A new law in France allowing the reintroduction of a banned pesticide has sparked a massive response for a petition opposing it, which on Sunday had gathered more than 1,000,000 signatures, reports FRANCE 24.
The so-called "Duplomb law" has stirred public anger for permitting a return of acetamiprid – a chemical known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and to ecosystems. It was adopted on July 8 but has not yet come into effect.
The legislation, named after the conservative lawmaker who proposed it, was presented in parliament as a measure to "reduce constraints" on French farmers.
But its move to bring back acetamiprid prompted a 23-year-old master's student to launch a petition against it which quickly snowballed, gathering support from many people, including actors and several left-wing lawmakers.
The French parliament's official website showed it had accumulated more signatures than any other. By midday on Sunday, the counter had neared the million mark.
The petition's author, Eléonore Pattery, who describes herself as "a future environmental health professional", called the new law a "scientific, ethical, environmental and public health aberration".
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.