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lO-Omno Wcvkh limes, Wednesday, Oelober 5, 1988 lumber spray developed By Lorraine Brown A British Columbia forest scientist has de\eloped a new anti-fungicidal spray for lumber. Called Ecobrite, the new spray will replace the organic chemicals, called chlorophenols, which the forest industry now uses to protect wood from fungi. Fungi spoil lumber by staining it during storage and shipment. Chlorophenol sprayed on lumber effectively kills the harmful fungi. But recent studies have found that chlorophenols cause increased levels of cancer-causing dioxins in rivers downstream from lumber and pulp mills. The forestry industry has been under growing pressure from both governments and environmentalists to come up with an alternative. Dr. Suezone Chow, director of research with Canadian Forest Products Ltd. (Canfor), worked two years to perfect Ecobrite, an inorganic compound of sodium borate and sodium carbonate. "We wanted to avoid using an organic fungicide, since they don't break down in the environment and are quite toxic," says Chow. "So we began looking at inorganic compounds that we knew fungi didn't like." The boron in Ecobrite binds with the wood surface, producing an environment inhospitable to fungi and cutting them off from the nutrients in the wood. Rather than poisoning the fungi, it produces both a physical and a chemical barrier between them and the least toxic of the proposed alternatives to chlorophenols, though some people are allergic to it, he adds. Canfor, one of the largest lumber and pulp producers in the country, switched over to Ecobrite six months ago, and many other B.C. lumber mills plan to begin using it. Mills can be converted from chlorophenols to Ecobrite with only minor modifications. Chlorophenols are widely used as preservatives, with the lumber industry being the biggest user. They are not used in pulp and paper production, but some chlorophenols end up in pulp because by-products from lumber mills, such as wood chips, are used in pulp-making. Ecobrite has been approved by scientists from Environment Canada, Health and Welfare Canada and Agriculture Canada. A discussion paper prepared by these three ministries and released by Agriculture Canada suggests that p'entachlorophenol--the most toxic chlorophenol, and the one commonly used in lumber spraying--be prohibited by the end of 1988, Says McClelland. As an interim measure, stricter controls on the use of chlorophenols---such as having to wrap sprayed wood-- have been proposed, he says. The forestry industry is interested in ending the use of chlorophenols; hence the interest in Ecobrite, McClelland says. (Canadian Science News) wood. Ecobrite is used the same way as chlorophenols. Individual boards are sprayed under a spray hood during the high-speed lumber production process. Boards sprayed with Ecobrite 11 months ago are still clean and stain-free. Chow is convinced that the product will protect stored lumber indefinitely. Lawrence McClelland, .of Agriculture Canada's Pesticide Directorate, says longer-term tests of Ecobrite, especially in hot climates, are still needed. However, so far it seems to work, and is thie Can you get AIDS from blood or semen? YES. during sexual intercourse with a person infected with AIDS. Get the facts. Let's Talk. Call the Ontario Ministry of Health AIDS Hotline 1-800-668- AIDS A statement from the United Church of Canada (Continued from page 9) amended further to honour the petitions. Nevertheless, it is also true that the General Council does not make decisions simply in conformity to popular opinion. opinion. The General Council meets and seeks the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all its decision-making. This is why the final statement, no matter what it may have been, would not necessarily reflect the opinion opinion expressed in a large majority majority of petitions forwarded to General Council. The statement does however reflect the wisdom of the majority of the 388 Commissioners who attended attended General Council. It is true that the decision on the final statement was. not a unanimous one, but each Commissioner was guided by his or her own conscience when it came time to vote. Contrary to many reports, it was not a recorded vote, but a show of hands. Since the General Council met in Victoria in mid-August, there has been much talk and a few threats by people who feel the action taken by the 32nd General Council was inappropriate. inappropriate. Some feel betrayed, others are simply confused and want to know exactly what was decided in Victoria. The Church has taken immediate action to inform all pastoral charges of the exact wording of, the statement statement as approved by the General Council. A letter from the Moderator, Reverend Dr. Sang Chul Lee has been sent September 2nd to all 2400 pastoral charges along with a brochure of the final statement entitled Membership, Ministry and Human Sexuality. A request from one of the Commissioners to the 32nd General Council, asking that the Judicial Committee review the General Secretary's ruling that a remit is not required because of this new statement, has been received. The Judicial Committee will meet October 16-17 to undertake this review. It is the fervent hope of all concerned that people who are considering leaving the United^ Church do so only after allowing allowing enough time to study the documentation being made available to them. It is hoped that this reflection will help caution caution any immediate action. The concern is to encourage all members; to struggle within the family of the United Church to come to some understanding of this new statement on Membership, Membership, Ministry and Human Sexuality. Sexuality. WERE HERE VIEWERS CHOICE VIDEO & T.V. INC. MAIN STREET, ORONO 983-0880 The Corporation of the TOWN OF NEWCASTLE PROCLAMATION It is hereby proclaimed that the week of 9TH-15TH . will be observed as Fire Prevention Week IN THE TOWN OF NEWCASTLE JOHN WINTERS, MAYOR TOWN QF NEWCASTLE Date of Publication: October 5, 1988 P.O. A0591 Canadian Inventors Find New Uses for Plastic Canadian inventors have discovered that plastic, one of the world's most versatile materials, can help indoor gardening enthusiasts grow > * healthier plants and farmers increase crop yields and eliminate eliminate weeding. One of the inventors is a physicist and amateur gardener gardener who created a planter that waters plants on demand. With the aid of two/col- ■ . leagues, Norbert Baumgartner from the University of Guelph, Ontario, devised a plkstic, planter that automatically dispenses dispenses the correct amount of water to a plant for up to three months. Easy to use, "Aqua Planter" is adaptable to various various planter sizes and shapes. The planter combines a water reservoir and an inner liner containing the plant. As the roots use up the moisture in the soil, they draw water gut* •of the reservoir by capillary action through a porous plug. - A cartridge hanging down in the water creates a vacuum so that no excess water reaches the soil. The Aqua Planter is currently currently manufactured in fibre- glass, but Baumgartner and his colleagues, David Elrick and Daniel Reynolds, are planning to manufacture it in molded plastic by the end of this year. Another example of Canadian ingenuity comes from James Guillet, a chemis try professor at the University •of Toronto. In 1971, he developed developed a degradable plastic that disintegrates in sunlight. His .invention was granted the 1,000,000th Canadian Patent in 1976. His product, known as Eco- lyte, contains an oxydizing powder that mixes with plastic plastic polymers so that their bonds break down when exposed exposed to sunlightjor to the naturally naturally erosive forces of wind and water. The time involved in the breakdown varies from a few days to six months or more. Ecolyte is non-toxic and has the same applications as other non-degradable containers. Products made from this material material include styrofoam coffee cups, meat trays and "clam" boxes used for fast food takeout. takeout. A derivative of Ecolyte, known as Sunlyte, can be used in agriculture as a mulch film. It covers the ground, keeping the weeds down and the soil moist. By'the end of the season, season, it has disintegrated in the sun, eliminating the need to haul it away. Guillet founded Ecoplastics Limited in Willowdale, Ontario, to manufacture both Ecolyte and Sunlyte. His largest largest market is in Italy, where the government has imposed a ban on the use of non-aegrad- able plastic products. Other markets are in Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain. These are just two of the wide-ranging examples of Canadian ingenuity that will be on display at the "Bravo Canada!" exhibit at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto from Aug. 17 to Sept. 5, 1988. Sponsored by the Department Department of the Secretary of State, the "Bravo Canada'" exhibit, located in the Queen Elizabeth Elizabeth Building, is a celebration of Canada's geography, people, people, spirit and inventiveness. Another Canadian invention invention allows one person to set up a Christmas tree unassisted without turning into a human "pincushion." The Ava Tree Stand is a self-supporting holder with four internal, springs that flex to secure the tree trunk. Designed Designed by Ottawa entrepreneur entrepreneur Gerry Stephens, the stand is leakproof. It can hold up to eight inches of water to help the tree last longer and to prevent prevent premature dropping of. needles. The stand can also be used to secure patio umbrellas and flagpoles, as well as a planter for decorative shrubs and trees. Stephens' company, Ava Tech Inc. of Ottawa, has sold over 100,000 stands in Canada. It will be launched at the end of this year in the U.S. and European markets. The Corporation of the TOWN OF NEWCASTLE TENDERS SEALED TENDERS, clearly marked as to contents, for the following requirements listed below*addressed to the Corporation Corporation of*the Town of Néwcastle, Office of the Clerk, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3A6, will be received on the forms and in the envelope provided until the specified closing time and date.. Tender documents.can be obtained from the Purchasing Office at 68 King Street East, bowmanville, Ontario (The Veltri Complex). 1 Tender T88-27 • SNOW CLEARING AND WINTER MAINTENANCE OF SIDEWALKS AND PARKING LOTS. Closing Time and Date: ' 12:00 Noon (Local Time) Fridey, October 2.1,1988 A pre-tender meeting will be held Friday, October 14 t 1988 at the Municipal Office on Scugog Road in Hampton. All Contractors wishing to bid on T88-27 must be in attendance attendance at this meeting. The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. Mrs. Lou Ann Birkett Purchasing and Supply Agent Telephone: (416) 623-3379 ex. 267 Date of Publication: Octobers, 1988 - P.O. A2237