IT would appear either arrogance or defiance that Bayer/Monsanto mounted a television advertising campaign for its glyphosate product. These ads followed almost immediately after the ABC’s “Four Corners” program revealed its possible links to cancer.

This also followed my gardening column (CN, October 4) where I reported that the Diggers Club of Victoria had expressed serious concerns on the continued use of glyphosate and that numerous countries had now banned the use of this herbicide.

In Australia I understand an increasing number of councils have stopped using it electing to employ alternative methods for weed control. It is under review by the World Health Organization and the Royal Horticultural Society in the UK.

Cedric Bryant, Watson

Cedric is also the gardening writer for “CityNews”.

Pressing for pop-ups

AS columnist John-Paul Romano (CN, October 18) said, Canberra’s true gems are hiding in plain sight: the neglected Sydney and Melbourne Buildings on Northbourne Avenue.

While separately titled and with multiple owners, the landlords of the empty shop fronts should be required to display pop-up installations and artworks in their windows until tenanted, just as has happened on Newcastle’s Hunter Street and Sydney’s Oxford Street during Mardi Gras.

Danny Corvini, Deakin

Say thanks for the poppies

COLUMNIST Mike Welsh (Seven Days, CN, October 18) wrote of the field of poppies at the Australian War Memorial. He gave credit to Phillip Johnson for the work of the 62,000 poppies planted on the lawns by saying they were the work of an award-winning landscape designer. What he failed to give credit for was the army of people who made the poppies and planted them. Mr Johnson may have come up with the idea, but he certainly did not make or plant all the poppies.

There would be too many people to name individually, but at least he could have acknowledged that. I was not one that helped but I have friends that did.

Vi Evans, via email

News all day, every day at CityNews.com.au.