TEETH CLEANING

TEETH CLEANING

Ian . Can you tell me a good recipe for getting stains off my teeth? I don’t want to use fluoride toothpaste. Thanks. NH by e-mail

Reply.
You didn’t mention what sort of teeth you have. If they are still your own then clean them with baking soda. This is a very mild abrasive and some manufacturers are catching on to the idea of incorporating it in their products (Arm and Hammer springs to mind). Alternatively, if they are kept in a jar next to your bed at night then soak them in white vinegar. Brush away the tartar in the morning with a toothbrush and rinse before putting them into your mouth!

More teeth cleaning tips in the Green Clean Book

Environmental.

FLUORIDE IN THE WATER

VOICE calls for an end to water fluoridation

(Click on the title for the petition to remove flouride from Irish water)


The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Products has warned parents to supervise their children to prevent them swallowing fluoride from toothpaste or other oral hygiene products because of the increased risk of dental fluorisis.European advice has indicated that the period of fluoride risk extends from babies to six-year-olds.According to Mr Robert Pocock, spokesperson for VOICE (Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment) “if swallowing fluoride is a health risk up to six years old, then clearly fluoride should not be added to drinking water and Health Minister Mary Harney must end water fluoridation immediately”.

He added that a major toothpaste firm, following pressure from the Irish Dental Association has recently agreed to withdraw distribution of all fluoride toothpastes for under two-year-olds because “it is in direct conflict” with public policy regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste for this age group.“With fluoride toothpastes not recommended for infants under two years of age, it is obvious that infants should not be exposed to fluoride in any form whether or not it is swallowed by accident from toothpaste or via fluoridated tap water,” said Mr Pocock.

Check out the VOICE website to find out more about the fluoridation issue. www.voiceireland.org

Environmental.

AVOIDING POLLUTANTS

I have been decorating the boys’ bedroom this week. Paint is such a lot better to work with now compared to a few years ago. In the past if ever I picked up a brush with paint on it I would end up dizzy and talk nonsense for hours. More than I do normally. I left the windows and doors open for a day or two to clear the air and Julie decided to test the room out first. I saw her go into the room on Saturday morning with a drink of tea and a new children’s book, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. A few hours later a blurry-eyed mother who read the whole book in one sitting passed the room as being safe. I heard that JK Rowling was standing to earn about €50 million on the first day of publication. That works out at about €83,000 a page, this is not the norm though, most (children’s) writers live in abject poverty!

AVOIDING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS

Hello Ian
I have three children between the ages of four and six months. I am concerned that there are hidden pollutants in the home; have you any advice on where to look? Thanks DJ.

Reply
There's no doubt that environmental pollution can affect health, especially for small children, and it's important to ensure they're safe. To clarify things in your own mind about the problem, divide the pollutants up into categories. Those in the air they breathe, those in the food and drink they consume - and those in the environment around them. Here are a few tips to get you going:

POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR

· Cigarette smoke is one of the worst, do not smoke or let others smoke in your home or car.

· Try to cut down exposure to traffic emissions.

· Keep your home as dust-free and clean as possible. Use natural cleaning products such as tea tree oil.

· Check for carbon monoxide: get flues and chimneys swept at least once a year, get all gas and solid fuel fires serviced regularly, don't sleep in unvented rooms with gas or kerosene heaters, and don't run cars, lawnmowers or barbecues in the confines of the garage.

POLLUTANTS IN FOOD

· Always wash food, especially fruit and vegetables, before use.
· Buy organic food if possible.
· Use natural methods to keep pest levels down in the vegetable garden.
· Read labels and get to know additives and preservatives.

POLLUTANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

· Ensure children always wash their hands after the toilet and before eating. Keep toys, dummies, and so on, clean.

· Beware of lead. If you live in an old house check for lead in paint, water pipes and even old toys (run cold water for 30 seconds before use). Ask the local environmental health officer for more information if you're worried.

· Minimise exposure to pesticides: always follow directions on the packet closely, use non-toxic alternatives where possible, store safely out of reach, and restrict play in treated areas such as the garden.

· Don't forget UV light as a pollutant: restrict time in the sun and use a high factor sun cream. Test your home for radon. The area from Greencastle to Muff seems to have the highest levels. New houses are tested by law now but if you are worried then arrange for a radon measurement to be carried out. Contact the radon helpline on FREEPHONE RADON 1800 300 600 or email radon@rpii.ie.


Environmental.

ENERGY AUDIT AT TULLYARVAN MILL

ENERGY AUDIT

I was at Tullyarvan Mill this week finding out about an environmental audit that had taken place there recently. The audit was funded by the Removing Barriers Programme covering Tyrone and Donegal. The Mill had a team of experts looking into every aspect of their energy use. The audit that had just been delivered shows how changes can be made in all areas of the building to cut energy usage and reduce costs. There are already energy saving features within the building such as good insulation and low energy lighting, which turn off automatically when no one is in a room. The audit includes the costing for adding solar power on rooftops that are south facing, a wood chip boiler and wind turbines to generate renewable energy. Energy will be saved by concentrating on making the best use of natural light and ventilation to save on electricity. There is also a summary to see the short and long term payback of investing in green technology. The findings make for interesting reading and will be a benchmark for other companies to follow.

Most small businesses in the tourist industry probably wouldn’t want to go to the expense of getting a professional audit done though as they can be very expensive. Putting in a wood chip boiler could take more than twenty-five years before any financial benefits are seen, which isn’t much of an incentive. Getting information locally about how to implement a few simple changes to reduce the energy that is used could make a big difference to the viability of a business. Some service providers find that up to half their costs go on heating. This doesn’t mean that loads of money needs to be spent on new equipment, it might just mean that the loft needs more insulation or the thermostats are turned down a degree of two. The COMPARES project that is running for the next few weeks hopes to address this problem and highlight some simple changes that can be implemented to help both the planet and the financial bottom line of local tourist providers.

Photo: Pupils at a classroom at Tullyarvan Mill make good use of natural light from the windows. From Right to left: Nuala McLaughlin- Job Coach and Life Skills co-ordinator, the Inishowen New Start Project. Michelle McLaughin, Michael McGonagle, Margaret Rose Coyle, Victor Lee, David Morrison and Michael Gormley

Environmental.

BEFORE YOU GO

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Of course nothing can save us from the inevitable, here are what a few people said in their last breaths

Oscar Wilde. "Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."

"I feel nothing, apart from a certain difficulty in continuing to exist.” Bernard de Fontenelle (1657-1757), French philosopher.

"Why, I did not know we had quarrelled" Henry David Thoreau, when asked by his aunt if he had made his peace with God.

“We are all full of weakness and errors; let us mutually pardon each other our follies it is the first law of nature. Voltaire

Pancho Villa, Mexican revolutionary leader:” Don’t let it end like this. Tell them I said something”

Gen. John Sedgewick: Union commander in the American Civil War, shot at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House in 1864 while looking over a parapet at the enemy lines "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...”

"I'm looking for loopholes" W.C. Fields when asked why he was reading the Bible on his deathbed.

And finally, the inevitable “I knew that this would happen.” Ivan Hernandez

Environmental.

LOCAL COUNCIL RUBBISH LAWS

Let us have a look at what the Council is doing to combat the problem and who is responsible for clearing the rubbish away.

Fines
Leaving or throwing litter in a public place is an offence which can be subject to an on-the-spot fine of €125 or a maximum fine of €3,000 in court. The definition of litter is quite wide and extends beyond casual pieces of paper or cigarette ends to anything large or small, which is, or is likely to become, unsightly. A person convicted of a litter offence may also be required by the court to pay the local authority's costs and expenses in investigating the offence and bringing the prosecution.

Public Places
If you are the owner or the person responsible for a place to which the public has access you are obliged to keep the place litter free, regardless of how the litter got there. This applies to any public place, which may include the precincts of a shopping centre, a school campus, a public park, a train or bus station.

Private Property
The owner or occupier of property which can be seen from a public place is obliged to keep it free of litter. Basically, any outdoor area on your property that is visible from a public place must be kept free of litter.

Litter Black Spots
Where litter has accumulated on property for whatever reason and the litter is visible from a public place, the local authority can issue a notice to the owner or occupier requiring the prompt removal of the litter. The Council could get the offender to pay for the work if they have to do it themselves

Illegal Dumping
The litter laws have increased the powers of local authorities to combat the problem of illegal dumping of refuse and rubbish. Where a local authority finds material that is illegally dumped and establishes the identity of the owner of the material, that person will have a case to answer without necessarily having to be caught in the act. Extra powers are also available to local authorities to require a householder or business operator to indicate how and where they are disposing of their waste. This is particularly relevant if the householder or business owner is not availing of a refuse collection service or bringing their waste to an authorised disposal facility.

Mobile food outlets
Operators of mobile food outlets selling fast food or drinks, or other outlets such as those selling farm produce are obliged to provide suitable litter bins in the vicinity of their outlets. Also, they must clean-up any litter arising from the operation of their outlets within a radius of 100 metres from their outlet.

Dog Fouling
Dog owners must now remove their pets' waste from public places and dispose of it in a proper manner. This obligation applies to the following places:
- public roads and footpaths
- areas around shopping centres
- school/sports grounds
- beaches
- the immediate area surrounding another person's house.

Posters and Signs
The law forbids the putting up of posters/signs on poles or on other structures in public places unless you have the written permission of the owner of the pole or other structure in advance of putting up the posters/signs.

Advertising Flyers
The annoying advertising leaflets on car windscreens is prohibited and if you are proposing to distribute advertising leaflets in the street, you should first check with the local authority to see if they have introduced any local litter restrictions, which they are entitled to do.

Presenting your refuse for collection.

Dogs and cats can make a real mess of the rubbish bags. Either get a wheelie bin or a very sturdy liner Only put it out the day it is collected. It is an offence to dispose of your household refuse in street litter bins.

Environmental.