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To: Sustainable Maritimes (sust-mar) From: Paul A Falvo <pfalvo@chebucto.ns.ca> Tip: if your message doesn't reach sust-mar, you probably sent it with html coding. Use your "Format" pull-down menu to switch to plain text format. ____________________________________________________________________________ A recent post to sust-mar (22 May, "Natural mosquito repellents / DEET - possible health risks") suggested 'Mosquito Magnets' as a natural pest control method. I'm writing to say that i consider them to be anything but. 'Mosquito Magnets' work by burning propane to intentionally release carbon dioxide ... the principal cause of climate change. They also consume electricity, which, depending where you live, contributes further to climate change. The machines -- with patriotic names like "the Defender" and "Liberty" emit CO2 to attract the mosquitos. Then they kill them ... almost 1,000 per day, claims the manufacturer. I don't think that anyone burning petroleum products to intentionally produce CO2 can consider him or herself doing something "natural." Even more, i wonder what the effect on local ecosystems is of removing all these insects. I suppose i would rather have everyone on my bock running one of these horrible apparatus than to have trucks driving around spraying poisons to kill mosquitos. And, in some communities, it may come down to that. But what would happen if everyone in the city had one of these machines? What would happen to the birds? To the dragonflies that eat mosquitos? To paraphrase roughly John Muir and others -- everything in nature is connected. The web of life and all that. What are we doing to it when we remove entire layers? As a culture, we never seem to like truly natural solutions. We embrace solutions that involve burning something ... or something equally interventionist. Some would say these machines don't make much of a difference. My answer to that is to ask why have one then? The manufacturer advises that the Mosquito Magnet "greatly reduces the mosquito population" over a 4-6 week period. Is it really worth it -- to wipe out thousands of another species -- so that we can enjoy a few hours at a barbecue or outdoor party? What happened to screens? Nets? Bug jackets? Those are my thoughts. Have a good summer, everyone ... ~paul :) PS I live in the North, where we know a few things about biting insects. _______________________________________________________ P Falvo PO Box 933 h: (867) 444-2679 Yellowknife NT X1A 2N7 Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- FAMILY FIGHTS SHELL OVER CONTAMINATED PROPERTY A Dartmouth couple hopes new test results will finally convince Shell Oil that one of their gas stations has severely contaminated their property. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ns_dykeshell20030702 ENDANGERED TURTLES TRACKED TO CARIBBEAN Scientists say they've solved the mystery of where Nova Scotia's endangered leatherback turtles lay their eggs. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ns_lturtles20030630 RIGHT WHALES GET RIGHT OF WAY Shipping lanes will be changed in the Bay of Fundy starting July 1 in an effort to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ns_rightwhale20030630 © Canadian Broadcasting Corporation * US army 'attacked' in Baghdad * An explosion in Baghdad appears to target US troops, as five Iraqis are killed in a blast at a Falluja mosque. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/3034254.stm * US plans hypersonic bomber * American scientists plan to build a hypersonic aircraft which could strike anywhere in the world within two hours. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/americas/3035332.stm * US threatens sanctions over ICC * Countries that have not granted immunity from war crimes prosecution to the US could face military aid cuts. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/americas/3035296.stm * Doctors urge public smoking ban * Doctors at the BMA conference have called on the government to ban smoking in public places. Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/3034824.stm Copyright BBC 2003 CAN YOU PLEASE DO BETTER THAN A ROSE BUSH? Michael Moore, MichaelMoore.com George W. Bush's blatant refusal to back up his verbal deception with the kind of fake evidence Americans have become used to is a slap in our collective face. http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16293 ____________________________________________________________________________ If a friend forwarded this email to you, please consider joining sust-mar yourself. Just send 'subscribe sust-mar' to mailto:majordomo@chebucto.ca
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