8 MOTHER EARTH NEWS December 2016/January 2017Green Gazette
Beneficial Butterflies
Growing a butterfly garden isn’t
a novel idea — but Gardening for
Butterflies, a new book by the
Xerces Society, elevates the con-
cept from whimsical to essen-
tial. With a focus on conserving
endangered butterfly species,
the book offers suggestions for
native plants and gardening
practices that could create a
safe habitat for these spectacu-
lar winged creatures through
all life stages. The Xerces
Society’s mission as a nonprofit
is to protect and conserve in-
vertebrates and their habitats,
and they do so by partnering
with scientists, policymakers,
and land managers, as well as
through publishing educational
resources. The organization is
currently researching and track-
ing the health and conservation
efforts of about 60 “red listed”
butterfly species — meaning the
butterflies are endangered or
threatened in North America.
Published by Timber Press in
2016, Gardening for Butterflies
is available at http://www.Xerces.org/
Books-Butterfly-Gardening and
on Page 80. No matter the size
or shape of your growing area,
this new title will guide you
through creating a butterfly-
friendly space.Cheese-Making Kits
Do you like giving cheesy holi-
day gifts? Then you’ll delight
in the delicious offerings from
Gardener’s Supply Co. The
company now offers cheese-
making kits, each complete
with the ingredients, supplies,
and recipes for crafting popular
cheeses, from feta to farmhouse
cheddar. The “Deluxe Cheese-
Making Kit,” which retails for
$39.95, has everything you
need to make eight types of
cheese — all the cook has to do
is bring the milk! Another kit
option focuses more narrowly,on making 30-minute ricotta
and mozzarella. The kits aren’t
for one-time use, but rather
include enough ingredients to
make many batches. If your
loved one isn’t a dairy diehard,
the company also offers kits for
homemade mustard and hot
sauce. Browse your options by
going to http://www.Gardeners.com.Organic Farm and
Ranch Products
Farmers-turned-entrepreneurs
are well-suited to create the next
generation of sustainable farm
and ranch products, because
they understand, in practical
terms, what problems most
need solving and what solutions
will work in the fields. That’s
why scientist and farmer Ray
Nielsen launched Green World
Path in 2007, and is now devel-
oping a new line of all-organic
fertilizers, soil amendments,
pest- and weed-control solu-
tions, and related products.
Recently, the company offered
a product to treat a condition
called “citrus greening” (also
called huanglongbing or HLB) in
Florida, and made a significant
impact on the citrus-growing
industry. The company’s phi-
losophy is not only to create
products, but also to share
information about sustainable
practices far and wide — and al-
ways at no charge. To follow the
product launch and learn more,
go to http://www.GreenWorldPath.
Wordpress.com.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last issued
guidance on radioactivity levels allowed in drinking water in
a 1992 “Protective Action Guide.” Now, that guide is being
revised following a recently concluded public comment period.
According to Food & Water Watch (FWW), a national
environmental advocacy organization, the new guidance would
allow the population to drink water hundreds to thousands of
times more radioactive than is now legal. The new proposed
level of radioactivity allowed in drinking water would be a
925-fold increase, and allow the exposure of people to radiation
equivalent to receiving 250 chest X-rays per year.
Radioactivity in drinking water can spike for different rea-
sons, such as a Fukushima-type nuclear power meltdown or
a radiopharmaceutical transport spill. FWW explains that all
radionuclides can cause cancer and other health and reproduc-
tive problems. EPA documents obtained under the Freedom of
Information Act show that the EPA itself concluded that the
proposed concentrations would exceed the maximum limits of
the Safe Drinking Water Act by a significant factor.
Note that the EPA’s guidance on this issue isn’t the same as a
law. The EPA says it has “proposed nonregulatory guidance that
authorities can use to protect residents from experiencing the
harmful effects from radiation in drinking water following an
emergency.” Still, some scientists and members of the public are
expressing concern.
“It is inconceivable that the EPA could now quietly propose
allowing enormous increases in radioactive contamination with
no action to protect the public, even if concentrations are a
thousand times higher than under the Safe Drinking Water Act,”
says Dr. Catherine Thomasson, Executive Director of Physicians
for Social Responsibility.
You can follow the EPA’s updates on the guidance levels at
http://www.EPA.gov/Radiation/Protective-Action-Guides-Pags.Radioactivity in Radioactivity in Radioactivity in
Drinking WaterDrinking WaterDrinking Water
The radioactivity allowed in U.S. drinking water may spike dramatically. ISTOCK/IMGORTHAND; TOP: GARDENER’S SUPPLY CO.p 6-8 Gazette.indd 8 10/11/16 8:37 AM