(Houston) Why did a  Corpus Christi woman stand up at the White House last month and loudly demand  protection from the Obama administration? Why, for the same reason, did   a Hollywood actor give up his career and return home to take on the  biggest fight of all in Port Arthur? What drove a Gulf Coast woman to  sink her fishing boat on top of a plume pouring deadly dioxin into Galveston  Bay? How did a Houston man use a school to organize communities impacted by  chemical contamination and fight for policy to make healthier communities in  the dirtiest city in the nation?

All of these heroes will be  telling their stories and showing how chemical pollution has no boundaries,  that all Texans are threatened by the chemical stew the pervades the state.  But another big question now is why are the Governor of Texas and Texas  Congresspersons attacking the Environmental Protection Agency regulations to  protect our health when the people of Texas are already sick from  pollution?

January 19, 2011
New Living
6111  Kirby
Houston
Free Admission

6pm –  7:00pm

Featuring:

Al Armendariz, EPA Region 6  Administrator

Juan Parras, founder of the non-profit organization  Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), Houston

Suzie  Canales, Citizens for Environmental Justice, Corpus  Christi

Hilton Kelley, founder/CEO, Community  In-power and Development Association Inc
(CIDA) Port Arthur

Diane Wilson, author of “An Unreasonable Woman:  A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift,  Texas.”

Neal Carman, PhD, environmental scientist, Sierra  Club, Austin

Moderated by Leo Gold, host of KPFT’s New Capital Radio  Program

Administrator Armendariz will tell the story of Texas politicians attacking EPA rules to protect environmental health. Parras, Canales, Kelley, Wilson, and Carman will be  telling their stories, and sharing information about what all Texans can do to  deal with 82,000 unregulated chemicals in the marketplace, and how to identify  and cope with the rising rates of illnesses linked to this ubiquitous chemical  exposure and about the Safe Chemicals Act, federal legislation that was  introduced last year to address the antiquated laws that govern the regulation  of industrial chemicals

Event co-producer Juan Parras is founder  of the non-profit organization Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services  (TEJAS), a non-profit dedicated to providing community members with the tools  necessary to create sustainable, environmentally healthy communities by  educating individuals on health concerns and implications arising from  environmental pollution, empowering individuals with an understanding of  applicable environmental laws and regulations and promoting their enforcement,  and offering community building skills and resources for effective community  action and greater public participation.

In addition to Juan  Parras, event producers include Jeff Kaplan with New Living, and Anne Robertson with New  Conscious Capital.  New Living is a store that specializes in sustainable  building materials and other environmentally healthy products and believes  that everyone deserves healthy, safe, clean spaces. New Living seeks to extend  this right, while having a direct economic, social, and environmental impact  on our community.

Also present at the event will be Founder and CEO of Wondercide LLC and BOON Technologies, companies whose purpose is to provide safe pest control alternatives to toxic, synthetic pesticides that are used on and around pets, people, and property.  Wondercide seeks to educate and inform the public about Integrated Pest Management and safe alternatives to traditional pesticide products and methods.

New Conscious Capital is a newly formed  Texas LLC whose purpose is to raise capital and awareness for companies that  are providing solutions to some of our most pressing social and environmental  problems.

For more information: http://www.newliving.net or  http://www.tejasbarrios.org or http://www.wondercide.com

The presence of strawberries usually represents sweetness and the start of summer. However, strawberries in California may soon be causing cancer, birth defects and miscarriages. California is thinking about allowing the use of a highly toxic chemical on their strawberry fields. This affects all of us, since 90% of strawberries in the US are grown in California. Do you want to take action to stop the use of the harmful methyl iodide for strawberries? Would you like them to consider a natural pest control alternative like Wondercide™ EcoTreat™ PRO?

Nobel laureates and scientists say that methyl iodide is one of the most toxic chemicals used in food manufacturing. But, California is still planning to allow its use for spraying and injecting into the soil. California even released reports saying that if methyl iodide is used, its control on human exposure would be very difficult and probably next to impossible. The report also says that its use would have very unpleasant effects on public health, and this includes the spread of cancer, the increase in miscarriages and brain damage to fetuses and children.

It is very important that we take action to stop the approval of this dangerous chemical. The effect of California’s choice may start a national review of methyl iodide by the Environmental Protection Agency.

It is about time that we prioritize our health and our children’s health first before anything else. Safer and healthier ways must be used in producing strawberries. We should not allow the access of more toxins into our bodies and our environment. Green pest control initiatives must speak up!

Let us sign the petition against the use of methyl iodide on our strawberries:

http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4165

What is a beneficial insect?

Beneficial insects are natural enemies of yard and garden pests. They control the “bad bugs” (ants, aphids, etc.) and are known as biological control to organic gardeners. Examples of “beneficials”, as they are commonly referred to, are lady bugs, butterflies, bees, nematodes, etc. Broad spectrum conventional pesticides not only kill the “bad bugs,” they kill the “good bugs” too. Another reason to promote beneficial insects by using chemical free Wondercide is that insects have developed unquestionable pesticide resistance. Some insects have become so resilient to pesticides that they are now able to metabolize the poison and use it as food. “Although chemical insecticide use in the United States has grown tenfold in both amount and toxicity since 1945, the crop yield lost to insects has nearly doubled during the same period.” - David Pimentel, 1991

How does Wondercide kill some insects, but not Beneficials?

The answer is simple. Heat seeking, non beneficial insects are pheromone driven to food, mates, and reproduction. Because insects breathe through their bodies, Wondercide is absorbed directly into the breathing pores causing pheromone interruption. The survival of the insect relates directly to its exposure to the foreign substance. So, it repels insects by scent and kills them on contact. Beneficials, on the other hand, are Sight Driven and are not affected by pheromone interruption. The Aroma of cedar oil does not affect them neurologically or biologically simply because they are not driven by pheromones.

Indoors, make the house as inhospitable as possible to pests by regularly cleaning and vacuuming with routine attention to hard to reach places like under furniture and appliances. Take the steps necessary to control moisture that attracts pest insects and provides a comfortable feeding and breeding ground for them.  Inspect floor, wall, ceiling, and foundation surfaces for cracks and openings that allow pests to enter the home.  Patch any cracks in the stucco, plaster or drywall, concrete or mortar joints of these surfaces and repair any wood rot as soon as you notice it.

Pay particular attention to doors and windows; their open joints are natural entry points for insects and pests. Use a draft gauge, a match, or an incense to identify drafts around windows and doors that may be pest entry points. Weather strip faulty windows and doors to create a pest proof seal around them. Cover any broken window panes and patch damaged screens to keep pests out as well. Be sure to inspect the trim around the exterior of a window or door and  re caulk those that are faulty.

Once you have identified potential areas that need repair or maintenance, get to it!  Make a list of the items you need to gather or purchase and move throughout the home until each item is complete.  Now that you have sealed your home the best you can from potential pest entry, it’s time to get out the Wondercide.

For green, indoor pest control, you have a couple of non toxic pest control options. For routine maintenance to control ants, roaches, silverfish, beetles, scorpions, dust mites, and other non parasitic pests, WonDefense is a great option. WonDefense is a chemical free pest control that is easy to use in a hand held trigger or compression sprayer.  It is affordable, 100% safe for children and pets, and it dries invisible!  For indoor applications, spray screens, around doors and windows, baseboards, under sinks and cabinets, closets, pet beds, and all cracks and crevices where insects reside and lay eggs.  WonDefense will get rid of dust mites and improve air quality in your home!

Next time, we’ll talk about Wondercide BioDefense, the contact killer cedar oil solution for fleas, ticks, mites, bed bugs, lice and more!