Title: Herbicide pollution reduction strategy for Austalia launched
[TWN 28 Nov 2014] Melbourne, Australia — The Weed's Network has launched itsHerbicide Pollution Reduction Strategy for Australia (PDF 2.1MB). The strategy seeks to increase public awareness about herbicide pollution in Australia and encourage the adoption of ChemFree methods for managing unwanted vegetation. ChemFree methods include design and cultural innovations to achieve landscape goals. Ms Zheljana Peric, the strategy's author, said, "The use of herbicides to kill unwanted plant life is increasing worldwide. The terms of reference for assessing the costs and benefits of using herbicide need to be drawn more broadly to incorporate new insights, such as the health and environmental benefits that can be achieved by reducing our use of herbicides". Ms Peric also notes that we need to re-evaluate our attitudes towards plant life. "Faced with world-wide potable water shortages, increasing droughts and climate change, weeds may prove to be highly valuable, providing us with vital ecological services. Our strategy incorporates a recognition of the social construction of herbicide pollution. It uses our social understandings of herbicide as a basis for developing recommendations for a more responsible method of working with weeds and/or preventing weeds". The report makes ten key recommendations based on feedback from two surveys of herbicide users' thoughts and feelings about herbicide undertaken this year by The Weed's Network. Ms Peric said, "We found that herbicide users are concerned about the environmental and health effects of using herbicide. Herbicide users want information and research on how to use less, or how to avoid using them altogether". The Weed's Network is seeking feedback on the strategy document before submitting the final version to the Federal Australian Government for consideration. ${imageDescription} Comment
