How to talk to neighbour about RoundUp usage

[vegmom]

I have a neighbour that uses round up regularly and even has their kids spraying it. They are fantastic neighbours and I do not want to "ruffle feathers". I have been helping her pull her garden as it is overgrown... mainly because it is such a big job and I don't want her to spray unnecesarily. I would love to "educate" her on how terrible round up is but am at a loss of words. I have plenty of people in my life to have confrontational disagreements with and I don't want this round up issue to turn into that. She really loves round up as a product because it gets the job done so well.

Would love to have suggestions on how to gently inform someone of how dangerous this product is.

[Bokonon]

I don't have any suggestions, but will be watching this thread.  My kids' schools use Roundup on their lawns and it makes me sick to think about.

[AmandaT]

When trying to educate someone on what could be a touchy subject, I usually try to act as if I just discovered the information myself:

"I just read this really interesting article/study about...." "I just saw an interesting segment on the news about..." "...and then I started doing some research and found..."

I *hope* this makes me sound less judgmental to the person I'm discussing it with. My reasoning being if I have just learned about this information I couldn't/shouldn't be judging them.

Sorry, that's the best I've got 

[StatedWord]

Wow!  I never cease to be amazed that anyone would be foolish enough to use RoundUp, but for a mother to have her kids out spraying it is unconscionable.  First of all, I would not be going into her yard to help her pull weeds.  Roundup has been found to have a very long half life, up to 141 days!  You are putting yourself at risk by going into her yard.  It gets on your shoes, clothing and skin and then you carry it into your house.  If I were you, I would also not let your children play in her yard. 

I would be very up front with this woman and completely direct.  I would tell her that Roundup is toxic and that neither you nor your children will be visiting her property.  My guess is that she also sprays other lawn chemicals and pesticides in her yard as well.  I would direct her to the internet to read articles such as this one:  http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Roundup-Glyphosate-Factsheet-Cox.htm

If she puts Roundup above your friendship and neighborly congeniality, I simply would not associate with her.  If you are directly downwind of her property or any run-off from rain comes into your yard, she is putting your health as well as that of your children and pets at risk.  I think that is a most un-neighborly thing to do. 

In the neighborhood I live in, at least 80% of the people spray their yards with toxic lawn chemicals.  I constantly see people out spraying Roundup all over their sidewalks and then a few minutes later little kids are walking through it, parents are pushing baby carriages through it, and joggers are running over it.  Unbelievable.  I have no idea why this stuff is legal. 

[rnra]

I like the idea of taking the approach of "I just read this interesting article that said...".  I would suggest going over to help pull weeds, having the conversation as suggested above, and leaving it at that.  If she chooses to continue using Round-up, I wouldn't push the issue.  There's bigger fish to fry.