Roundup weed killer may be killing more than just weeds.(2009-2017)

Monsanto Logo. The parent compnay of Roundup weed killer.

Roundup weed and grass killer is under some heat over the fact that one of the ingredients in the weed killer is Glyphosate which the safety of is not settled science according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). On top of that the mixture that makes up round up is known to possibly create a toxic effect on human cells.

Roundup weed and grass killer is a product from Monsanto a company which has dealt with its fair share of lawsuits dating back to the 1960's. They also now have two government agencies looking into this matter over the concerns of cancer or the possibility that the use of Roundup accelerates cancer in humans.

 The parties’ involved in this case are the farmers, anyone who wants to kill weeds on their lawn, any recreation department which does not want weeds on their youth sports fields. As this weed killer is the most popular in the US with about 100 Million pounds of it used every year on farms and lawns according to the EPA.

Roundup on the shelf in a store

The company acted well in relevance to individualism.  Because they have not pulled the product from stores, as well as with the fact that they sell one of the most popular weed killers and it makes them a ton in profits. Also what it will cost them to update the bottles with a cancer warning label will be less than what it costs them if they were to pull it from the shelves of stores, which means they have done the best for the company by making the most profit for the company. Even though they are in the middle of a law suit which for the company seems to occur often that would be an assumed cost attached to the product and marketing of the product.

The company acted poorly in relevance to utilitarianism. The overall happiness of the stakeholders is down as a result of the cancer allegations, which will reduce the overall happiness of the stakeholders.

The company acted poorly in relevance to Kantianism. Even though the company has not pulled the product from the shelves as of yet they are still using consumers as a means to an end and not treating them how they want to be treated considering the potential of harm that can come from prolonged use of the product.

The company did not act at all in relevance to Virtue theory, as Virtue theory comprised of four main virtues which are:

·         Temperance- Which is self-restraint.

·         Prudence- to discipline themselves by using reason.

·         Justice- When the company balances being selfish and selfless, or keeping the balance between having more or less of their fair share.

·         Courage- The willingness to confront uncertainty.

Farmer sparyng Roundup on crops

These four virtues are not the only virtues but are the four most common.  The company has been courageous because they are engaged in another lawsuit over the safety of a product they sell. They have not done as well in either of the other three virtues as they have not been temperate, prude, or just.

Roundup weed and grass killer is under some heat over the fact that one of the ingredients in the weed killer is Glyphosate which the safety of is not settled science according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the European Food Safety Agency. On top of that the mixture that makes up round up is known to possibly  create a toxic effect on human cells, overall the company has acted little bit more unethically than ethically when it comes to the product and marketing of the product as the law suit is showing.

Referances:

"California Fights Monsanto on Labels for Popular Weed Killer." Fox News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2017. <http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/01/27/california-fights-monsanto-on-labels-for-popular-weed-killer.html>.

Erik StokstadJun. 17, 2016 , 10:00 AM, 2017 Apr. 6, 2017 Apr. 5, and 2017 Apr. 4. "Why Europe May Ban the Most Popular Weed Killer in the World." Science | AAAS. N.p., 17 June 2016. Web. 06 Apr. 2017. <http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/06/why-europe-may-ban-most-popular-weed-killer-world>.

Gammon, Crystal, and Environmental Health News. "Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells." Scientific American. N.p., 23 June 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2017. <https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/weed-whacking-herbicide-p/>.

Hakim, Danny. "Monsanto Weed Killer Roundup Faces New Doubts on Safety in Unsealed Documents." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Mar. 2017. Web. 06 Apr. 2017. <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/monsanto-roundup-safety-lawsuit.html?_r=0>.

"Roundup Documents Uncovered in Lawsuits Suggest Monsanto Manipulated Glyphosate Studies." AboutLawsuitscom. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2017. <http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/roundup-documents-monsanto-glyphosate-studies-124163/>.