Comments agnus2 has made

  • Ah, I don't think tadpoles have thyroid glands...  But I will look for the aliases of triclosan in the articles you recommend, just so I will know.

    On Saying goodbye to a common--and toxic--antimicrobial chemical posted 4 months ago 9 Responses

  • There are many other options for non-toxic biological control.  Diatomaceous earth discourages ants.   Beauveria bassiana got rid of a house roach infestation for me years ago, no recurrence.

    "Beauveria bassiana is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and acts as a parasite on various insect species, causing white muscardine disease; it thus belongs to the entomopathogenic fungi. It is being used as a biological insecticide to control a number of pests such as termites, whitefly, different beetles and its use in the control of the malaria-transmitting mosquitos is under investigation."    Wikipedia

     

    1. Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management
      Beauveria bassiana kills the pest by infection as a result of the insect coming ... Beauveria bassiana products have not shown consistently effective pest control ...
      http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/mfs/03beauveria_bassiana.php
    On Ask Umbra's video advice on how to kill a cockroach kindly posted 4 months, 2 weeks ago 2 Responses
  • Main Entry:
    1levy Listen to the pronunciation of 1levy
    Pronunciation:
    \?le-v?\
    Function:
    noun
    Inflected Form(s):
    plural lev·ies
    Etymology:
    Middle English, from Anglo-French levé, literally, raising, from lever to raise — more at lever
    Date:
    13th century
    1 a: the imposition or collection of an assessment b: an amount levied2 a: the enlistment or conscription of men for military service b: troops raised by levy



    Main Entry:
    2lev·ee Listen to the pronunciation of 2levee
    Pronunciation:
    \?le-v?\
    Function:
    noun
    Etymology:
    French levée, from Old French, act of raising, from lever to raise — more at lever
    Date:
    circa 1720
    1 a: an embankment for preventing flooding b: a river landing place : pier2: a continuous dike or ridge (as of earth) for confining the irrigation areas of land to be flooded
    On Rural county asks EPA chief not to make it ‘The Ash Hole of Alabama’ posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago 2 Responses

  • The link to artisan tea grower in US didn't work for me.  Charleston Tea Plantation needs more fans!

    On Can we be 'green' and eat tropical products, too? posted 5 months, 1 week ago 7 Responses

  • I stopped reading The Humanure Handbook when I realized Jenkins had to bring in truckloads of sawdust to achieve clean composting.  I agree in principle, but it doesn't seem feasible in a suburban homesite. 

     

    What's in the research about legal issues in different states for composting toilets?  The Integral Urban House in Berkeley had a special dispensation to research the Clivus Multrum.  I've never heard that composting toilets meet public health guidelines in most cities and states.  Maybe cabins in the mountains, in lieu of septic tanks.

    On For some eco-pioneers, solving the sludge problem means getting their hands dirty posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago 7 Responses

  • 55 degree recommendation

    "...folks who use less common heating systems, such as heat pumps and radiant floor heat -- the rules for these appear to be different, and temperature setback may not be beneficial, so they don't want to go down as low as 55. We'll look into that in a future column."

    Make that SOON, please.  Have replaced heat pumps and bought set-back thermostats and our heating bills keep going UP! Oh, yes: and we are cold.On Umbra on heat and pipes posted 10 months ago 3 Responses

  • Tomato preserving

    My favorite is the tomato "leather" I learned from Rosalind Creasy.  Prepare tomatoes as given for making tomato sauce, then cook down the crushed tomatoes to a paste consistency.  I use a small dehydrator in my humid climate:  spread the "paste" onto screens purchased with the dehydrator or onto something like teflon sheets that will fit your model and dry at about 125 degrees until leathery.  Tomato leather can be rolled up and stored in the freezer, where it occupies much less space than frozen tomatoes, for use as a flavor enhancer as is or reconstituted by replacing the water that was removed for a recipe's required tomato sauce or paste.On When the tomato harvest gets out of hand, the tough get canning posted 1 year, 3 months ago 2 Responses

  • Green bathroom cleaners

    Sarah, you need to, ah...dig a little deeper.  Both baking soda and borax are at least to some extent mined products--don't know how much of our borax comes from the Atacama Desert of Chile, but do you know?  The sources of the ingredients do have environmental impact apart from their effects in use.  So comparisons have to include these issues.  Can't say that cradle-to-cradle analysis would prove even elbow grease completely safe.  But thanks for bringing up the subject.On A test of eight green bathroom-cleaning products posted 1 year, 8 months ago 23 Responses

  • Birthday celebrations

    Surprised that the Research Associate did so little research on this.  There are a world of inspiring resources, such as www.simpleliving.org, which offers alternatives for celebrations and reading matter for parents and children.  Our children got to invite one friend to a special outing and have whatever they wanted for birthday dinner (for years daughter's favorite was fish sticks!).  Son's birthday was at the time of the county fair, so the usual celebration included cotton candy, rides, but not forgetting looking at the animals (chickens with mops of feathers on their feet!) and other exhibits.

    WHAT KIDS REALLY WANT THAT MONEY CAN'T BUY
    Tips for Parenting in a Commercial World - Betsy Taylor, Founder&President, Center for a New American Dream, Foreword by Mary Pipher, author
    of Reviving Ophelia -- "Value that's beyond money... every person responsible for raising a child needs to read this." Washington Post.
    "I want to know that I am loved... My parents buy me many things. But what tells me they
    love me the most is when they listen to me." The author shows us ways to reinstill a love of
    life's simple pleasures, teach the difference between friendships and popularity, build family
    rituals, appreciate nature and find quiet time together. From protecting your children from
    a billion-dollar-a-year marketing onslaught to allowing them to develop their own spiritual
    lives, this much needed book is a dynamic, real-world guide to reshaping our busy lives and
    giving our children more joy with less stuff -- and plenty of what truly matters most. 250
    pp. $14. WKRWOn Umbra on kids' birthday parties posted 2 years, 2 months ago 15 Responses

  • Another recycled cart

    Go to Smith and Hawken website and check out the garden tool caddy, http://www.smithandhawken.com/jhtml/site/catalog/Product.jhtml?PRODID=15208&CATID=4613&index =18

    Then look for a non-motorized golf cart (bought mine for $5 at a garage sale), a 5-gallon bucket (mine had held paint), and dress it up with a canvas cover if you like.  I'm sure your imagination will help you maximize the amount you can carry.  As a matter of fact, I don't use mine for groceries, usually, but as a garden cart full of tools.On Umbra on utility carts posted 4 years, 4 months ago 4 Responses