The weed killer Roundup has been linked to cancer. It’s time to ban it.

Roundup's main ingredient is a probable human carcinogen, but it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with it. The EPA must ban it, unless and until independent research proves it safe.

Pesticides

Matt Casale

Former Director, Environment Campaigns, PIRG

Why does the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still allow the sale and use of a weed killer linked to cancer?

It’s because the EPA has long taken Monsanto — now Bayer — at its word when the chemical manufacturer claimed its product is harmless. But Monsanto’s own documents and emails have revealed the company’s deceptive efforts to manipulate the media in favor of its product’s safety.

Monsanto has worked hard to convince us its product is safe — but meanwhile, the World Health Organization has labeled glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.”

Our families’ health isn’t worth the risk. The EPA should ban Roundup unless and until it is proven safe by independent research.

Toxic glyphosate is everywhere

Even if you don’t use it in your own lawn or garden, glyphosate is nearly impossible to avoid contact with.

So much glyphosate is used in agriculture that traces of it creep into food and drink of all kinds. Traces of glyphosate have been detected everywhere from ice cream and children’s cereal to beer and wine.

That’s why calling on the EPA is so important. The agency has the power to regulate the use of glyphosate nationwide — that’s how we can keep it off the shelves of your garage, out of public parks and gardens, and far away from the fields where the food that eventually makes its way onto your table is grown.

Together, we can keep our communities safe from toxic pesticides

At PIRG, we have years of experience campaigning to protect the public from toxic threats. We know we can win with your support — because together, we’ve won before.

A pesticide called chlorpyrifos was used on crops for decades, even though chlorpyrifos exposure was linked to brain damage in children. To tackle the problem PIRG and our national network kicked off a campaign to ban chlorpyrifos, and we had our work cut out for us.

We mobilized to gather more than 27,000 petition signatures to the EPA urging the agency to ban chlorpyrifos — and in 2021, we won. Every step of the way, this victory was made possible by supporters like you.

Your voice can make all the difference. Add your name to support a ban on Roundup today.

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Authors

Matt Casale

Former Director, Environment Campaigns, PIRG

Danielle Melgar

Food & Agriculture, Advocate, PIRG

Danielle works to ensure our food system produces enough nutritious food to feed everyone, without threatening our health, the planet, or the ability of future generations to grow food. Danielle lives in Chicago, where she enjoys staying active in the outdoors, trying out new recipes, and writing short stories.

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