Whilst out collecting rubbish from the edge of our main road, I was intrigued to see a small board nailed to a piece of wood that had been stuck into the ground. Further investigation made my blood run cold.
The board was an advert for “พาราควอส” (Paraquat) – a herbicide to rid you of unwanted weeds for longer than usual. A measured test square had been set up around the board, and you can see for yourself the effect of this chemical. In fact, on this road – the way to our local town, Don Tan, there are sporadic spots where this method of advertising has been carried out. All you have to do is look for the brown patches amongst the green vegetation; even the roadside rubbish stands out less.
I don’t know what worries me more – the fact that there are manufacturers out there, producing this stuff without a care for their environment, or the fact that people actually buy and use this stuff on their land. Do they have no idea of the implications of what they are doing? Of accumulative effects and knock-on effects? Of the holistic way in which our planet’s elements (these days, theoretically) live in harmonious equilibrium with our own actions?
Before anyone accuses me of an unproven comment about lack of care by the manufacturing company, just think for a moment. Look at what you see. No matter how much blah (I’m being polite here) the company puts out about safety tests, meeting manufacturing quality control standards and how you can take your family for a picnic on the sprayed patch – no problems, the very fact that absolutely everything has been killed off by this herbicide – inevitably including the micro-organic soil life and insect (etc) life previously on that patch – shows a complete lack of comprehension that this planet is our Life Support. It was not created for us humans to own and control. We are all components of a massive living organism, and without our co-residents – the trees, the grass, the plants, let alone the fauna, and so on – we are damaging the very system that keeps us alive.
On a more local level, these roadside verges are commonly used as feeding grounds for cows, tethered by their owners and left to do a living lawnmower impression. Personally, I am glad Wat does not have to rely on these areas for our own cows, as I would most certainly NOT wish to have a cow feed where this chemical has been sprayed.
I actually wanted to take the sign down, but Wat pointed out that Whoever has a right to put the sign there. So don’t I have an equal right to take it down, seeing as no-one asks for permission to use the Crown land, they just do so?!
Whatever. I hope that the sign works adversely and turns out to be an advert for NOT using this chemical.
(Aside: There were also signs advertising Glyphosate – a chemical used in Round Up and which is currently starting to be banned across Europe following successful petitioning to the European High Court.)
Are You Looking At Me, Or Wat?! 