are rolling in the grass, all while being exposed to more toxic compounds than ever before.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We would have hoped Bayer learned its lesson after hundreds of thousands of legal claims. Even though they\u2019re being sued, criticized, and protested, many companies still prioritize profit over the harm they cause. And they will continue the same tactics, knowingly harming people and prioritizing earnings at all costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, the onus falls on us as consumers to protect ourselves. We need to look out for our neighbors, friends, and family, and help teach others not to use these toxic products.<\/p>\n So, don\u2019t reach for Roundup when you see that first weed pop up this spring. Monocultures don\u2019t exist in nature, so instead, let\u2019s change our perspectives to embrace the beauty of biodiversity. Weeds like dandelions benefit our ecosystems, wildlife, and pollinators \u2013 all of which we depend on for everything, including food production. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE SNOW FINALLY STARTS MELTING, AND SUDDENLY, THE LONG WINTER TRANSFORMS INTO SPRING. Amid the blooms and bright green grass, a single dandelion appears. Almost magically, your lawn is dotted with the bright yellow weeds that so many have learned to hate. Out of frustration and hoping for a magazine-worthy lawn, the automatic reaction may […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":40196,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living-culture","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nTHE SNOW FINALLY STARTS MELTING, AND SUDDENLY, THE LONG WINTER TRANSFORMS INTO SPRING.<\/strong> Amid the blooms and bright green grass, a single dandelion appears. Almost magically, your lawn is dotted with the bright yellow weeds that so many have learned to hate. Out of frustration and hoping for a magazine-worthy lawn, the automatic reaction may be to reach for a lawn treatment or weedkiller like Roundup\u00ae<\/sup>. But you may want to think again.<\/h5>\n
I would choose a vibrant, dandelion-dotted yard any day over a monotonous stretch of chemically treated grass that harms our health, soil, pollinators, and ecosystems. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n