G.M. AND FOOD SUPPLY

Click on title for the Save Our Seeds link.


Ian

It seems that human genetic material will soon become part of our daily diet if large biotech companies have their way. In spite of the tragedy of BSE, which was caused by feeding animal protein to cows, it appears that we are next in line to be forced down the dangerous path of cannibalism, courtesy of a new, third generation of GMO's. Recent reports reveal that a Canadian company has applied for permits to use third generation GM crop technology called biopharming to inject crops like barley and safflower with human genes to produce synthetic drugs for the treatment of diabetes and heart conditions.


Independent scientists have warned of the dangers of this process and say that it will be virtually impossible to keep these biopharms out of the food supply. They have pointed to a case in Nebraska in 2002, where so-called rigorous regulations failed to prevent half a million bushels of Soya, worth about $2.7 being contaminated by a pharmaceutical crop grown there the previous year.


In the meantime our own pro-GM Government carries on its strange love affair with the global biotech industry and continues its refusal to vote against the introduction of GM food into Europe. This stance is totally at variance with the wishes of 80 per cent of Irish consumers, who when interviewed in a recent survey, said that they did not want GM food.
In Ireland we are blessed with a natural eco-system, which is the envy of our European neighbours. Our Irish Government has an enormous moral obligation to its citizens and their environment, to ensure that absolutely nothing threatens the integrity this unique natural asset. Regards J. H. Co. Tipperary

Environmental

MINI POWER STATIONS

I have been having a bit of a smashing time with electrical goods over the last couple of weeks. It first started when I fell into a crumpled heap on top of my camera, rendering it useless. More recently I closed the car door on my mobile phone, also rendering that useless. I have bought another on with more buttons on it than a computer. Talking of computers I though it would be a good idea for me to go onto Broadband because, well, you just have to don’t you. As my brother always says, the best gadget is the one you haven’t got yet. Setting Broadband up took two full days. It says on the instructions that the procedure is simple. Simple to someone who knows what they are doing. It actually got to the point where the people on the installation help line refused point blank to talk to me. When I phoned them with another (what they saw as) stupid question, they automatically asked to speak to Julie as she knew what they were talking about. That and the fact that she didn’t grunt, groan and raise her voice as I was prone to do. Eventually we got it sorted with the use of a cable. (This is what I couldn’t understand that wireless broadband needs a cable) Anyway it seems to work. You might ask why put myself through all of this for a bit of new technology. Well because I think ultimately that it’s worth it, I can put this blog together for a start! New technology is helping to shape the world and if it’s used correctly could really help in the process of energy reduction. Great leaps have been made in natural energy production with the advance of technology and devices that were once very expensive are now affordable and could even pay for themselves within five years.

Grants are being made available for installing microgenerating energy saving devices in the home. There will be small wind turbines where the TV aerials once were. Solar panels will take the place of the roof tiles and if you are lucky enough to have a small stream running through your land you could harness energy by setting up a water wheel, which would incorporate a bit of old world technology too.

Inside the house we can see better wall insulation and triple glazed windows will help to keep the heat in and thermal pipes in the garden will help to generate energy coupled with heat exchangers in the house. All of these factors will turn our houses into mini power stations. Some people will also find that they are producing more energy than they are using. If we adopt the same policy as some other European countries, we will be able to sell this excess to the national grid and actually make money out of the house. All of these things are achievable now because of the progression of technology. Schools, offices and other public buildings can also be easily converted. England hope that this method of energy generation will account for up to 40% of the electricity needs for the country releasing itself in parts to the dependence of oil and coal. So yes, technology does sometimes get the better of me and is the main cause of my blood pressure rising. But side by side with older established ideas on environmental improvements, it does have its place.

Environmental

REMOVING LARGE BRANCHES

Ian

When I try to remove tree branches I damage the trunks. How can this be avoided? R.G.. By e-mail

Photo: Lopping branches can help a tree develop but don't get too carried away!

Reply

If tree branches are cut off close to the trunk, the weight of the branch is likely to tear away from the main plant, damaging the bark, leaving a nasty scar and creating a larger area that may increase the chance of letting disease enter the wound.

There is a better, safer way to remove unwanted branches:

Step 1. Remove any small branches from the branch you are about to lop off. Doing this first will make the job a lot easier and safer, it will also enable you see what you are doing.

Step 2. About a foot (60cm) from the trunk, undercut the branch. Making an upward cut about half to two-thirds through the branch.

Step 3. Make a downward cut, 3-4ins (4-10cm) further along the branch than your first upward cut.

Step 4. As you continue the downward cut, you'll find that the weight of the branch will collapse the bottom cut, the branch will then tear along it's length until it meets the lower cut that you made earlier. Carry on the downward cut until the branch comes away completely.

Step 5. The short stump you are left with can now be removed, sawing as close to the trunk as possible.

There are two schools of thought about what to do with the open wound.

Traditionally, Arbrex was painted to stop disease entering the newly exposed plant tissue, however some experts now question whether this is really necessary and whether it traps moisture and disease (from cutting equipment) between the coating and the cut. Preferring to let the tree recover on it's own.

Horticultural

ALKA SELTZER USES

There's only one book like it on the web..The Green Clean Book....

Get some more cleaning ideas

A reader swears by the Alka Seltzer tablets that are on the market. These are the things she claims they can do:

(I haven’t tried them myself I might add as I think bicarb of soda and vinegar is a lot cheaper))

Clean a toilet: Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush.

Clean china: The citric acid and effervescent action of the tablets will clean vitreous china.

Clean a vase: To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.

Polish jewellery: Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewellery for two minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle: Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

Unclog a drain: Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.



Household

BLOWING IN THE WIND

Photo's: Wind turbine at Dunree fort Inishowen, the fort from the beach and one of the guns.

Click the title for a link to the Dunree fort site

Ian

I am thinking of putting in a wind turbine. I have a rural garden so a free standing one would be favourable. Is it possible to sell the excess electricity generated back to the national grid? Thanks T.T. Gleneely

Reply

Up until recently the answer would have been a firm no. The system is changing thankfully but it is still a bit of a grey area. Turbines (or solar electric panels) can be connected to the grid. This has the effect of slowing down a home meter by the same amount of power that is produced. If you don’t use the power though it will still go to the grid and you won’t receive a cent for it. So at present you will not get money for the excess energy that is produced. Things are changing though, so if you decide to install the turbine make sure you deal with an installer who is aware of the new European legislations.

Environmental

CD USES

I don’t know about you but we are getting more and more free CD’s given to us with newspapers and magazines. I have mentioned before that they make great bird scarers if they are tied up and left to flap about in the wind. I have been asking around and built up a bit of a collection of other uses for shiny discs that should keep them out of the landfills for a while.

Garden no-no: One person has tried to set them in cement to use them as stepping stones. You might not be surprised to learn that this wasn’t successful. They did not retain the holographic effect evenly and looked mottled or just like plates of plastic. Maybe it would have been better to cut them up and make mosaics.

Clocking off: Put a clock mechanism in the centre and have a small clock on the wall. Someone suggested fixing large clock hands on the wall then using 12 cd’s as the numerals. Very contemporary I must say.

Scoop that poop: Another misdirected person suggested that they could be used as a pooper scooper, which is an interesting thought. Maybe the idea of being handed out as party invitations would be better.

Frosty: Use CDs to scrape frost and snow from car windows.

Charity shops: Donate them to charity shops where they can put a price label over the ‘Not for resale’ bit.

Disco ball - Cut them up into squares of about 1 cm with sharp and tough scissors, glue onto a foam ball and you have a disco ball
Someone suggested that they could be melted into shapes after being heated in the oven This can be dangerous because the discs will give off toxins especially the silver dye, which is very toxic. Using them as Frisbees is a bit dangerous too.

Chair leg stabiliser - Put felt on one side and use as chair leg stabiliser.

Drinks covers - helps keep drinks warmer or cooler at your desk. You could push the straw in the centre hole as well.

Drawing aids - Trace 4 3/4" circles (outside) or 9/16" circles inside. (I measured them, how sad is that?

Fridge magnets - put self-sticking magnets on the back.

Pom Poms: Put two disks together and wind wool through centre hole, over edges and back through centre hole. I do feel the centre hole may be a little small in comparison to the size of the disk so it may be better to take out the centre circle before starting (if you want more information about how to make pompoms, ask me later)

Look out: To stop anyone from creeping up behind you or to see what is going on behind you when on the computer, stick a CD to the corner of your PC monitor using Blu-Tack (like a rear view mirror) or just use them as a rather poor vanity mirror.


TOP TIPS

Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

WEIGHING SYRUP

To weigh syrup, honey, molasses etc., economically, rather than letting it stick to the scales. Put the whole tin or jar onto the scales first. Take out a spoonful until the weight has gone down by however much you need.

NOT SO TOP TIP

Tape a chocolate bar to the outside of your microwave. If the chocolate melts you will know that microwaves are escaping and it is time to have the oven serviced.

Household- environmental

GIVE US A WAVE

Ian
How does wave energy work?

Reply
You will probably need to find a book or website specifically on the subject, but briefly there are three main methods of generating electricity using wave power.

Kinetic energy (movement) exists in the moving waves of the ocean. That energy can be used to power a turbine. The rising water forces the air out of a chamber. The moving air spins a turbine, which can turn a generator.

Tidal Energy
Another form of ocean energy is called tidal energy. When tides come into the shore, they can be trapped in reservoirs behind dams. Then when the tide drops, the water behind the dam can be let out just like in a regular hydroelectric power plant.

Ocean Thermal Energy
The final ocean energy idea uses temperature differences in the ocean. If you ever went swimming in the ocean and dove deep below the surface, you would have noticed that the water gets colder the deeper you go. It's warmer on the surface because sunlight warms the water. But below the surface, the ocean gets very cold. That's why scuba divers wear wet suits when they dive down deep. Their wet suits trapped their body heat to keep them warm. This type of energy is being used in both Japan and in Hawaii in some demonstration projects.

Photo: Crana river Buncrana

Environmental

TINNED DELIGHTS

I still have a memory of a woman on a telly program tucking into a can of Whiskas cat food. She was doing this to prove that there was as much nutrition in it as conventional food for humans. Although the thought of it was pretty yucky, she had lived on it for about six months and was perfectly happy. This was about thirty years ago and the issue has arisen again. This time it’s not to prove that the food in the tins is comparable to human food, this time research has shown it’s actually better for us! Yes, a tin of dog food contains less fat, salt and sugar. In some cases about one eighth the amount in fast food chicken from a fast food joint. The dog food also contains more fibre and protein. The taste of the dog food is more meaty than a fast food meal but less spicy. It can’t be all that bad because most young toddlers that I know have all at some stage had their head stuck in the dog’s dinner!


Another popular product on the market are those drinks and yoghurts that contain probiotic substances. The probiotic product market is worth about €1.2 billion euro and has risen 500% since 1998. American researchers tested 55 probiotic products and found that just 20% of them contained probiotic products labelled. Nine of the products had no bacteria at all. The group also claimed that most of the bacteria can’t live in the gut anyway so they are a waste of time. However as the manufacturers’ have a vast budget for advertising, we are going to see a lot of probiotic products pushed at us regardless of whether they are any good for us. One benefit from this type of product is that it will make us look more closely at our diets and we can choose a healthier alternative, whether we buy their goods or not. At least with probiotic products we have the freedom of choice.



There was a very disturbing report about fluoride in water recently, which has come about because of the lack of this freedom. The claim was that new research has found that the inclusion of fluoride in the water supply is directly linked to the increase of bone cancer in children. Put fluoride into the search blg box to find out more.

Click the Tinned Delight title above for a report on flouride in water from the Irish Independent.


Environmental

SIMPLER WAYS

Cosmetic surgery for vanity has become more acceptable and more affordable. There are simpler and more natural ways of keeping young if you don’t want to go under the knife. As nutritionalists say, it’s what you put in that will show on the outside. There are several cultures whose elderly live long, healthy and productive lives although they probably have wrinkles! In these societies there is no association with old age and poor health as we find in western society. For example, the Hunzas of northern Pakistan live exceptionally healthy lives, well beyond 100 years old. Their elderly men still work breaking and carrying rocks and even father children well beyond 80 years of age! The biggest factors in the well being of these cultures could be their simple diet, stress free lives and high level of physical activity. I could live with that!



Ian
Is it safe to use spray insecticides in the house? Thanks S.T. Newtown

Reply
In countries that have regular hot weather and lots of flying insects the doors and windows are fitted with fly screens. These are highly effective at keeping out the pests and leaving the fresh air to circulate from outside and is something we here in Inishowen should consider when the weather it at its hottest in the summer months. We tend not to have long periods of that sort of weather though, so these screens are very seldom used. Cans of insecticide are surprisingly low down on the list of household poisons, as long as you check that the ingredients contain pyrethrum. Pyrethrum is the name given to several cultivated chrysanthemums. The dried, ground up flower heads are a powerful pesticide for aphids and mosquitoes and will also kill the flies in the house. The biggest problem with these aerosols is that it will upset anyone with allergies, so extreme caution is advised. Try not to use it in confined spaces or near the family pets. It won’t be long before the flies start coming, try not to keep anything in the house that will attract them. Remember:

Time flies like an arrow...

Fruit flies like a banana.


Environmental