Categories for the MMP? What do you suggest?

[WinstonSmith]

I am very much looking forward to contributing to MMP but I just don't have the time right now.

I have a few raw ideas, but nothing concrete yet.

[chuckles]

Fear of political embarrassment led to government cover up of link between air
pollution and lung cancer:


http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/news/2002/smogpollution.html

[DancingTigerBait]

Fear of political embarrassment led to government cover up of link between air
pollution and lung cancer:


http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/news/2002/smogpollution.html

Thanks, Chuckles. Very helpful article! ( http://wispofsmoke.net/cancer.html Gray page.)

I've been inspired to get a video camera. I've always been camera shy--and there's no way I can top some of the recent videos! Still, it seems that is a good way to communicate if one can do it well. We'll see!

[Jemeyes]

Genetically modified plants vacuum up toxins

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scientists have figured out a way to trick plants into doing the dirty work of environmental cleanup, U.S. and British researchers reported on Monday.

Researchers at the University of Washington have genetically altered poplar trees to pull toxins out of contaminated ground water, offering a cost-effective way of cleaning up environmental pollutants.

A group of British researchers, meanwhile, has developed genetically altered plants that can clean residues of military explosives from the environment.

"Our work is in the beginning stages, but it holds great promise," said Sharon Doty, an assistant professor of forest resources at the University of Washington, whose study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Doty's research is part of an emerging area of study known as phytoremediation, which aims to use trees, grasses and other plans to remove hazardous materials.

"Phytoremediation is basically a solar-powered pollutant-removal system," said Doty in comments e-mailed to Reuters.

"It uses the plant's natural ability to extract chemicals from water, soil, and air," Doty said.

Using plants to do environmental cleanup is more than 10 times cheaper than other technologies. It is also less intrusive and more aesthetically pleasing, she said.

Genetically modified poplar trees in Doty's lab sucked 91 percent of the toxin trichloroethylene from a liquid solution. Natural plants were only able to remove 3 percent of the toxin, which is the most common ground water contaminant in the United States.

The genetically modified plants in the study were grown in vials and were just several inches tall. But these tiny plants were able to metabolize the pollutant into harmless byproducts 100 times faster than the natural plants.

Researchers at the University of York, meanwhile, devised genetically modified plants using genes from microbes that can degrade the explosive RDX, a potential cancer-causing agent.

To test their system, they introduced genes into Arabidopsis plants -- the plant equivalent of lab rats.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071016/sc_ ... 5pCfADW7oF


isn't trichloroethylene one of those 4000+ chemicals the anti's claim are in tobacco smoke ETS ??

[chuckles]

what about this?: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=VuVVOHDxWow

[Harlow]

Great video by John Baker on National Smoking Day. Thanks for posting it chuckles.

[John H Baker]

I never knew my video effort had been posted here. I'm not very good at doing 'pieces to camera.'

John

[smallbird]

Well, John, it was a VERY good piece of work. We need to keep this video alive. As an American English speaker,however, I had a bit of difficulty with your accent (to my ears), I could still understand every word but I had to concentrate. I will always admire those (like you and Pat Glass and Phil Williams and many others) who are willing to put yourselves forward to post these videos.