Glyphosate ban?

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Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

It is reported in the Guardian this week (Recall of Monsanto’s Roundup likely as EU refuses limited use of glyphosate; Monday June 6) that a renewal of a licence for Roundup and other glyphosate-based weed killers is not going to be as straightforward as it’s producers would hope. There is growing concern about the hazards of glyphosates for the environment and indications of potential toxicity for humans, which is contributing to the potential that it will have to be withdrawn from sale and use. From an Agroecological perspective it is high time we took seriously more sustainable approaches to agriculture – shifting from those based on manipulation to those with an ethos of stewardship. Perhaps it is also time to redirect some of the vast amounts of money invested in chemical, industrial scale agriculture into some of the options that are better for both the environment and people?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/06/recall-of-monsantos-roundup-likely-as-eu-refuses-limited-use-of-glyphosate

Holistic thinking and dyslexia

In an excellent blog from Joe Atkinson of the Permaculture Association Joe explores why permaculture courses seem to attract a higher than usual proportion of people with dyslexia. He includes some very interesting video links about dyslexia and creativity and, especially interesting for us, whether the learning processes of people with dyslexia are particularly helpful for thinking holistically and appreciating a holistic view. This way of thinking is important for permaculture but also the other areas that Crossfields Institute covers.

https://www.joeatkinsonpermaculture.com/blog/dyslexia-permaculture-a-match-made-in-heaven