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A new petition launched today by a University Professor and supported by a host of conservation and health charities is calling for the UK Government to ban the use of pesticides in urban areas & end their sale for use in gardens. The petition’s launch coincides with the publication on 5 August of “Silent Earth”, a new book which outlines how the decline of wild bees and other insects are a potential catastrophe for us all. 

Professor Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth and creator of the petition, said “It is simply crazy to spray poisons in our streets, parks & gardens for cosmetic purposes, where they harm bees & other wildlife & pose a risk to human health. We rely on insects to deliver a range of vital “ecosystem services” – such as pollination, and recycling of corpses & dung. They are food for many larger organisms. Without them, our ecosystem will collapse.” 

As outlined in Goulson’s new book, published by Jonathan Cape, thirteen UK bee species have already gone extinct.  Britain's butterfly population has halved since the 1970s, with one in ten butterfly species becoming extinct. 

As well as listing alarming evidence of the extent of insect declines in the UK, Silent Earth also presents a range of solutions. It argues that one key way to help combat insect decline is to encourage wildlife in urban areas. The UK’s 22 million gardens, plus parks, road verges & other green spaces could form a network of wildlife friendly habitats. However, this will only work if we stop spraying pesticides in these spaces.

At present, many local councils spray pesticides on pavements, the edges of paths in parks, and even in children’s playgrounds. The most commonly used pesticide, Roundup, is harmful to bees, damages soil health, and is strongly suspected of causing non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in humans.  

Similarly, many homeowners buy and use pesticides in their gardens, with no training, and often without wearing protective clothing. An extensive range of pesticides are readily available to consumers - sold by garden centres, DIY chains, and even most supermarkets, including chemicals that are classified as carcinogens and neurotoxins. 

According to Prof Goulson, none of this pesticide use is necessary or desirable. It makes no contribution to food production and safe and sustainable alternatives for weed control are available, where necessary. 

Elsewhere, some countries have already taken a step towards banning pesticides to help protect insects and human health. France banned all use of synthetic pesticides in public spaces in 2017, and banned garden use from 2019. In Canada, 170 cities and towns are pesticide-free, some of them having been so for 30 years. More than 70 towns and cities across the UK have already taken major steps towards going pesticide-free, including boroughs of London and Manchester, Derry in Northern Ireland and North Lanarkshire in Scotland. These and other examples from around the world prove beyond doubt that these chemicals are not needed. 

As well as being unnecessary, pesticide use in urban areas is unpopular. Public polling commissioned by Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) and Sum of Us reveals that 68% of people think that their local schools, parks, playgrounds and other open spaces should be pesticide-free. 

Josie Cohen from PAN UK said “Increasing numbers of local councils and amateur gardeners across the UK are moving away from using toxic pesticides and instead adopting the many safe and sustainable alternatives that are available. Ending pesticide use in urban areas and gardens is an achievable goal that would be a massive win for the health of both humans and wildlife.”

Stephanie Morren, senior policy officer at the RSPB said “Nature is in crisis, with 15% of UK species at risk of extinction and is getting squeezed into smaller and smaller spaces. But pesticide-free gardens and urban green spaces can provide vitally important homes for our incredible wildlife and help revive our world. We hope this petition leads to public debate that will pave the way for government, local authorities and others to tackle situations where pesticides are used unnecessarily, such as in urban areas.” 

The petition is supported by RSPB, PAN UK, Friends of the Earth, Parkinson’s UK, Alliance for Cancer Prevention, Garden Organic, Soil Association, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Wildlife Gardening Forum, CEE Bill, Real Farming Trust, Songbird Survival, & Savitri Trust. The petition can be found online here.

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