News
Some
new and some not so news:
'Peach
Essence' Might Replace Dangerous Pesticide A natural substance found in peaches
might successfully replace the dangerous substance methyl bromide as an effective
agricultural pesticide. By GSReport Start Date: 3/25/99 Methyl bromide is a
widely used agricultural pesticide. But it is toxic to humans, and because it
also contributes to destruction of Earth's ozone layer, it is one of the chemicals
that must be phased out under the 1987 Montreal Protocols. It was supposed to
be entirely eliminated from agricultural use by 2001, but after irate farmers
protested the planned phase-out last year, Congress relaxed the U.S. timetable
to 2005. The question remains: What can replace methyl bromide as an effective
pesticide? According to the New York Times of March 14, 1999, recent research
shows that a natural substance called benzaldehyde, the stuff that gives peaches
their peachy aroma, might do the trick. It is one of several promising substances
under study by scientists in the U.S., Israel and South Africa. Benzaldehyde
is already manufactured synthetically for use in perfumes, flavorings, drugs
and dyes. Now it has been shown to be an effective agent against soil fungus
and other pests. Charles L. Wilson, a plant pathologist at the Agricultural
Research Service Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, West Virginia, says
that benzaldehyde has proven effective against numerous pathogens including
Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium aphanidermatum, and Sclerotinia
minor. It also seems to favor beneficial organisms in the soil, Wilson says.
He cautions that benzaldehyde is probably not a "magic bullet" that can replace
methyl bromide for all purposes. But other promising natural substances, including
oils of wintergreen and clove, might help to close the gap
Mexico
City Fights Smog by Electrifying Air A new experiment in Mexico City is attempting
to control rampant air pollution by injecting electricity into the air. Start
Date: 2/10/99 A brief "Earth Alert" report at Discovery Channel Online (http://www.discovery.com/news/earthalert/990104/smogmexico.html)
dated January 8, 1999,states that Mexico City has begun an experiment in smog
control that involves "controlled injection of free electrical charges in the
atmosphere, through large antennas." Mexico's capital is infamous for its suffocating
air pollution, brought about in part by poorly regulated emissions of millions
of cars, and made worse by the surrounding geography which tends to capture
polluted air in a large "bowl" directly above the high-elevation city. Now,
according to a January 7 announcement by Mexico's environmental ministry, the
new electrical technology seems able to substantially reduce ozone pollution
in the air. A test last October resulted in the lowest air ozone levels since
1986, the ministry said. The technology is said to manipulate weather conditions,
creating cleansing rains or winds to sweep away the pollution, the ministry
said. GSReport has learned that Mexican authorities have explored several novel
approaches to such weather and smog control during the decade of the 1990s.
Success in Mexico City may lead to similar experiments in other heavily polluted
cities.
Other
items of potential interest: