globalbriefs


Fragrant Fix Smell-Based Pheromones Offer Pesticide-Free Bug Control


Warnings Heeded New York State Bans Fracking


The Empire State has now officially banned fracking after a seven-year review process. New York Department of Environmental Conservation Com- missioner Joe Martens states, “After exhaustive research and examination of the science and facts, prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing is the only reasonable alternative. High-vol- ume hydraulic fracturing poses significant adverse impacts to land, air, water, natural resources and potential significant public health impacts that cannot be adequately mitigated.” A findings statement concludes,


“There are no feasible or prudent alternatives that adequately avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts and address risks to public health from this activity.” Two groups heavily involved in the campaign, New Yorkers Against Fracking and Americans Against Fracking, praised the decision.


Industry groups have threatened to sue, but the attorneys at Earthjus- tice (Earthjustice.org) are confident that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s exhaus- tive review will withstand any legal challenges and the nonprofit pledges to stand alongside the state in case of such actions. Vermont outlawed the practice in 2012.


Source: EcoWatch.com 12 Twin Cities Edition


Semios, a Vancouver, Canada, provider of real-time agricultural information and precision pest management tools, has been given U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval for the first aerosol pheromone-scent products shown effective in disrupting the mating of the codling moth and oriental fruit moth by attracting males to the females’ scent in spots devoid of mates. Pheromones are natural chemicals that many animals use to communicate within their species. Unlike pesticides that kill a wide variety of insects, each pheromone targets a single pest species, leaving beneficial pollinators like bees and predators such as ladybugs unconfused and unharmed. One dispenser is hung in each acre and nothing is sprayed directly on the fruit. Pheromones don’t affect any other organisms, including humans, and can be used by both organic and conventional growers. David Knight, owner of Knight’s Appleden Fruit, Ltd., in Colborne, Ontario, has used the Semios system for two seasons as part of a regulatory trial. He says, “I could see this technology becoming completely mainstream in our industry in the next five or six years.” Traditional insecticides are expensive to buy and time-consuming and la-


bor-intensive to apply. Because they’re toxic, workers can’t enter the orchard for a specified number of days after spraying. Knight adds that fruit growers that rely heavily on pollinators to produce their fruit are also keenly aware of the environ- mental risk posed by pesticides and welcome a natural and less costly alternative; only tiny amounts are needed. Kirk Hillier, Ph.D., a biologist at Canada’s Acadia University, in Nova Sco-


tia, who studies how insects communicate with pheromones, confirms that such scents have also been shown to be effective in both controlling a wider variety of agricultural and household pests and monitoring insects destructive to forests.


Source: Canadian Broadcasting Company actionalert


Immediate Need Saving Lives in Crisis


B


y now millions of people have been dis- placed by violence in countries like Syria


and Iraq, leaving everything behind in search of safety. Many of them—including children— have died trying to find refuge; this year alone, some 2,500 people have died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea, accord-


ing to CNN. Meanwhile, Americans have been watching news of the crisis with a mixture of emotions: horror at the scope of the human tragedy unfolding before them, and frustration at their inability to help from half a world away. But it is possible for Americans to help. The best way, experts say, is to donate to one of the well-vetted charitable organizations directly providing food, shelter or medical aid to the people in crisis.


CNN has compiled a list of reputable organizations. Visit tinyurl.com/helpSR to learn more.


NaturalTwinCities.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32