[Biofuel] from Sydney - balcony gardening
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/selfsufficiency-on-a-balcony/2007/04/23/1177180569548.html - Ahhh...imagining that irresistible new car smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Question about hemp production
Hello all It says at our website: An acre of hemp yields 10 tons of biomass in four months, enough to make 1,000 gallons of methanol fuel (by pyrolytic distillation), with about 300 lb of oil from the seed (about the same as soy). That's under Invisible farming in this section: How much fuel can we grow? How much land will it take? http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html#howmuch The 1,000 gallons came from Kirk, in a comment on the usual question, Could we replace all our oil with bio-fuels? Kirk said 1000 gallons methanol per acre with hemp if using pyrolytic distillation. I think that's right. My doubt is whether it can produce both the biomass and 300 lb of oil from the seed, or whether it's either/or. Anybody know? Thanks! All best Keith ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Jatropha in India
Comment at the stoves list on jatropha by Dr. A. D. Karve, president of the Appropriate Rural Technology Institute (ARTI) in Maharashtra, India (excerpts): Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 05:51:14 +0530 From: adkarve [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Discussion of biomass cooking stoves [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Stoves] The PROTOS Plant Oil Cooker I fail to understand, why the Government of India is making so much propaganda about Jatropha, which is a low yielding, wild plant. Nobody in India has ever obtained more than 300 to 400 kg of oil per ha from Jatropha. ... Any cultivated oilseed plant species, which has been subjected to plant breeding input, would yield more oil than Jatropha... Land is in short supply. If one has to use land to grow anything, one should not grow a low yielding plant like Jatropha. Yours A.D.Karve More from Dr Karve: Jatropha oil as household energy -- A critique of Jatropha in India: http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg48290.html Best Keith ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Fw: patent for transesterification of oil to Biodiesel
Thankyou very much, folks, that about wraps it up I think. I'll forward these messages to the Sahel group. By the way: http://www.fao.org/docrep/X5043E/x5043E05.htm Minor oil crops - Individual monographs (Balanites-Borneo tallow nut-Brazil nut-Caryocar spp) Edible - unlike jatropha: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/FamineFoods/ff_families/BALANITACEAE.html BALANITACEAE - Famine Foods Best Keith Yes, but I think the problem is that the Patent office does not check the validity of patents. The test comes when the patent goes to court (so feeding the Legal fraternity...) regards Doug On Saturday 28 April 2007 08:18:05 am Fritz Friesinger wrote: Hi Keith, to my knowledge,anything belong to the public domaine kan not be patented.A simple dokumentet description of the process should be enough to dismiss any patentclaim! Fritz ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] crosspost [Alternative_Medicine_Forum] EMF-Omega-News 28. April 2007
Wow, what a list! Thanks! That'll take a bit of time. cell phones should be reserved for emergencies only. I used one once, only once, a friend's, and it worked out really badly, that phonecall landed me deep in hot water. :-( That was eight years ago, I haven't used a cellphone since. Truly, it wouldn't have happened but for the cellphone, everything would've been just fine, no cellphone no problem. Anyway I fail to see the appeal of being available anywhere anytime (and never having a good reason for not calling). Telephones are intrusive, it's rude to butt in and interrupt the way telephones do. Answering machines are useful, but cellphones, IMHO, aren't - an inconvenient convenience. To say nothing of the electrosmog. I first heard of electrosmog in 1982, though it wasn't called that, then again in 1989, with a lot more information. As if information matters much (unless it promotes return on investment). Best Keith Kirk Redaktion Buergerwelle e.V. (BI Omega-CI Omega) [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Redaktion Buergerwelle e.V. (BI Omega-CI Omega) [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:24:24 +0200 Subject: [Alternative_Medicine_Forum] EMF-Omega-News 28. April 2007 Dear Sir, Madam, Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, for your information. Best regards, Klaus Rudolph Citizens' Initiative Omega Member of the Buergerwelle Germany (incorporated society) Protectorate Union of the Citizens and Initiatives for the Protection against Electrosmog Mechanism of a short-term ERK activation by electromagnetic fields at mobile phone frequency http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3662948/ Mobile phone emission modulates interhemispheric functional coupling of EEG alpha rhythms http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3644609/ Electromagnetic Radiation: Influences on Honeybees http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3644649/ Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields as effectors of cellular responses in vitro: possible immune cell activation http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3666260/ Reduced melatonin leads to increased body length of children http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3663068/ Autism Spectrum Disorder, Chemical Sensitivities, CFS, Electrosensitivity, Sleep Disruption and Increased Cancer Risk http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3666355/ The Dangers of Cell Phones http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3642978/ Brain cells are affected by cell phones http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3663208/ Cancer clusters at phone masts http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3643243/ Is there friction within the Interphone study group? http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3644730/ Germans worried about the health effects of mobiles http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3638044/ Danger on the airwaves: Is the Wi-Fi revolution a health time bomb? http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3643222/ Wi-Fi: Children at risk from 'electronic smog' http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3643230/ Wifi internet 'poses a health risk for pupils' http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3644514/ Wireless Oakland went live in a test today http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3642285/ Concern about Wi-Fi health danger spreads to NZ from British schools http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3646264/ Anti-mast campaigners showcase Coleshill cancers http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3646558/ Public Wi-Fi may turn your life into an open notebook http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3644775/ Cell Phones Join Pesticides GMOs as Possible Cause of Mass Disappearances of Bees http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3648930/ Public policy education briefing on the inadequacy of U.S. federal policy regulating the environmental and human health effects of Radiofrequency (RF) radiation http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3647926/ Plans to bring mobile phone masts under control http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3637745/ The school that took on mobile phone companies http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3642272/ The Big Bee Death http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3642348/ Phone mast pulled down after school cancer scare http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3653117/ Anger as experts fail to demand ban on building homes near power lines http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3643317/ Residents phone masts protest http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3647687/ The War on Wi-Fi http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3650242/ Health fears over city's wireless network http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3650200/ Wi-Fi and National Education http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3650367/ Researchers call for study on WiFi health effects http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3650829/ Dispelling the Wireless Myths http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3651819/ Health Fears over Wireless Internet in Schools http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3657624/ Do You Have Microwave Sickness? (Update) http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3277817/ The inescapable health risks of city-wide wi-fi http://omega.twoday.net/stories/3660132/ Warning Over School Wi-Fi Systems http://freepage.twoday.net/stories/3663030/ Warning on wi-fi health risk
[Biofuel] Food boom brings unpalatable truths
Food boom brings unpalatable truths http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/food-boom-brings-unpalatable-truths/2007/04/28/1177459990913.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 Disaster ⦠a woman cries after thousands of fish died of unknown pollution at her aquaculture farm in Hangzhou a day before World Environment Day last year. Photo: Reuters/China Dai April 28, 2007 China's huge food export market could be making the world sick, write Ariana Eunjung Cha in Shanghai and Kelly Burke. SOMETHING was wrong with the babies. The villagers noticed their heads were growing abnormally large while the rest of their bodies were skin and bones. By the time Chinese authorities discovered the culprit - severe malnutrition from fake milk powder - 13 had died. The scandal unfolded three years ago after hundreds of infants fell ill in eastern China and became the symbol of a broad problem in China's economy. Quality control and product-safety regulation are so poor in this country that people cannot trust the goods on store shelves. Until now, the problem has received scant attention outside China. In recent weeks, however, consumers everywhere have been learning about China's safety crisis. Tainted ingredients that originated there made their way into pet food that has sickened and killed animals around the world, with nearly 4000 deaths reported in the US. Although no animal deaths have been reported in Australia, high-end pet food products imported from the US have also been pulled from Australian shelves. With China playing an ever-larger role in supplying food, medicine and animal feed to other countries, recognition of the hazards has not kept up. By value, China is the world's No.1 exporter of fruits and vegetables, and a major exporter of other food products ranging from apple juice to garlic and sausage casings. Its agricultural exports to the US surged to $US2.26 billion last year - nearly 20 times the $US133 million of 1980. China's food exports to Australia were worth $450 million in 2006, up from $345 million the previous year, and dominated by prawns, cereal, fruit juice and vegetables. China has been especially poor at meeting international standards. The US subjects only a small fraction of its food imports to close inspection, but each month rejects about 200 shipments from China, mostly due to concerns about pesticides, antibiotics and misleading labelling. In February, border inspectors for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blocked peas tainted by pesticides, dried plums containing banned additives, pepper contaminated with salmonella and frozen crayfish that were filthy. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service samples 5 per cent of food imports and a spokesman said although the overall number of rejections were small, the major cause of rejections of imports from China are heavy metals and pesticides. Since 2000, some countries have temporarily banned whole categories of Chinese imports. The European Union stopped prawn shipments because of banned antibiotics. Japan blocked tea and spinach, citing excessive antibiotic residue. And South Korea banned fermented cabbage after finding parasites. As globalisation of the food supply progresses, the food gets more anonymous and gradually you get into a situation where you don't know where exactly it came from and you get more vulnerable to poor quality, said Michiel Keyzer, director of the Centre for World Food Studies at Vrije University in Amsterdam. Chinese authorities, while conceding that the country has many safety problems, say other countries' assessments of products are sometimes not accurate. They have implied that the bans may be politically motivated, aimed at protecting companies that compete with Chinese businesses. China's State Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture, which along with other government agencies are responsible for monitoring food and drug safety, this week declined to answer written questions. But reflecting anxiety over food safety issues and increasing international pressure, President Hu Jintao on Wednesday urged the farming sector to improve food safety and develop the organic sector, state media reported. Hu promised stricter rules on growing and processing, the People's Daily reported. Without agricultural standardisation, there can be no agricultural modernisation and no assurance of food safety, he said. More than 100 brands of pet food have been recalled in the US since March 16 because of a rise in animal deaths, generally from kidney failure. The recall, one of the largest yet, ranged from mass-market brands sold in stores like Wal-Mart to the pricey brands sold by veterinarians. Why the food is killing pets is still unclear, but the FDA and a manufacturer in South Africa have found that several bulk ingredients shipped from China, including wheat gluten and rice-protein concentrate, were
Re: [Biofuel] Question about hemp production
from seed to seed in 4 months is a bit quick. People I knew in Ca planted inMarch- April harvested oct -nov The plant can be induced to seed by lengthening the night. One fellow I knew (a bucket planter) put them in the garage for the weekend (no light) and that got their chemistry flowering. He then moved them outdoors and even though it was June or July he was producing colas. The biomass is there and the seed. I have seen a trunk 4 inches in dia. Plant was 20 feet tall. Not crowded and fertilized though. Ah - the good old days ;) I believe the answer is yes. but not 4 months. I dont authoritively know because I never knew a grower looking to produce seed. Truly a GOD given plant for the healing of the nations. The oil is one of the few veggie sources of Omega 3 The fiber is stronger than flax. The plant is uv resistant - another interesting factoid. Kirk Keith Addison [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello all It says at our website: An acre of hemp yields 10 tons of biomass in four months, enough to make 1,000 gallons of methanol fuel (by pyrolytic distillation), with about 300 lb of oil from the seed (about the same as soy). That's under Invisible farming in this section: How much fuel can we grow? How much land will it take? http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html#howmuch The 1,000 gallons came from Kirk, in a comment on the usual question, Could we replace all our oil with bio-fuels? Kirk said 1000 gallons methanol per acre with hemp if using pyrolytic distillation. I think that's right. My doubt is whether it can produce both the biomass and 300 lb of oil from the seed, or whether it's either/or. Anybody know? Thanks! All best Keith ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ - Ahhh...imagining that irresistible new car smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Flying F Bio-Fuels
Has anyone heard about this company? They make a reactor and are selling it. I was approached by the head of maintenance. He said they are considering purchasing a unit. I'm inclined to think its way over priced. www.ffbiofuels.com -dave ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Fw: patent for transesterification of oil to Biodiesel
Google prior art patent I don't think there is much to worry about Keith Addison wrote: I'd appreciate some opinions on this, if anyone would like to comment. Just to stir it up a bit, a somewhat ridiculous small company in Japan called Someya Shoten which feels it leads the world in matters biodiesel took out a patent on transesterification some years ago. So is Ben Gurion University infringing on Someya Shoten's patent? Or is the whole thing preposterous, since transesterification was invented/discovered about 150 years ago and is thoroughly in the public domain no matter who decides to patent it, and no matter which dumb patent office that doesn't check anything decides to grant the patent? Would the best advice to the Sahel group be to ignore it and just get on with it? Has anybody patented the human nose yet, or failing that, the air noses breathe? All best Keith I had this email from a group working with biodiesel in the Sahel. If it's true, it seems ridiculous to me. See: http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/ia.jsp?IA=IL2006000622REF=RSS (WO/2006/126206) PRODUCTION OF BIODIESEL FROM BALANITES AEGYPTIACA Best Keith Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:20:52 +0200 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Fw: patent for transesterification of oil to Biodiesel To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 11:16 AM Subject: patent for transesterification of oil to Biodiesel Dear Sirs, We are supporting NGO 's and cooperatives in Afrika, there is a big need to produce oil from all possible plants, nuts , seeds of any other vegetable origine , for human consumption or for producing energie. One of the NGO ' s in the Sahel-region helps the local population to organise the collecting of the fruits and nuts to improve their oil production from the nuts of the Balanites tree. The Balanites tree is very popular by the population , the fruits are sweet amere but the juice is used as a drink and sold to the town , the nuts are very hard and inside, the kernel contains 40 to 48% of oil. Sometimes the used as lamp-oil. The whole tree is very interesting for public health , on internet is a lot of information about that. The NGO will make the use as lamp-oil better by transesterification to obtain biodiesel that the should burn in small diesel cookingoven ,so that they don't have to use the wood , which is one of the biggest problem in this region. Further the don't have electricity , the have diesel generator , but the irrigularity in delivery and the high prices of gasoil makes it to difficult in using them all the time. The problem : There is a pattent on the invention to make biodiesel from BALANITES OIL .(WO/2006/126206) dated november 2006 by the BEN GORION UNIVERSITY Please can you inform us, Is it possible to take a patent on the transesterification process of oil to produce Biodiesel? Is this ALL Patent possible? Is this NEW and what is new on this invention? Is this not in contradiction with statements of many Organisations - World Wide - for the devellopment of POOR COUNTRIES , Thanks for your attention we remain with kind regards marc van de velde Leningstraat 19 2140 ANTWERP Belgium production and office in POLAND mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] starting seeds with tea
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/pepper/2002074906031735.html - Ahhh...imagining that irresistible new car smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] Flying F Bio-Fuels
6800 for a 40 gallon batch is well . . . As high as a giraffes tail? Kirk [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Has anyone heard about this company? They make a reactor and are selling it. I was approached by the head of maintenance. He said they are considering purchasing a unit. I'm inclined to think its way over priced. www.ffbiofuels.com -dave ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ - Ahhh...imagining that irresistible new car smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] Fwd: [thoth-l] Thunderbolts Project
interesting video Kirk Subject: [thoth-l] Thunderbolts Project THOTH UPDATE--THE THUNDERBOLTS PROJECT This week we will be updating and consolidating several Thunderbolts.info email lists into an automated system. If you have not already signed up for our regular newsletter or responded to the invitation that went to many of our supporters last week, we invite you to go to this website-- http://www.thunderboltsdvd.com/ Click on Enter, then click on Sign up for free newsletter. Here are a few things we want you to know immediately. THUNDERBOLTS.INFO FORUMS In response to requests from numerous supporters, we have begun a forum page. For us this page will be an opportunity to collaborate with those who can ask reasonable questions and/or offer effective evaluations of the Electric Universe and its many corollaries. Of course, most Internet forums typically lose their usefulness very quickly, either descending into mere chatter or personal arguments more interesting to the posters than to visitors. Our hope is that our supporters will set a standard significantly higher than the Internet norm. If necessary we will implement needed moderation or other controls. But before we take any such steps we want to see what occurs in the absence of controls. We simply ask that, if you choose to post, you help us maintain a thoughtful and constructive tone. You will find the forum at-- http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/phpBB/phpBB2/index.php THUNDERBOLTS OF THE GODS ON GOOGLE VIDEO If you go to Google video and enter Thunderbolts, the first item to appear will be the video Thunderbolts of the Gods. It includes the entire 64 minute DVD. It was placed on Google in February and as of today it has had over 50,000 views. It has proven to be an effective communications tool, and we plan to keep it on Google through the month of May. Therefore, we ask that if you have any opportunity to post a link to the video, or send out an email announcement of your own, you do so. (The simple instruction above works fine if the mechanics of link is too cumbersum.) THE ELECTRIC UNIVERSE The full color monograph is now at the printers and will be available by the end of the month. Look for announcements and the opportunity to place advanced orders very shortly. TWO NEW THEMES OF THUNDERBOLTS PICTURE OF THE DAY (TPOD) Look for two important new themes in our Picture of the Day during May. * Global warming--the missing (electrical) component; * High energy electrical events now occurring on the planet Mars: predictions and confirmations. We will be pleased to hear from you. David Talbott __._,_.___ Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS Alternative cancer treatments Alternative medicine Science kits Food science Alternative boarding school Top Scientist 10 Greatest Ever Share and vote on Bix.com! Ads on Yahoo! Learn more now. Reach customers searching for you. Y! GeoCities Share Photos Put your favorite photos online. . __,_._,___ - Ahhh...imagining that irresistible new car smell? Check outnew cars at Yahoo! Autos.___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] perchlorate tests on humans
Reminds me of fluoride Kirk http://www.ewg.org/reports/perchlorate/ Rocket Science: Aerospace contractor pays Californians $1,000 to eat thyroid toxin in first large-scale human test of water pollutant SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- On behalf of military contractor Lockheed Martin, Loma Linda University is conducting the first large-scale tests of a toxic drinking water contaminant on human subjects -- a precedent medical researchers and Environmental Working Group condemned as morally unethical and scientifically invalid. The Los Angeles Times reported Nov. 27 that Loma Linda Medical Center in San Bernardino is paying 100 people $1,000 to eat a dose of perchlorate every day for six months. Perchlorate is a toxic component of rocket fuel that damages thyroid function, preventing healthy development of fetuses and children and causing cancer. It is found in hundreds of water supplies in California, most of them in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. Although Loma Linda researchers defended their study by claiming that perchlorate also has therapeutic value, EWG has learned that its use as a medicine has been discredited since 1966, when Israeli researchers reported that large doses caused deaths and severe illness among already-ill test subjects. The Times quoted Richard Wiles, research director of Environmental Working Group, who said, These tests are inherently unethical. (Documents from the Loma Linda study are available here.) It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to know that medical researchers shouldn't feed toxic chemicals to humans, Wiles added. The Loma Linda subjects are being fed up to 83 times the safe level of perchlorate currently set by the state health department, which is expected to review its perchlorate standards in coming months. Next year, the U.S. EPA will begin national testing of water supplies for percholorate in preparation for adopting national standard If Lockheed Martin can persuade the state and EPA not to set strict standards for perchlorate in drinking water, the company will save millions of dollars in cleanup costs. The rocket maker is also being sued for unspecified damages by a group of San Bernardino County citizens who suffer thyroid cancer and other disorders from ingesting perchlorate that leached from a now-closed Lockheed Martin plant into area water supplies. According to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, the residents' attorney, Gary Praglin, said of the Loma Linda study: I think they ought to be ashamed of themselves. The Times said the Loma Linda study, sponsored by both Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force, is apparently the first large-scale study to use human subjects to test the harmful effects of a water pollutant. The EPA has no protocols or regulations for human testing, and to date only industry-sponsored studies have employed human subjects. In September the agency's science advisory panel said human testing should be used only with the greatest degree of caution. But two members of the panel dissented strongly, calling the studies dangerous and insufficient to judge the safety of pollutants, especially for children. In their dissent, EPA panel members Dr. Herb Needleman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Dr. J. Routt Reigart of the Medical University of South Carolina wrote that allowing human testing lays the ground for a flood of research that should not be conducted and should not be accepted by the EPA for regulatory purposes. In an editorial today, the Los Angeles Times noted that Lockheed Martin claims It is trying to promote science and human health, but the study is designed in ways that could downplay perchlorate's dangers. . . . Regulators should be wary of dubious research like the Lockheed study. The director of the Loma Linda study, Dr. Anthony Firek, defended the use of human subjects by saying that perchlorate is also used as a therapeutic drug in rare cases to treat hyperthyroidism. He said if perchlorate were only a toxic pollutant, he would have declined to conduct the human tests. But use of perchlorate as a hyperthyroidism treatment has been discredited for more than 30 years. In 1966 Israeli researchers conducted a study in which large doses of perchlorate were fed to a group of 76 patients with hyperthyroidism. The study found 10 serious complications among the group, including two deaths, one of a patient who developed aplastic anemia, where bone marrow fails to produce blood cells, and another who died of agranulocytosis, where there is a marked decrease in a type of white blood cell critical to immune function. In addition to the fatalities, there were two more cases of agranulocytosis and two of leukopenia, a significant decrease of white blood cell count. The authors wrote: In our opinion the results do not justify the continued use of perchlorate in the therapy of thyrotoxicosis. In a report on the Loma Linda
