Monday Blues Chaser

    Generous to a Fault

Download of the Week

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HarmWave





Keeping Our Children Safe

1 Female deer
4 Powdery residue
6 Seed of a legume
9 Showing unusual talent
10 Having wings
11 Spanish hero
12 Pallid
14 Inquire of
15 Have regard
17 Excrete
18 Worthless piece of cloth
20 Norse goddess
22 Confused mixture of sounds
24 Incline head
26 Music appreciation
29 Clan
31 False god
33 Room within a harem
34 Synthetic yttrium aluminum garnet
35 Bleat of a sheep
36 Half burnt coal
37 Of moderate temperature
38 Period of human life
39 Unit of electrical resistance
40 Light meal



Solution Next Week

1 Russian country house
2 Off-Broadway theater award
3 Senior
5 Foretell
6 Gentle splash
7 Christian festival
8 Vessel built by Noah
13 Monetary unit of Zambia
16 Tap gently
19 Garrulous
21 Showoff
23 "Send it to the boys in the __"
25 Male duck
27 Capital of Morocco
28 South American ruminant
30 Apiece
32 River in central Switzerland
33 Wood sorrel

What you can do to protect them from hazards in the air they breathe, the foods they eat, and more
Part 3 of a 5 part weekly series

by Jim Gould

Children are exposed to pesticides in their food, homes, schools, and on their playgrounds. These chemicals -- used to control unwanted plants, molds, insects, and rodents -- can cause cancer and are believed to damage children's lungs and immune and nervous systems. To limit your child's exposure:

Avoid chemical lawn services and products, says Dr. Landrigan. "The toxic stuff you dump on it is not the stuff you want your children to play in." With a little extra work, you can keep your lawn green without toxins. For starters, the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP) suggests people water less frequently, for longer stretches, which will result in stronger, healthier grass that will crowd out weeds. Let the lawn become nearly dry between waterings. If you must use something to kill weeds, NCAMP suggests you use an herbicidal soap. For a list of natural lawn-care resources and other details on the least-toxic ways to control lawn problems, send five dollars to NCAMP at 701 E Street SE, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20003.

Look for certified organic fruit and vegetables, which means synthetic chemicals have not been used in their production or processing. Twenty states (including California, where 25 percent of the nation's produce originates) already regulate organic certification, as do a number of independent organizations. And, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is implementing a national standard that could take effect as early as 1998. If you don't have an organic grocery in your community, talk to your local supermarket about carrying organic produce or investigate forming an organic buying club with your neighbors. There are organic co-ops in virtually every region of the country; NCAMP can provide a list of such organizations for one dollar. If you can't buy organic, choose produce that is locally grown (supermarkets often label it as such) and thus less likely to be treated with the chemicals necessary for shipping perishable foods over long distances. All produce (even organic) should be washed, but if a piece of fruit has a waxy film on the outside, wash it with water and a drop of mild dish-washing soap, or peel off the skin. Frozen, canned, and packaged organic products also are increasingly available, but be wary of a label that calls the contents "natural"; it is probably not organic and may have been treated or grown with synthetic chemicals.

Avoid using pesticides in and around your home. Choose pheromone traps (which contain a substance produced by the insect to attract other insects) and glue boards. If you must use a pesticide, NCAMP Executive Director Jay Feldman suggests low-toxicity choices such as boric acid, silica aerogel, or diatomaceous earth, which are effective against insects such as roaches, ants, silverfish, and termites. Outdoors, various strains of a naturally occurring bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) work against gypsy moths, mosquitoes, blackflies, and wax moths. Ask for these products at your local gardening center or hardware store. If you must use higher-toxicity pesticides, make sure you have good ventilation. And if a product suggests you keep children out of a treated area for a specified period of time, Dr. Landrigan suggests staying away for at least double that time to be safe. Ask about the pesticides used in or near your child's school. If they're using toxic products, offer administrators a copy of the EPA's booklet on methods for reducing the use of potentially harmful chemicals in schools. Write the Public Information Center, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street SW, Washington, DC 20460, and ask for "Pest Control in the School Environment: Adopting Integrated Pest Management."

Next week: Part 4 - Air Pollution

Solution to last week's crossword:

The Jig Is Up!

"The Book of Secrets" by Jools

"Smarter than Enya," one critic has said, but I don't know about that. However, Loreena McKennitt is good, and her "The Book Of Secrets" is well worth every penny you'll spend for it.

Hailed as the newest in a recent crop of Irish singers, Loreena McKennitt is a little different from the rest, I think, not to mention the fact that she's from Canada, not Ireland. These songs are multi-layered, and lushly recorded--a feast for the ears. For those of you expecting a CD full of Irish jigs, forget it. This is a musical travelogue--"The Mummer's Dance" and "Skellig" are Irish, but "Marco Polo" evokes a street bazaar in some incense-laden Northern African city, "The Highwayman" is pure English broadside, "La Serenissima" takes you gliding down Venice's canals, and "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" takes you across Mideastern lands, where alchemists turn base metals into gold. "Dante's Prayer" is the only track which I couldn't place geographically, but it's still a beautiful song.

Ms. McKennitt's voice is very nice--she's not the greatest singer in the world, but she's perfect for this kind of music. I thoroughly enjoy the CD, and "The Mummer's Dance" is my favorite track. I love picking out the harmonies. I can't wait to buy my next Loreena McKennitt CD! Highly recommended.

To hear some samples of her music, you can go to Amazon.com and do a search on "Loreena McKennitt," then click on the sound links included with the descriptions of each of her CDs.

Calling all armchair critics! Do you want your voice to be heard?
Send your book, film or CD review to After Hours and we'll publish it right here with your byline.

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