Bits and Pieces Bugs vs. Drugs
(Page 2 of 3)
Stream Watch
RELATED CONTENT
Local and state agencies don't have the money or manpower
to monitor all our nation's streams, so in many cases
critical pollution problems persist unknown to the
authorities that could help solve them. At the same time,
hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts often are the first to
come across such situations—but don't know who to
contact to report a problem. To help bring the two forces
together, The Izaak Walton League has published "A
Citizen's Directory for Water Quality Abuses." The booklet
provides state environmental agency phone numbers for
reporting pollution emergencies and for getting information
about streams and water quality. It also describes how to
recognize different kinds of water pollution and suggests
ways to help on-site. For a copy of the directory, send $1
to The Izaak Walton League of America, 1701 N. Fort Myer
Dr., Arlington, VA 22209.
Potato Self-Defense
Scientists have succeeded in producing a hybrid potato
plant that manufactures its own insect repellent. While
examining the properties of some 1,000 different types of
wild potatoes, a USDA team found that the leaves of one
species—Solanum chacoense— contained
high levels of leptine. This natural toxin deters even the
Colorado potato beetle, this country's leading potato pest.
Chacoense produces only very small tubers, but the
researchers successfully fused cells from the wild species
with those from commercial types and then grew the fused
cells into hybrid plants that produce acceptably large
potatoes (though still only about half the size of market
varieties). Leptine in big doses can be toxic to humans,
but the hybrid plants produce the chemical only in their
leaves.
Aerial Abuse
Residents in many rural areas have long complained of
disruptive military training flights over their homes, land
and livestock. To help people direct their complaints to
the proper authorities and to provide citizens with an
effective voice of protest, Citizen Alert and the Rural
Coalition have set up a 24-hour toll-free telephone
reporting service called Skyguard. Skyguard operators will
catalogue complaints, refer callers to legal help and
answer questions about military flight operations. To
report an incident or to request a jet identification and
information brochure, call 800/SKY-GUARD or write Skyguard,
c/o Citizen Alert, P.O. Box 5391, Reno, NV 89513.
