Monday 23 September 2013

Ragwort Debate More Ignorance and Inaccuracy

Again I am covering the ragwort debate on line here

It never ceases to amaze me just how inaccurate and ignorant people can be about the issues around ragwort, even when they are debating the issue with other people.
A lack of fact checking is a characteristic of the whole business. The British Horse Society didn't check their facts which is why they fell foul of advertising regulation. This also seems to be true of their supporters.                            

This quote from one of the BHS's supporters seems to be  a classic example of ignorance and inaccuracy that is all to common with those who fall for the hysteria over ragwort.
 
"The Weeds Act 1959 only gave protection to agricultural land. The Ragwort Control Act 2003 simply extended that protection to non-agricultural land which may be grazed by horses and other livestock and which may also used to produce preserved forage."

As I always say it is no crime to be ignorant but in this case the culprit is arguing on the net and the proper information is only a click of the mouse away.  Neither act of parliament mentions agricultural land at all!

The Weeds Act 1959, while it does not place an automatic responsibility to control ragwort, actually contains the words "weeds to which this Act applies growing upon any land"(My emphasis)
and the Ragwort Control Act 2003 does not mandate any control at all merely asking for some guidance to be created.

Ragwort Hysteria latest entries

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