Category: Disasters

Bees die, we die

Honeybee populations have been dying off at an alarming rate for over a decade now. As researchers look for answers, it is becoming more likely that whatever “effective strategy” emerges to save bees, may in turn save man (man and woman) from extinction too. 

Over 30% of the national bee population has disappeared and nearly a third of all bee colonies in the U.S. have perished in less than a decade.  At the current annual rate of decline, the estimated financial loss is somewhere North of 30 billion dollars a year. I have seen no figures yet for the 2018 Farm Bill, but in 2014 the USDA responded with a paltry $3 million “investment” in farmer aid, which won’t scratch the surface of the breadth and seriousness of this largely man-caused pandemic. Continue reading “Bees die, we die” →

Toxic

Since WWII, exposure to man‐made chemical substances have reached every nook and cranny on earth.  The European Chemicals Agency has recorded around 150,000 chemical substances in its database.  Most chemicals intended for commercial uses require little or no regulation before entering the market. Pharmaceuticals undergo what appears to be “rigorous” research and regulatory control, however, we know all too well how often the cover story distorts reality. Only when these multi-billion-dollar drugs chemical mixtures begin to exhibit their deadly “side-effects” out on the street do regulatory agencies scurry about for a quick fix.  There’s rarely a ban or recall.

Few chemicals are thoroughly tested for toxicity.  It is estimated that less than 20% of the many chemicals on the market receive a proper assessment of risks to public health and the environment. Chemicals are one of the three primary known causes of cancer – along with radiation and viruses. Continue reading “Toxic” →

A Good Clean Kill, And Other Beauty Secrets

I’m sure many of our “baby boomer” friends will remember the soap ads from the 1950s and 60s.  Clean was big business then, clean was beautiful, and nobody wanted to stink.  B.O. (body odor) was a hot topic thanks to decades of marketing.

Dial wasn’t the first “deodorant” soap, but it was the first one that didn’t smell like turpentine or paint thinner – oh, I’m talkin’ “Lifebuoy.” Lifebuoy, originally made by Lever Bros. (now Unilever) in England, has been around since 1895.  The smell was phenol, a compound made with carbolic acid extracted from coal tar.  To fight B.O. you could instead smell like an auto body repair shop.

Dial, named for its “round-the-clock” anti-B.O. protection (from perspiration), was introduced in 1948 by Armour Co. (yes, the meat-packers) in Chicago. Armour had made tallow-based laundry soap since 1888.  With the help of some clever chemists, Armour added hexachlorophene, or G-11 or AT-7.  How about those numbers?  Continue reading “A Good Clean Kill, And Other Beauty Secrets” →

Peculiar Plots – Intermezzo – O Gran Fogo

A short intermezzo from the peculiar plots, as I just saw this:

A large fire broke out at the Paço de São Cristóvão, which houses the 200-year-old National Museum of Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro, on September 2, 2018, at around 19:30 local time (22:30 UTC September 2). Reaction to the cultural loss was swift, as the museum held over 20 million items — Brazil’s president Michel Temer called the loss of the historical and cultural heritage “incalculable”. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

A large fire breaking out last night in Rio de Janeiro, hmm, let’s look at this story…

Shortly after closing on September 2, 2018, a large fire broke out, reaching all three floors of the National Museum building. Firefighters were called at 19:30 local time, arriving quickly at the scene. Despite this, the fire chief reported that the two fire hydrants closest to the museum had no water.

Continue reading “Peculiar Plots – Intermezzo – O Gran Fogo” →