This information was in The New York Times as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog & provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent Undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the photochemical in the cucumber cause the Collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential Nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.
13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
How to kill lice without killing yourself or the earth......
How to kill lice without killing yourself or the earth......
The head louse (Pediculus humanus capitas) (DeGeer), the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) (Linnaeus) and the crab louse (Pthirus pubis) (Linnaeus) all occur on humans. All three cause considerable skin irritation as they feed on human blood or crawl on the body. Typhus, impetigo, trench fever and relapsing fever have all been transmitted by body and head lice. Scratching can lead to secondary bacterial infections leaving children feeling achy, feverish and/or lethargic.
Human lice can establish and maintain themselves only on humans. A louse cannot hop or jump. They can, however, crawl fast. They are usually transmitted only through close personal contact. They are less frequently transmitted through the sharing of personal articles or toilet seats. For head lice, this includes combs, brushes and other grooming aids, hats, headbands, helmets, caps, headrests, wigs, curlers or other headgear, especially when these items are stored in shared lockers. They spread or infest by crawling, they live by biting and sucking blood from the scalp and can survive for up to 48 hours off a human head, and the nits on a hair shaft can survive from 4 - 10 days - so vacuum thoroughly and/or spray/clean with diluted Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint.
Head lice infestations have been a problem a long time - Pliny, a Greek naturalist (23-79 AD) suggested bathing in viper broth. Montezuma paid people to pick nits off his subjects, dried them and then saved them in his treasury. W. Coles in his 1657 book Adam in Eden: or Nature's Paradise noted that the oil from hyssop (Hyssopus) "killeth lice." Nicholas Culpeper in his 1681 The English Physician Enlarged recommended tobacco juice to kill lice on children's heads, a very early reference to the use of tobacco as an insecticide poison. Medical historians trace head lice infestations back 9,000 years! In the U. S. head lice are not "known" to spread disease or cause serious injury - they are only considered to be "repugnant". Like other U. S. public health agencies, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention have never tracked head lice outbreaks, said official, Tom Skinner. Sometimes called "mechanized dandruff." Head lice may be nasty, itchy and very contagious, but the pediculicide poisons sold to get rid of lice are even worse. See Health Department recommendations at: http://www.ccchd.com/lice.htm and at: http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/blogs/dph/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/pediculosis_head_lice-_for_gcdph_2007_10.pdf .
Important Note: Pediculicide POISONS do not remove nits and are dangerous. Among the reactions to poison shampoo or lice "treatments" are seizures, mental retardation, many different allergies and respiratory problems, strange tingling, burning, itching, attention deficit disorders, brain tumors, leukemia, cancer and death. The Author does not suggest the use of pediculicide poisons to control lice.
Thoroughly vacuum each room daily wherever lice have been a problem and spray carpets and floors with (1 oz. per quart) or mop floors with (1 oz. - 2 oz. per gallon) Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint and/or 1/2 cup of borax.
& Read the entire chapter on Lice located @ : http://www.thebestcontrol2.com.
The Author has used salt water to safely and effectiely kill lice (but the nits remain).
The Author also has used ½ oz. of Safe Solutions, Inc. Lice R Gone® Enzyme Shampoo to safely remove both lice and nits in a few minutes. Their non-poisonous enzyme shampoo make the hair so slick lice and nits can't stick and lice can not live off the body for very long.
Be sure each child uses his/her own locker or hook and clothes and hair ornaments, combs and brushes.
Note: Lice are host specific; there are lice that attack goats that will not attack cattle. There are lice that are common external parasites affecting cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry and other livestock. Many organic farmers are looking for safe ways to control these pests without using dangerous, synthetic, chemical insecticide poisons. They should first try a fine-toothed metal lice or flea combs, Lice R Gone® or Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint. Vigorously shampoo with Lice R Gone® enzyme shampoo per label directions and then, while still wet, comb with a regular comb to detangle the hair and then a fine-toothed metal flea or lice comb should be used to comb 1" sections of hair in order to remove the loosened nits. Then manually inspect the hair with a bright light for any remaining lice or nits before you rinse.
There are two kinds of lice that affect cattle/cows: biting lice and sucking lice. Lice are passed between animals as they feed or crowd together. Biting lice move along the topline (spine) and are about the size of a pin head, straw-colored and soft-bodied. Biting lice feed on dead skin and hair follicles. They are very common on cattle, sheep, goats and swine. All will be removed with Safe Solutions, Inc. enzyme cleaners or their Lice R Gone®.
Sucking lice are blue-black and very small; they are attached to the skin. Inspect for them by scraping the skin with a knife and shaking the scrapings onto a stiff piece of white paper. Wash or (better yet) dip each animal from nose to tail with diluted Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint. Repeat treatment in 2 - 3 weeks.
The word "lice" in Hebrew is "kinim" - one of the plagues God sent to punish Egypt was lice - even to this day parents and farmers respond to lice like they are truly plagues. Exod. 8:16-18
A staggering 20 million Americans find out each year we live in a lousy world - when they become infested or plagued with lice! The really lousy part of this is many are treated repeatedly with dangerous, volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons that no longer control the lice; some people have treated their children 10, 20 and even 30 or more times with over-the-counter poison shampoos without ever getting rid of the lice!
Enzyme, Surfactant and Peppermint Caution: Some people may experience a moderate skin irritation or slight eye irritation when using a combination of enzymes, surfactants and/or peppermint oils, such as those in Safe Solutions, Inc. products.
Caution: Before "treating" with any volatile pesticide poison shampoo or lotion, read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for not only the active poison ingredient, but also for all of the "inerts." Never apply any pediculicide poison shampoo in the shower. The warm, close environment can allow a dangerously high amount of the poison to be absorbed. Observe all warning labels. Do not use a shower cap. These poisons are especially dangerous for pregnant or nursing women, children younger than 2 months, or anyone with asthma.
As a safer alternative, routinely wash with salt water and start combing - Once lice are detected, plan on spending one full day for each initial treatment, then daily for at least 2 weeks. Give yourself at least an hour per head - and with long hair, as much as two hours per head. Make sure your child is comfortable and occupied. Use an entertaining video, arts and craft project or coloring book to keep your child entertained and engrossed. Use a bright light, magnifying glass and metal (flea/nit) comb. Wash with hair conditioner and comb through each strand from top to bottom, removing nits with fingernails, combs, blunt scissors or tweezers. If the nits will not budge, snip off the hair. Recheck your child's head every 3 - 4 days for several more weeks. Or simply use Lice R Gone® shampoo to remove both the lice and nits.
Start cleaning - Everything that has been in direct contact with the infected child - bedding, clothing, towels, toys, dolls, cars, furniture, hats, combs, brushes - must either be vacuumed, laundered or dry cleaned daily; any items that can not go through the washer or the dryer or be thoroughly vacuumed should be placed in sealed plastic bags and kept isolated for at least 2 weeks.
The 1997-1998 head lice season had been particularly bad. Even in February, 1998 school nurses and parents were still telling us that children had their head lice "treated" with poisons 10 - 20 or even more times! Some children's parents were using over-the-counter poison treatments virtually daily to "treat" the resistant lice, even though the poison shampoo labels clearly warn people not to use these toxins more than once every 2 weeks! Never use any volatile, synthetic pesticide poison more than twice after it fails the first time! Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint and Lice R Gone® do not contain any registered pesticide poisons and they have safely controlled even pesticide resistant lice. You can also order any of these products directly from Safe Solutions, Inc. at 1-888-443-8738 or online from Safe2Use at http://www.safesolutionsinc.com. If you are still having lice problems, read the Author's latest chapter http://www.thebestcontrol2.com.
Lice R Gone Shampoo is registered with the FDA as a medical device for removing human lice and nits.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Martin Luther King Jr.
The head louse (Pediculus humanus capitas) (DeGeer), the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) (Linnaeus) and the crab louse (Pthirus pubis) (Linnaeus) all occur on humans. All three cause considerable skin irritation as they feed on human blood or crawl on the body. Typhus, impetigo, trench fever and relapsing fever have all been transmitted by body and head lice. Scratching can lead to secondary bacterial infections leaving children feeling achy, feverish and/or lethargic.
Human lice can establish and maintain themselves only on humans. A louse cannot hop or jump. They can, however, crawl fast. They are usually transmitted only through close personal contact. They are less frequently transmitted through the sharing of personal articles or toilet seats. For head lice, this includes combs, brushes and other grooming aids, hats, headbands, helmets, caps, headrests, wigs, curlers or other headgear, especially when these items are stored in shared lockers. They spread or infest by crawling, they live by biting and sucking blood from the scalp and can survive for up to 48 hours off a human head, and the nits on a hair shaft can survive from 4 - 10 days - so vacuum thoroughly and/or spray/clean with diluted Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint.
Head lice infestations have been a problem a long time - Pliny, a Greek naturalist (23-79 AD) suggested bathing in viper broth. Montezuma paid people to pick nits off his subjects, dried them and then saved them in his treasury. W. Coles in his 1657 book Adam in Eden: or Nature's Paradise noted that the oil from hyssop (Hyssopus) "killeth lice." Nicholas Culpeper in his 1681 The English Physician Enlarged recommended tobacco juice to kill lice on children's heads, a very early reference to the use of tobacco as an insecticide poison. Medical historians trace head lice infestations back 9,000 years! In the U. S. head lice are not "known" to spread disease or cause serious injury - they are only considered to be "repugnant". Like other U. S. public health agencies, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention have never tracked head lice outbreaks, said official, Tom Skinner. Sometimes called "mechanized dandruff." Head lice may be nasty, itchy and very contagious, but the pediculicide poisons sold to get rid of lice are even worse. See Health Department recommendations at: http://www.ccchd.com/lice.htm and at: http://www.co.guilford.nc.us/blogs/dph/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/pediculosis_head_lice-_for_gcdph_2007_10.pdf .
Important Note: Pediculicide POISONS do not remove nits and are dangerous. Among the reactions to poison shampoo or lice "treatments" are seizures, mental retardation, many different allergies and respiratory problems, strange tingling, burning, itching, attention deficit disorders, brain tumors, leukemia, cancer and death. The Author does not suggest the use of pediculicide poisons to control lice.
Thoroughly vacuum each room daily wherever lice have been a problem and spray carpets and floors with (1 oz. per quart) or mop floors with (1 oz. - 2 oz. per gallon) Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint and/or 1/2 cup of borax.
& Read the entire chapter on Lice located @ : http://www.thebestcontrol2.com.
The Author has used salt water to safely and effectiely kill lice (but the nits remain).
The Author also has used ½ oz. of Safe Solutions, Inc. Lice R Gone® Enzyme Shampoo to safely remove both lice and nits in a few minutes. Their non-poisonous enzyme shampoo make the hair so slick lice and nits can't stick and lice can not live off the body for very long.
Be sure each child uses his/her own locker or hook and clothes and hair ornaments, combs and brushes.
Note: Lice are host specific; there are lice that attack goats that will not attack cattle. There are lice that are common external parasites affecting cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry and other livestock. Many organic farmers are looking for safe ways to control these pests without using dangerous, synthetic, chemical insecticide poisons. They should first try a fine-toothed metal lice or flea combs, Lice R Gone® or Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint. Vigorously shampoo with Lice R Gone® enzyme shampoo per label directions and then, while still wet, comb with a regular comb to detangle the hair and then a fine-toothed metal flea or lice comb should be used to comb 1" sections of hair in order to remove the loosened nits. Then manually inspect the hair with a bright light for any remaining lice or nits before you rinse.
There are two kinds of lice that affect cattle/cows: biting lice and sucking lice. Lice are passed between animals as they feed or crowd together. Biting lice move along the topline (spine) and are about the size of a pin head, straw-colored and soft-bodied. Biting lice feed on dead skin and hair follicles. They are very common on cattle, sheep, goats and swine. All will be removed with Safe Solutions, Inc. enzyme cleaners or their Lice R Gone®.
Sucking lice are blue-black and very small; they are attached to the skin. Inspect for them by scraping the skin with a knife and shaking the scrapings onto a stiff piece of white paper. Wash or (better yet) dip each animal from nose to tail with diluted Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint. Repeat treatment in 2 - 3 weeks.
The word "lice" in Hebrew is "kinim" - one of the plagues God sent to punish Egypt was lice - even to this day parents and farmers respond to lice like they are truly plagues. Exod. 8:16-18
A staggering 20 million Americans find out each year we live in a lousy world - when they become infested or plagued with lice! The really lousy part of this is many are treated repeatedly with dangerous, volatile, synthetic pesticide poisons that no longer control the lice; some people have treated their children 10, 20 and even 30 or more times with over-the-counter poison shampoos without ever getting rid of the lice!
Enzyme, Surfactant and Peppermint Caution: Some people may experience a moderate skin irritation or slight eye irritation when using a combination of enzymes, surfactants and/or peppermint oils, such as those in Safe Solutions, Inc. products.
Caution: Before "treating" with any volatile pesticide poison shampoo or lotion, read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for not only the active poison ingredient, but also for all of the "inerts." Never apply any pediculicide poison shampoo in the shower. The warm, close environment can allow a dangerously high amount of the poison to be absorbed. Observe all warning labels. Do not use a shower cap. These poisons are especially dangerous for pregnant or nursing women, children younger than 2 months, or anyone with asthma.
As a safer alternative, routinely wash with salt water and start combing - Once lice are detected, plan on spending one full day for each initial treatment, then daily for at least 2 weeks. Give yourself at least an hour per head - and with long hair, as much as two hours per head. Make sure your child is comfortable and occupied. Use an entertaining video, arts and craft project or coloring book to keep your child entertained and engrossed. Use a bright light, magnifying glass and metal (flea/nit) comb. Wash with hair conditioner and comb through each strand from top to bottom, removing nits with fingernails, combs, blunt scissors or tweezers. If the nits will not budge, snip off the hair. Recheck your child's head every 3 - 4 days for several more weeks. Or simply use Lice R Gone® shampoo to remove both the lice and nits.
Start cleaning - Everything that has been in direct contact with the infected child - bedding, clothing, towels, toys, dolls, cars, furniture, hats, combs, brushes - must either be vacuumed, laundered or dry cleaned daily; any items that can not go through the washer or the dryer or be thoroughly vacuumed should be placed in sealed plastic bags and kept isolated for at least 2 weeks.
The 1997-1998 head lice season had been particularly bad. Even in February, 1998 school nurses and parents were still telling us that children had their head lice "treated" with poisons 10 - 20 or even more times! Some children's parents were using over-the-counter poison treatments virtually daily to "treat" the resistant lice, even though the poison shampoo labels clearly warn people not to use these toxins more than once every 2 weeks! Never use any volatile, synthetic pesticide poison more than twice after it fails the first time! Safe Solutions, Inc. Enzyme Cleaner with Peppermint and Lice R Gone® do not contain any registered pesticide poisons and they have safely controlled even pesticide resistant lice. You can also order any of these products directly from Safe Solutions, Inc. at 1-888-443-8738 or online from Safe2Use at http://www.safesolutionsinc.com. If you are still having lice problems, read the Author's latest chapter http://www.thebestcontrol2.com.
Lice R Gone Shampoo is registered with the FDA as a medical device for removing human lice and nits.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Martin Luther King Jr.
David Nutt: Alcohol More Dangerous Than Crack.
(CBS/AP) What's worse for us, alcohol or crack cocaine? Careful - this isn't a no-brainer.
A new study says alcohol is more destructive than illegal drugs like heroin and crack.
British scientists, lead by Dr. David Nutt at the University of Bristol, evaluated these three drugs, as well as ecstasy and marijuana (20 drugs in all), ranking each of them on the following criteria: physical harm to the user, how addictive it is, and the effect of its use on families, communities, and society.
They included economic costs like health care, social services, and prison.
Heroin, crack and crystal meth are deadliest to the individual user, the study showed, but when their wider social effects are taken into account, alcohol is the most damaging, followed by heroin and crack.
Experts said alcohol scored so high because it's so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers but for those around them. Excessive drinking damages nearly all organ systems, and is also connected to higher death rates. It's also involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.
Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower, according to the study, published in the "The Lancet."
Experts said the study should prompt countries to reconsider how they classify drugs. Last year, Britain increased its penalties for the possession of marijuana.
Some experts were critical of that decision, including Dr. Nutt. He was fired from his position as the U.K. chief drugs adviser soon after.
"What governments decide is illegal is not always based on science," says Leslie King, an adviser to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and one of the study's authors. "Drugs that are legal cause at least as much damage, if not more, than drugs that are illicit."
A new study says alcohol is more destructive than illegal drugs like heroin and crack.
British scientists, lead by Dr. David Nutt at the University of Bristol, evaluated these three drugs, as well as ecstasy and marijuana (20 drugs in all), ranking each of them on the following criteria: physical harm to the user, how addictive it is, and the effect of its use on families, communities, and society.
They included economic costs like health care, social services, and prison.
Heroin, crack and crystal meth are deadliest to the individual user, the study showed, but when their wider social effects are taken into account, alcohol is the most damaging, followed by heroin and crack.
Experts said alcohol scored so high because it's so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers but for those around them. Excessive drinking damages nearly all organ systems, and is also connected to higher death rates. It's also involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.
Marijuana, ecstasy and LSD scored far lower, according to the study, published in the "The Lancet."
Experts said the study should prompt countries to reconsider how they classify drugs. Last year, Britain increased its penalties for the possession of marijuana.
Some experts were critical of that decision, including Dr. Nutt. He was fired from his position as the U.K. chief drugs adviser soon after.
"What governments decide is illegal is not always based on science," says Leslie King, an adviser to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and one of the study's authors. "Drugs that are legal cause at least as much damage, if not more, than drugs that are illicit."
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The case against using poisonous insecticides.
The case against using poisonous insecticides BY JEFF WASIELEWSKI
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Insecticides have labels that list their toxicity: Caution, Warning and Danger. These are not words to be taken lightly. Insecticides are by their very nature dangerous and extremely toxic. The full effects of insecticides on humans and the environment are not entirely known; therefore, insecticides must be treated with extreme care and used only when absolutely necessary by trained professionals.
There are over one million named species of insects but fewer than 1 percent of those cause damage to plants. Nature was taking care of plants long before insecticides were invented; therefore, you can maintain a healthy, lush garden without ever spraying a drop of chemicals on your plants. You will have the ``bad'' bugs in your garden. If you grow it, they will come, but the damage they will cause is minimal and will rarely threaten the life of your plant.
The good news is that natural predators will also come. Natural predators are insects like the lacewing, the ladybug and parasitic wasps that feed on pests. Natural predators are part of the equilibrium that nature has in place to keep plants alive. It is often when we disturb nature's system that the pest populations swell out of control.
When a group of aphids is spotted feeding on a plant, your first impulse may be to spray the pest with insecticides. What you probably missed was the larval stage ladybug feeding on the aphids. The ladybug in the larval stage looks nothing like the adult ladybug and may be mistaken for just another bad insect. These young ladybugs are voracious feeders and a single insect can wipe out droves of aphids.
Aphids reproduce at a fantastic rate with a single female aphid putting out 50 to 100 offspring in a matter of weeks. Each female is ready to reproduce within five days. In contrast, ladybugs lay about 12-15 eggs and take more than a month to repopulate. If you spray the plant that is full of aphids and a very hungry ladybug, the population that is going to rebound the quickest is the aphids, not the natural predator that would have done an amazing job of cleaning up your plant.
Insecticides can also create super pests. If you repeatedly spray the same chemical to treat a pest, the pest will develop a resistance to that chemical until it is no longer affected by it. These now-resistant pests will breed, and a percentage of their offspring will also be resistant to that particular chemical. If another spray is made, it will wipe out all the pests except the growing population of resistant ``super bugs.''
Letting nature take its course doesn't mean that you will always have pest-free plants. There may be times when insect populations get very high before the predators can keep them in check. You must wait these times out and trust in nature's system.
There are times when natural predators cannot keep a pest in check because we have disrupted nature's system. This happens when a pest is accidentally transported (usually on plant material) to a new location far away from its natural predators. This has occurred throughout the United States in the past and especially in South Florida.
Insects have left indelible marks on our landscapes: the Thai scale of the 1990s attacked king and queen sago palms, virtually eliminating them. Recently the ficus whitefly has attacked species of ficus, and the redbay ambrosia beetle is threatening avocados and the native red bay trees. The newest gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly has a huge host range. These pests were removed from the predators that kept them in check and their populations exploded. Now, natural predators are being sought for them.
So before you spray insecticides, consider the risks and the dangers. Think about how you will not only kill the target pest, but also the natural predator. Don't feel badly if a few leaves or even a few plants are covered with insects; they will survive in almost every case.
Let nature do as it has done for millions of years. Let the delicate system of control that is in place take care of your plants.
Jeff Wasielewski is the multimedia specialist at Fairchild, an expert in South Florida horticulture and a professor of horticulture at Miami Dade College.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/31/1896429/the-case-against-using-poisonous.html
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Insecticides have labels that list their toxicity: Caution, Warning and Danger. These are not words to be taken lightly. Insecticides are by their very nature dangerous and extremely toxic. The full effects of insecticides on humans and the environment are not entirely known; therefore, insecticides must be treated with extreme care and used only when absolutely necessary by trained professionals.
There are over one million named species of insects but fewer than 1 percent of those cause damage to plants. Nature was taking care of plants long before insecticides were invented; therefore, you can maintain a healthy, lush garden without ever spraying a drop of chemicals on your plants. You will have the ``bad'' bugs in your garden. If you grow it, they will come, but the damage they will cause is minimal and will rarely threaten the life of your plant.
The good news is that natural predators will also come. Natural predators are insects like the lacewing, the ladybug and parasitic wasps that feed on pests. Natural predators are part of the equilibrium that nature has in place to keep plants alive. It is often when we disturb nature's system that the pest populations swell out of control.
When a group of aphids is spotted feeding on a plant, your first impulse may be to spray the pest with insecticides. What you probably missed was the larval stage ladybug feeding on the aphids. The ladybug in the larval stage looks nothing like the adult ladybug and may be mistaken for just another bad insect. These young ladybugs are voracious feeders and a single insect can wipe out droves of aphids.
Aphids reproduce at a fantastic rate with a single female aphid putting out 50 to 100 offspring in a matter of weeks. Each female is ready to reproduce within five days. In contrast, ladybugs lay about 12-15 eggs and take more than a month to repopulate. If you spray the plant that is full of aphids and a very hungry ladybug, the population that is going to rebound the quickest is the aphids, not the natural predator that would have done an amazing job of cleaning up your plant.
Insecticides can also create super pests. If you repeatedly spray the same chemical to treat a pest, the pest will develop a resistance to that chemical until it is no longer affected by it. These now-resistant pests will breed, and a percentage of their offspring will also be resistant to that particular chemical. If another spray is made, it will wipe out all the pests except the growing population of resistant ``super bugs.''
Letting nature take its course doesn't mean that you will always have pest-free plants. There may be times when insect populations get very high before the predators can keep them in check. You must wait these times out and trust in nature's system.
There are times when natural predators cannot keep a pest in check because we have disrupted nature's system. This happens when a pest is accidentally transported (usually on plant material) to a new location far away from its natural predators. This has occurred throughout the United States in the past and especially in South Florida.
Insects have left indelible marks on our landscapes: the Thai scale of the 1990s attacked king and queen sago palms, virtually eliminating them. Recently the ficus whitefly has attacked species of ficus, and the redbay ambrosia beetle is threatening avocados and the native red bay trees. The newest gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly has a huge host range. These pests were removed from the predators that kept them in check and their populations exploded. Now, natural predators are being sought for them.
So before you spray insecticides, consider the risks and the dangers. Think about how you will not only kill the target pest, but also the natural predator. Don't feel badly if a few leaves or even a few plants are covered with insects; they will survive in almost every case.
Let nature do as it has done for millions of years. Let the delicate system of control that is in place take care of your plants.
Jeff Wasielewski is the multimedia specialist at Fairchild, an expert in South Florida horticulture and a professor of horticulture at Miami Dade College.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/10/31/1896429/the-case-against-using-poisonous.html
Monsanto and “Friends” Stockpile Patents on Seeds in Bid to Become Bio’mass’ters
Monsanto and “Friends” Stockpile Patents on Seeds in Bid to Become Bio’mass’ters - Posted on October 30, 2010
April: one day, Monsanto and the “others” will mass such a huge volume of patents on seeds (of all kinds) that they could control the food and seed distribution of the world. It’s time to switch gears and educate ourselves on what is happening in this world behind our backs:
Surge in Corporate Patents on “Climate-Ready” Crops Threatens Biodiversity and Signals Grab on Land and Biomass
Nagoya, Japan — Under the guise of developing “climate-ready” crops, the world’s largest seed and agrochemical corporations are filing hundreds of sweeping, multi-genome patents in a bid to control the world’s plant biomass, according to a report released by ETC Group today.
A handful of multinational corporations are pressuring governments to allow what could become the broadest and most dangerous patent claims in history, warns the group at the United Nations’ Convention on Biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan (18-29 October 2010).
“The Gene Giants are stockpiling patents that threaten to put a choke-hold on the world’s biomass and our future food supply,” warns Silvia Ribeiro of ETC Group. “The breadth of many patent claims on climate ready crop genes is staggering. In many cases, a single patent or patent application claims ownership of engineered gene sequences that could be deployed in virtually all major crops – as well as the processed food and feed products derived from them,” explains Ribeiro.
ETC Group identifies over 262 patent families, subsuming 1663 patent documents published worldwide (both applications and issued patents) that make specific claims on environmental stress tolerance in plants (such as drought, heat, flood, cold, salt tolerance). DuPont, Monsanto, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and their biotech partners account for three-quarters (77%) of the patent families identified. Just three companies – DuPont, BASF, Monsanto – account for over two-thirds of the total. Public sector researchers hold only 10%.
“In a desperate bid for moral legitimacy and to try to ease public acceptance of genetically modified crops, the Gene Giants have donated a few proprietary crop genes to poor farmers in Africa,” explains Ribeiro.
“The quid pro quo is that South governments must facilitate market access for genetically modified crops and embrace biotech-friendly patent laws. It’s an unacceptable trade-off. In exchange for untested technologies, South governments are being pressured to surrender national sovereignty over intellectual property, biomass, and food,” she warned.
“These patents are the latest form of biopiracy,” notes Vandana Shiva, Director of India’s Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology. “Farmers have bred seeds for drought, flood and salt tolerance over millennia. Climate resilience ultimately depends on farmers’ innovation, biodiversity and agro-ecological processes staying in the hands of farming communities,” said Shiva.
“Governments meeting at the UN Biodiversity Convention in Nagoya, Japan must put a stop to the patent grab, yet another false solution to climate change. They should instruct their patent offices to reject or rescind all of these patents,” said ETC Group’s Neth Daño, who is attending the meeting. “A fundamental review of all intellectual property claims in agriculture should be jointly undertaken by the CBD and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These patents also clearly violate the FAO Seed Treaty and its governing body must investigate and take action.”
ETC Group’s report Gene Giants Stockpile Patents on “Climate-Ready” Crops in Bid to Become Biomassters will be released and discussed at a side event in Nagoya, Japan on 25 October (4:30 pm, Room 236, Bldg 2, 3rd floor).
http://gefreebc.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/monsanto-stockpile-patents-on-seeds-to-become-biomassters/
April: one day, Monsanto and the “others” will mass such a huge volume of patents on seeds (of all kinds) that they could control the food and seed distribution of the world. It’s time to switch gears and educate ourselves on what is happening in this world behind our backs:
Surge in Corporate Patents on “Climate-Ready” Crops Threatens Biodiversity and Signals Grab on Land and Biomass
Nagoya, Japan — Under the guise of developing “climate-ready” crops, the world’s largest seed and agrochemical corporations are filing hundreds of sweeping, multi-genome patents in a bid to control the world’s plant biomass, according to a report released by ETC Group today.
A handful of multinational corporations are pressuring governments to allow what could become the broadest and most dangerous patent claims in history, warns the group at the United Nations’ Convention on Biodiversity in Nagoya, Japan (18-29 October 2010).
“The Gene Giants are stockpiling patents that threaten to put a choke-hold on the world’s biomass and our future food supply,” warns Silvia Ribeiro of ETC Group. “The breadth of many patent claims on climate ready crop genes is staggering. In many cases, a single patent or patent application claims ownership of engineered gene sequences that could be deployed in virtually all major crops – as well as the processed food and feed products derived from them,” explains Ribeiro.
ETC Group identifies over 262 patent families, subsuming 1663 patent documents published worldwide (both applications and issued patents) that make specific claims on environmental stress tolerance in plants (such as drought, heat, flood, cold, salt tolerance). DuPont, Monsanto, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta and their biotech partners account for three-quarters (77%) of the patent families identified. Just three companies – DuPont, BASF, Monsanto – account for over two-thirds of the total. Public sector researchers hold only 10%.
“In a desperate bid for moral legitimacy and to try to ease public acceptance of genetically modified crops, the Gene Giants have donated a few proprietary crop genes to poor farmers in Africa,” explains Ribeiro.
“The quid pro quo is that South governments must facilitate market access for genetically modified crops and embrace biotech-friendly patent laws. It’s an unacceptable trade-off. In exchange for untested technologies, South governments are being pressured to surrender national sovereignty over intellectual property, biomass, and food,” she warned.
“These patents are the latest form of biopiracy,” notes Vandana Shiva, Director of India’s Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology. “Farmers have bred seeds for drought, flood and salt tolerance over millennia. Climate resilience ultimately depends on farmers’ innovation, biodiversity and agro-ecological processes staying in the hands of farming communities,” said Shiva.
“Governments meeting at the UN Biodiversity Convention in Nagoya, Japan must put a stop to the patent grab, yet another false solution to climate change. They should instruct their patent offices to reject or rescind all of these patents,” said ETC Group’s Neth Daño, who is attending the meeting. “A fundamental review of all intellectual property claims in agriculture should be jointly undertaken by the CBD and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These patents also clearly violate the FAO Seed Treaty and its governing body must investigate and take action.”
ETC Group’s report Gene Giants Stockpile Patents on “Climate-Ready” Crops in Bid to Become Biomassters will be released and discussed at a side event in Nagoya, Japan on 25 October (4:30 pm, Room 236, Bldg 2, 3rd floor).
http://gefreebc.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/monsanto-stockpile-patents-on-seeds-to-become-biomassters/
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Idiot Cycle - What you are not being told about cancer.
"It has now been scientifically demonstrated that there is indeed a link between chemical products and the appearance of diseases, such as cancers, infertility, degenerative diseases of the central nervous system and allergies."
CPME - Standing Committee of European Doctors, 2005
"There is little direct evidence of widespread ill health or ecosystem damage by the use of man-made chemicals." - Alan Perroy, Director General of the European Chemical Industry Council, in a 2001 letter to European Members of Parliament.
Once upon a time, a king accumulated most of the gold in his kingdom. His subjects were very poor, without land to grow food. When the subjects began to starve and watch their families perish, they realized they had nothing to lose.
They stormed the castle and found the king in a large room, cowering next to his mounds of gold, begging them not to steal his gold.
The subjects did not take the gold. But they left the room and locked the king inside.
Upon leaving they called out, "now you will be able to see the real worth of your gold."
The king, trapped in the room with no water, air or food, realized the gold was useless.
This story became the impetus for The Idiot Cycle - a film about cancer.
"Everyone should know that the 'war on cancer' is largely a fraud."
Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in chemistry
The film follows the cycle taken by the world's largest chemical producers:
Dow Chemical
BASF
Bayer
Dupont
Astrazeneca
Monsanto
and how these chemical companies, who manufacture and emit cancer causing chemical substances, also develop, produce and invest in cancer treatments, the most profitable disease on the planet.
Today we are bombarded with 18 million man made chemicals, many that have mixed in the environment to form new chemicals. Only 2,000 of these synthetic man made chemicals have full toxicological profiles. No government in the world knows which chemicals are in what consumer products and at what quantities.
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death."
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Now these chemical companies are launching biotechnology, an "innovative" frontier, just like synthetic chemicals were half a century ago. These companies are now developing, producing and hyping genetically modified crops, which have never been tested for long term health effects like cancer.
"Commercialization of genetically modified crops seems to have been based on public relations and not on full and truthful scientific reporting. Science has begun to feel the impact of putting commerce ahead of full disclosure and debate."
Professor Joe Cummins, University of Western Ontario
"Um, so they are, um, in the food arena, probably the most extensively studied and tested scientific arena that we've ever seen. If you look at FAO or WHO or even the European Union, you can go to the European Union's web site, there's a whole exposition on the safety of these technologies, so, um yes they are safe." - Hugh Grant, CEO of Monsanto asked about the safety of G.M. foods for Fortune's Brainstorm Green Conference.
Once again, like synthetic chemicals, GMOs have been unleashed onto the consumer market, without full health and toxicological studies, without proper governmental regulations and without public consent. Once again, these companies will test their products on the general population.
And round and round goes the idiot cycle.
"When the same mistakes are repeated over and over again, it's time to consider the possibility that they are not mistakes at all."
Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine
http://www.japanesepopsongs.com/idiotcycle/about_the_film.html
CPME - Standing Committee of European Doctors, 2005
"There is little direct evidence of widespread ill health or ecosystem damage by the use of man-made chemicals." - Alan Perroy, Director General of the European Chemical Industry Council, in a 2001 letter to European Members of Parliament.
Once upon a time, a king accumulated most of the gold in his kingdom. His subjects were very poor, without land to grow food. When the subjects began to starve and watch their families perish, they realized they had nothing to lose.
They stormed the castle and found the king in a large room, cowering next to his mounds of gold, begging them not to steal his gold.
The subjects did not take the gold. But they left the room and locked the king inside.
Upon leaving they called out, "now you will be able to see the real worth of your gold."
The king, trapped in the room with no water, air or food, realized the gold was useless.
This story became the impetus for The Idiot Cycle - a film about cancer.
"Everyone should know that the 'war on cancer' is largely a fraud."
Dr. Linus Pauling, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize in chemistry
The film follows the cycle taken by the world's largest chemical producers:
Dow Chemical
BASF
Bayer
Dupont
Astrazeneca
Monsanto
and how these chemical companies, who manufacture and emit cancer causing chemical substances, also develop, produce and invest in cancer treatments, the most profitable disease on the planet.
Today we are bombarded with 18 million man made chemicals, many that have mixed in the environment to form new chemicals. Only 2,000 of these synthetic man made chemicals have full toxicological profiles. No government in the world knows which chemicals are in what consumer products and at what quantities.
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death."
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Now these chemical companies are launching biotechnology, an "innovative" frontier, just like synthetic chemicals were half a century ago. These companies are now developing, producing and hyping genetically modified crops, which have never been tested for long term health effects like cancer.
"Commercialization of genetically modified crops seems to have been based on public relations and not on full and truthful scientific reporting. Science has begun to feel the impact of putting commerce ahead of full disclosure and debate."
Professor Joe Cummins, University of Western Ontario
"Um, so they are, um, in the food arena, probably the most extensively studied and tested scientific arena that we've ever seen. If you look at FAO or WHO or even the European Union, you can go to the European Union's web site, there's a whole exposition on the safety of these technologies, so, um yes they are safe." - Hugh Grant, CEO of Monsanto asked about the safety of G.M. foods for Fortune's Brainstorm Green Conference.
Once again, like synthetic chemicals, GMOs have been unleashed onto the consumer market, without full health and toxicological studies, without proper governmental regulations and without public consent. Once again, these companies will test their products on the general population.
And round and round goes the idiot cycle.
"When the same mistakes are repeated over and over again, it's time to consider the possibility that they are not mistakes at all."
Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine
http://www.japanesepopsongs.com/idiotcycle/about_the_film.html
Friday, October 29, 2010
Bed bug ridding chemicals contaminate school.
Bed bug ridding chemicals contaminate school
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - Art McFarland
MIDWOOD (WABC) -- An exterminator hired to kill bed bugs at a New York City elementary school has left behind a big mess.
The cost to decontaminate what was contaminated is estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of the $100,000 already paid for the extermination.
Parents picking up their kids at P.S. 197 in Midwood, Brooklyn have recently not been sure that bed bugs won't be going home with them.
"My wife went to a parents teacher meeting and she said that they said that there is bed bugs, that they have a problem there," said Dennis Mitchell, a parent.
But, the effort to get rid of the little creatures has created bigger problems.
"Exterminating fluid was found in the rooms, on the teachers' desks, on the children's desks, on their books, on the floor, and it had an odor to it," said Lucille Mauro, a teacher.
Eyewitness News' cameras were not allowed inside the building, but a teacher provided a photo of one of five classrooms that were soaked with a liquid bed bug killing chemical.
"Who ever exterminated it was negligently exterminating the room and all the materials that I have are now in the garbage," said Ellie Salman, a teacher.
The Department of Education hired a private contractor, listed on its website as Joe's Extermination Company.
They paid just under $100,000 for the services.
Research by the Teacher's Union estimates the classroom cleanup will cost well over twice that amount.
"This is the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars, money that could have been used in the classrooms," said Alan Abrams, the Teacher's Union leader.
The DOE says it plans to bill the contractor and prevent his company from doing business with the city.
That company has not returned Eyewitness News phone calls.
"We don't know what everyone was exposed to, so it's unnerving," said Denise Richford, a teacher.
The substance used is being tested, but teachers will not know the results for two weeks.
They are now more concerned that the materials they lost will not be replaced for the rest of this school year.
(Copyright ©2010 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=7748002
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - Art McFarland
MIDWOOD (WABC) -- An exterminator hired to kill bed bugs at a New York City elementary school has left behind a big mess.
The cost to decontaminate what was contaminated is estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of the $100,000 already paid for the extermination.
Parents picking up their kids at P.S. 197 in Midwood, Brooklyn have recently not been sure that bed bugs won't be going home with them.
"My wife went to a parents teacher meeting and she said that they said that there is bed bugs, that they have a problem there," said Dennis Mitchell, a parent.
But, the effort to get rid of the little creatures has created bigger problems.
"Exterminating fluid was found in the rooms, on the teachers' desks, on the children's desks, on their books, on the floor, and it had an odor to it," said Lucille Mauro, a teacher.
Eyewitness News' cameras were not allowed inside the building, but a teacher provided a photo of one of five classrooms that were soaked with a liquid bed bug killing chemical.
"Who ever exterminated it was negligently exterminating the room and all the materials that I have are now in the garbage," said Ellie Salman, a teacher.
The Department of Education hired a private contractor, listed on its website as Joe's Extermination Company.
They paid just under $100,000 for the services.
Research by the Teacher's Union estimates the classroom cleanup will cost well over twice that amount.
"This is the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars, money that could have been used in the classrooms," said Alan Abrams, the Teacher's Union leader.
The DOE says it plans to bill the contractor and prevent his company from doing business with the city.
That company has not returned Eyewitness News phone calls.
"We don't know what everyone was exposed to, so it's unnerving," said Denise Richford, a teacher.
The substance used is being tested, but teachers will not know the results for two weeks.
They are now more concerned that the materials they lost will not be replaced for the rest of this school year.
(Copyright ©2010 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=7748002
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