PHILADELPHIA, PA, October 2008: A Penn State collaborative in Philadelphia is helping Latino childcare providers understand pest management issues in their childcare programs and implement integrated pest management (IPM) approaches. The goal of the project is to more effectively control pests and reduce the risks of pest and pesticide exposures to young children.
Funded in part by a Northeastern IPM Center mini-grant to The Preschool Project in Philadelphia, the project relies heavily on developing targeted training materials about IPM in Spanish. IPM is a safe, effective, and scientific approach to managing pests. IPM uses knowledge of pests' habits and needs to help implement pest prevention tactics as a first line of defense. Pesticides are used as a last resort, and only pesticide products that pose the least-toxic, least risk of exposure to building occupants are chosen.
According to Lyn Garling, project partner and manager of programs for the Pennsylvania IPM program, the Spanish-speaking population in the United States is growing by 12 percent per year. In Philadelphia, this trend also holds true. The Mexican community in particular is growing rapidly and the population is proportionally young, with many children living in substandard housing conditions in low-income households.
Garling says these types of living conditions are conducive to high pest infestations and Latino children are generally at higher risk for pest and pesticide related health problems.
Asthma can be caused or aggravated by pests and pesticides, with young children under five being the most at-risk. As in many cities, asthma incidence data for Philadelphia show that the Hispanic community suffers the highest rate of asthma of any group. Despite this, very few IPM resources and outreach efforts have been developed for Spanish-speaking urban populations.
Philadelphia School and Community IPM Partnership (PSCIP) is helping to change that by building upon the IPM outreach efforts of the Penn State Philadelphia Outreach Center. By partnering with The Preschool Project in Philadelphia, the group is spreading the IPM message to Latino families through daycares in targeted Philadelphia neighborhoods.
With the help of bilingual consultant Cynthia Kreilick, The Preschool Project and PSCIP have developed four IPM training modules in English and Spanish for community educators and childcare providers serving the Latino community. By developing culturally-appropriate outreach materials to reach the wider community, Kreilick says they will be able to increase the capacity of early care educators and caregivers to implement and teach about IPM and safe pesticide practices. Topics of the modules include children's health and pest issues, pesticides and alternatives, developing an IPM program for childcare facilities, and how to create a safe pest free environment,” Kreilick explains. PSCIP has conducted several training sessions for childcare providers, covering much of the material contained in the modules.
The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center fosters the development and adoption of IPM, a science-based approach to managing pests in ways that generate economic, environmental, and human health benefits. The Center works in partnership with stakeholders from agricultural, urban, and rural settings to identify and address regional priorities for research, education, and outreach. For more information, visit http://NortheastIPM.org.
Website : The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center
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SAFER PEST CONTROL FOR CHILDCARE IN LATINO COMMUNITIES
Can timber companies prove that they source good wood?
by Michael Smith
In general, it would appear, the environmental community tends to be rather supportive of Forest Stewardship Council certification – often referred to as the “gold standard” of sustainable forestry.
And while there have been scandals before, I grant you that, like Asia Pulp & Paper’s controversial certification, most of the conscious and conscientious consumers still look at the FSC mark as a fairly safe guarantee that the wood does not come from ancient forests, and that it was sustainably logged.
It would seem, however, that we can no longer accept it completely at face value if we can believe Friends of the Earth.
According to a statement from their website it would appear as if FoE are are taking a step back from its endorsement of the FSC certification and this statements it reproduced hereunder in full:
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is the strongest available standard for new wood.
Most of its timber certifications have improved forestry standards in many countries.
However, we are deeply concerned by the number of FSC certifications that are now sparking controversy and threatening the credibility of the scheme.
We cannot support a scheme that fails to guarantee high environmental and social standards. As a result we can no longer recommend the FSC standard.
The best environmental choice is to repair, restore or adapt an existing item. You could buy second hand.
If you have to buy new, make sure the timber is locally sourced.
Source: Friends of the Earth
As a professional forester I would like to add that while logging ancient forests is not a very good practice and more than likely non-sustainable the woods and forests in most countries on Europe and North America are no longer ancient and primary forests. Many so-called ecologists insist on claiming that the old woodlands in, for instance, the south of Britain are “ancient woodlands”, which, alas, they are not. There are no primary woodlands and forests in the British Isles; all of them have been more-or-less commercially worked in their life, many of them of the claimed to be “ancient” woodlands within the last 50 years. They are primarily old coppice woods that have gone wild again and, contrary to the belief of many of the previously mentioned environmentalists, should not be allowed to carry on running wild. They must, if we are to save them as woods, be worked once again and that rather pronto. The longer they are left the greater the change of the coppice stools breaking apart. That would be the end of those woodlands and they would become scrub land of one from or the others but would lose their woodland characteristics.
It is wood from such local sourced that should be sourced and used for whatever projects, whether building or furniture.
On the other hand, the advice of Friends of the Earth as to secondhand and repairing is also a very valid one, as would be DIY from waste building lumber, for instance. This would divert at least a small amount of the ten million plus tonnes of waste building lumber that are annually in the UK sent to landfill. A practice that to me is just very difficult to understand.
© M Smith (Veshengro), October 2008
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Even low levels of pollution impairs lungs according to study
by Michael Smith
Already relatively low levels of particle pollution can have a significant impact on function of a lung, a study of city cyclists has revealed.
The study followed eight cycle couriers working in London for six weeks, regularly testing how effectively their lungs were delivering oxygen to the body.
The levels of particulate pollution (PM) were, at the time, below the World Health Organisation's recommended safe maximum of 50mg per cubic metre but were, nevertheless, shown to significantly impair lung function. This, hence, means that the safe maximum is, in fact, not safe at all.
The calculated 'pollution load' delivered to the couriers' lungs varied over the six-week testing period, but the study found that when the load was low, lung function improved by almost five percent.
When the load was high, lung performance dropped by a similar per cent, suggesting acute inflammation of the lungs.
"Previously, these sort of changes in lung function have only been observed in people with asthma, or at much higher levels of particulate air pollution", said Prof Alison McConnell from the Centre for Sports Medicine & Human Performance at Brunel University.
"Unfortunately the lungs are a very good conduit, a very good route for getting all sorts of materials into the body, It takes less than 10 seconds for the 'hit' from a cigarette to reach the brain, which provides a very good illustration of how rapidly material can pass from the lungs and into the body."
Professor McConnell added that cyclists are especially vulnerable to the effects of particulate matter in pollution, not only because they are much closer to the source of the pollution, but also that their higher rate of breathing increases the amount of pollution they inhale.
"The problem for the urban cyclist is that exercise magnifies the amount of pollution that they inhale," she said.
"The deposition of some particles can be as much as 16 times higher during exercise. This means a 30-minute cycle ride can equate to eight hours of sitting by the roadside." Cheers pal!
This does, however, also have, as other studies have revealed as well, that even such low level of pollution, and modern pollution in general, is bad for the lungs. Many respiratory ailments that are common all of a sudden all around the UK (and more than likely also elsewhere) can, it would appear, be laid at the door of the pollution, and even low level pollution. It could even, though I am not aware of any studies on that level as yet, that the recurrence of the incidents of tuberculosis (TB) may be due to pollutants, especially of the particulate kind. While, as I said, there does not seem to have been a study conducted as regards TB and pollution as yet, as far as I am aware, the fact that TB has reared its ugly head again after such a long time of remission, especially in the West, must make us think, and this also in the light of another article on this matter published here recently.
Time that we did some serious cleaning up and, while smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products certainly is harmful to the user and those in the immediate environment of him or her on can but wonder as to whether the impact of pollution is not a far greater contributing factor to the ailments suffered by smokers and non-smokers alike that all are assumed to have come from smoking. Just food for thought, this latter thought, though.
© M Smith (Veshengro), October 2008
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St John's Wort “as good as Prozac”
by Michael Smith
Despite many claims made to the contrary by what one could called “standard mainstream medicine” and their representatives, especially and including the pharmaceutical industry, as regards to herbal medicines, a recent study by German scientists has found that St John's Wort (Hypericum) may be as good as an anti-depressant as Prozac.
According to this study the herbal extract is as effective as the drug and has fewer side effects. As far as my own experiences go with herbal medicines there are very few, if any, what could be called side effects, whatever claims to the contrary are being made by the ordinary practitioners mainstream medicine and especially the pharmaceutical industry.
German researchers found that St John's Wort is also a match for other old and new anti-depressant pills.
While, I am sure, we can all understand the reasons for the pharmaceutical industry poohpoohing herbal and other alternative medicine why this is being done by the general practitioners in countries such as the UK and the USA is something that should give food for thought. In other countries, such as in the Netherlands, it is common for a GP to prescribe homeopathic and herbal alongside the conventional treatments.
There is but one problem, however, and that is the fact that products containing Hypericum perforatum vary greatly. This means that some may be more effective than others. Is that a good reason, though, to take the standard drugs and to be faced with the side effects, such as those of Prozac that seem to be rather dangerous? Personally, I think not.
Many of the readers, I am sure, will not surprised as to the fact that Hypericum has been “cleared”, so to speak, and has even, to some degree, elevated above the drugs, like Prozac.
So, let's her it for plant extracts and herbal medicines...
© M Smith (Veshengro), October 2008
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IN ITS 2OTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR, MULTINATIONAL INDUSTRY GROUP REFLECTS ON $2 BILLION IN RESTORATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND LAYS OUT PRIORITIES FOR FUTU
WASHINGTON D.C., October 8, 2008: Formed in 1988, the Ad-Hoc Industry Natural Resource Damage Group (Group), a large coalition of multinational companies, has collectively, and by the actions of its individual members, helped to transform the way government and business restore rivers, estuaries, forest and other natural resources injured by industrial activities. The Group’s focus on collaboration has lead to smarter and timelier restoration. The Group is proud of its accomplishments and credits both state and federal government staff for working with industry to move both the assessment and restoration process forward.
“The Group has successfully transitioned from litigation support toward environmental sustainability by using principles of collaborative environmentalism”, says Brian H. Davis, an early Group participant who was 3M’s first full-time environmental attorney, and is now in private practice.
In 1988, six companies founded the Group in order to share resources and establish better communication, but not to lobby. In the beginning, the process was complex, litigious and accomplished little restoration. Over time, companies learned that they could better the environment and their bottom line by proactively finding solutions to restore natural resources and the services they provide. Currently, natural resource services are being restored to active use more quickly, more cost-effectively and more globally -- as restoration objectives are linked to other government, community and corporate objectives -- which these days often turn out to be the same. And the numbers are impressive – thousands of acres restored, hundreds of parcels of lands transferred to the public, and numerous cases settled. Over the past two decades, nearly 80% of the land restored nationwide to compensate the public for lost resource use has resulted from direct action or funding by Group members.
The Group’s efforts are not limited to the United States. For the past several years, the Group has been working with the European Commission to help develop “best practices” governing its implementation of the EU Environmental Liability Directive, embodying liability and resource restoration requirements similar to those found under US laws. The Group will convene its second seminar for Member State and other experts in February 2009 in Brussels.
Today, the Group is reflecting on its accomplishments – the most important of which have been to advance scientific and economic methods for assessing natural resource injury and damage, sponsor various forums and website resources in order to share key findings, and create meaningful dialogue with the government and other interested parties. While challenges remain, the Group is confident that, with government and tribal collaborators, the remaining areas of uncertainty will be addressed.
To further mark its 20th anniversary, the Group plans to publish a detailed review of natural resource damage assessment and restoration policy and practice over the past two decades and convene a roundtable discussion of key stakeholders in Washington, DC in mid-January 2009.
For over 20 years, the Group has served as instigator, facilitator, commenter, collaborator and innovator, collectively and via its individual member companies, earning the respect of key government officials in the US and in Europe -- a powerful foundation on which to build the next 20 years.
Source: Ad-Hoc Industry Natural Resource Damage Group
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Standby for TV energy efficiency ads, but don't leave it on standby
A series of television adverts made by Shane Meadows, the director of “This Is England” and “A Room For Romeo Brass” are aimed at driving home the importance of energy efficiency
by Michael Smith
Government says the campaign has been launched as a surge in the number of advice line calls suggests that large numbers of people are keen to take up schemes to help them cut their heating bills.
The television adverts follow the announcement of a £1 billion government package offering assistance to householders, particularly the elderly and those on low incomes, to make their homes more energy efficient.
They focus on the efforts of a dad to get his family to cut down on their energy use, cutting their bills and their CO2 emissions as a result.
Statistics from the Energy Saving Trust's ACT ON CO2 advice line show that since the announcement, phone calls have more than quadrupled, with people seeking information on how to take up the offers.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "We have set out assistance to help people cut their energy bills permanently. We now need to do all we can to ensure they take up this help. This advert is part of that drive.
"I am encouraged that following our announcement, people are looking to take action to cut their fuel bills and save energy at the same time. We now need to build on that enthusiasm."
Around £560 million of the £1 billion adds to the existing energy efficiency programme CERT (Carbon Emissions Reduction Target), which funds subsidised improvements such as loft and cavity wall insulation.
One can but hope that the government bodies themselves too will heed this and, finally, turn off appliances left needlessly on. Why are there offices in Whitehall and elsewhere more or less light up all night while in fact there is no one home, not even the cleaners. Is it so that an eventual burglar does not trip and sure the authority, in the same way as certain empty council properties up and down the country have lights on all the time; just in case of a break in and the burglar has forgotten his flashlight.
All this government and others, it would appear, can do is preach at the people – often coated in the mantle of “advice to help you reduce your energy bills”, and I must say that I still need to see a saving on the CFLs over incandescent light bulbs, aside from the fact that CFLs are toxic – while they have a “get out of jail free” license, it would appear.
Citizens get told they HAVE to change their light bulbs to reduce their carbon footprint while government offices, and even places long closed down, have lights on unnecessarily. This does not compute and the people know that too.
© M Smith (Veshengro), September 2008
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WINKKU Mirror, signal, manoeuvre… new invention indicates bright future for cycle safety
- Launch of first combined flashing direction indicator and mirror for cycles.
- Offers unique safety benefits for road cyclists.
- Incorporates white and red night running lights.
- Previews at Earls Court Cycle Show, stand C1A2
Winkku’s designer Graeme Bell has spent the last 20 years designing professionally for the likes of Conran, Land Rover and Malaysian Airlines, but turned his attention to cycling after discovering for himself how dangerous commuting by bike on Britain's crowded roads can be.
“LEDs are now so much brighter than just a couple of years ago" explains Bell. "They're being used for the first time in car headlamps and also household lights. So now we can design a bike indicator where we're confident it can be seen easily even in bright sunlight. LEDs are also a huge step forward in efficiency, and batteries last much longer with LEDs than with conventional bulbs."
"I've had several near misses when trying to change lanes or turn right" adds Bell, "and thought how useful it would be not to have to look round while trying to keep the bike in a straight line, as well as to be able to indicate my intention to turn just like any other road user. I noticed that the car manufacturers have started to incorporate flashing indicators into door mirrors, and this seemed like the obvious answer for bikes as well".
Winkku is powered by three AA-size batteries, and clips on and off the handlebars in seconds, so you can take it with you when parking. "We all know that being able to zoom up between lines of traffic is one of the great advantages of cycling" explains Bell, "so we've designed Winkku to fold back flush, then it clicks into the correct position again instantly when you next need it".
Three years in development, the designers have incorporated as many useful features as they can - the bright night lights shine red to the rear and white to the front, the mirror is both wide-angle and moulded in shatterproof resin, and there's even a bleeper to remind you the indicator's operating, in case you're concentrating on the traffic around you. "Being able to keep both hands securely on the handlebars while indicating was a critical feature we knew we had to build into Winkku" adds Bell, "so we've designed a clever switch which you can operate with a just slight movement of the outside edge of your hand".
A variety of factors from the credit crunch to health benefits and environmental concerns are persuading record numbers of us to switch to cycling for commuting, popping to the corner shop, or getting to school, but safety remains a major concern. "We have a long way to go in the UK to make our roads as bike-friendly as in many other European countries," says Bell, "and I hope that Winkku becomes an indispensable part of any cyclist’s road safety kit”. So for Winkku the future’s bright!
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Specialized Unveils new Range of Bikes at the London Cycle Show
October 6th, 2008– Chessington, UK — Specialized are unveiling their new range of bikes for 2009 at the 08 Cycle Show in Earls Court this week. The new extensive line up will be displayed along cross-country World Championship winning bikes and state of the art pro peloton road bikes. The latest Body Geometry (BG) equipment and clothing will also be on show on the Specialized stand as well as on stage during the fashion show.
Specialized UK’s MD, Richard Hemington talks about the new 09 line up and explains that “Everything in the 2009 line starts with our founding principle to focus on the riders need for technically advanced products that provide a true performance benefit. Every Roubaix and Tarmac, except the entry level, receives a new, upgraded frame. Our Hardrock line is by far the lightest in the industry and has already been selling extremely well. The totally reinvented Sirrus family will blow away your expectations and the FSRxc continues to redefine “performance to the people”. The all-new Big Hit and SX Trail platforms will delight the gravity addicted”.
The following are a few of the headliner bikes and equipment areas that Specialized have been working hard to develop and deliver.
Epic - The Brain of the Operation
Totally redesigned for 2009, the new Epic are the fastest Competitive XC mountain bikes ever created. Total suspension integration and a no-compromise approach to engineering and development have made these amazing bikes a reality. No other competitive XC bike has boasted a better combination of light-weight, incredible efficiency (thanks to FSR suspension, BRAIN technology front and rear as well as incredible BB stiffness) and unsurpassed control (derived from FSR, proven geometry and enhanced torsional rigidity).
Roubaix SL2 – Nothing is Smoother and Faster
Watching Tom Boonen win Paris-Roubaix in April on his prototype Roubaix SL2 was simply incredible. Together Specialized and pro athletes have been pushing to change cycling so that high ergonomics means high performance. The 2009 Roubaix SL2 is the outcome. With all of the vertical compliance of previous Roubaix, vibration damping of Zertz technology and lateral and torsional rigidity approaching the Tarmac SL2, this bike is performance and ergonomics incarnate.
GLOBE – Powered By Apples and Bananas
With environmental and wellness concerns and soaring fuel prices, there most certainly are clear problems. And, as we know, bikes are the solution! Following on their success with the Innovate-or- Die contest, Specialized have innovated with a totally redesigned GLOBE offering, focused at getting people out of cars and onto bikes. Its category-leading, light weight, ergonomic touch points, dialled in geometry and flat resistant tyres perfect are perfect for utilitarian riding. The Globe is an exclusive line available only to Specialized dealers.
Designs for Women
Specialized road families and mountain bikes have independent, experience specific families that allow for even further frame and specification tuning - just for women. As the Ruby and Dolce have been free to develop exclusively based on the needs and wants of women, the 2009 Designs for Women mountain bikes have been created from a clean sheet of paper so they fit, perform and ride as well as possible for women.
Body Geometry Shoes
Body Geometry technology has proven to increase efficiency and power output. Specialized continue to work with Dr. Andy Pruitt to advance the shoe range which not only offer all the benefits of Body Geometry, also have the world’s lightest shoe with a mechanical closure (the S-Works Road). The key models to watch out for are the new Pro Road and Mountain models.
Apparel
Specialized’s apparel business has been growing at a very brisk pace. Engineered down to the finest detail and purpose built to deliver an optimal riding experience.
BG F.I.T.
In conjunction with our close partner Dr. Andy Pruitt EdD, PA, we continue to refine and improve BG Fit Integration Technology (BG F.I.T.). This system integrates bike fit training, bike geometries and key components such as adjustable stems and handlebars and key equipment categories like shoes, saddles, apparel, gloves and bar coverings. The BG F.I.T. intensive dealer fit training program through SBCU has been a great success with over 20 technicians completing this course.
Andy Pruitt will be on hand talking about Specialized's unique BG FIT system.
Specialized was founded in 1974 by riders for riders. Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California with global distribution, the company focuses on making everyone’s time on a bike better by delivering functional and technically advanced equipment that provide a performance benefit.
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Bigfish – a Brand New Folding Bike at Cycle Show
• Totally new brand on the market
• Unique folding technology
• First Time at a European Bike Show
Designed & Engineered in Slovenia, built in Italy, Bigfish’s sophisticated lines and unique folding technology make it a must-have for anyone who wants to overcome the stresses of modern living.
Bigfish is a modern bike, not a folding bike, but a bike that folds. Its unfolded dimensions match those of a full-sized bike, guaranteeing a ride of full-size proportions.
The worldwide-patented “clip-clap” folding system means no screwing, no additional tools and no dirty hands.
And the simple fold and unfold is achieved in 10-15 seconds. When folded it stands upright, leaving your hands free.
Unlike almost any other folding bike you can actually pull it along on its back wheel when folded, avoiding damage to clothing or a strained back, making it much easier to negotiate crowded areas when folded.
It also folds flatter, great for fitting into tight spaces.
The hinge-free frame means efficient energy transmission and a ride that’s sturdy and responsive.
Product design is by the highly regarded Slovenian industrial design firm GigoDesign
To find out more visit www.bigfishbike.com of come and see them at Boot E2g at the Cycle Show in London's Earls Court.
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The Prime Minister and Sarah Brown's conference outfits to be redesigned by young volunteers
The Prime Minister and his wife Sarah Brown have shown their support to a new innovative volunteering campaign, by donating their conference outfits to be customised by young volunteers.
Vfavours, launched on September 25, 2008, will give young volunteers the chance to work with top fashion designer Ben de Lisi to redesign unwanted clothes for a fashion show aimed at raising awareness of waste and the throwaway culture. The new pieces created by volunteers will then be auctioned in aid of HIV charity Body & Soul.
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who is donating the shirt and tie he wore to make his speech at the Labour Party Conference, said:
“I'm glad I can donate the shirt and tie I wore to make my speech to Labour Party conference to Fashion Favours. These young British designers who will give their skills and talents and time for free are exactly the kind of people I was referring to when I said that this is a country lifted up every day by the people who love it. This is a great example of the talent and ingenuity of Britain's creative industries. Fashion Favours dedicates those efforts for the benefit of others. That's why I'm proud to contribute to this project.”
His wife Sarah will also be donating clothing made famous when she surprised the audience by introducing her husband at the Labour Party Conference. Sarah said:
“When I was asked by Ed Miliband to give something to the Fashion Favours project I knew it had to be the dress I wore to introduce Gordon at Labour Party conference. I'm pleased to offer it to talented young British designers who will give their time skills and imagination for free. The great new fashions that result from the project will showcase young people's determination to make a difference through volunteering.”
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, said:
“Young people have much to contribute to society and at the same time can gain so much themselves if they have fun and worthwhile volunteering opportunities. The Government wants to give a million more young people the chance to volunteer over the next three years and we're investing £117million in the charity ‘v’ to make it happen. Fashion Favours shows that volunteering can be an exciting and dynamic way to do someone a favour.”
Fashion Favours is the part of the new vFavours campaign run by the independent youth volunteering charity v. The Government is investing £117million in v over the years 08/11 to help provide high quality volunteering opportunities for people aged between 16-25. Fashion Favours is launched today at Debenham's in London's west end.
Source: Cabinet Office Press Office
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