rebeccmeister: (Acromyrmex)
[personal profile] rebeccmeister
First, though, commentary on whose responsibility is it, anyway, to prevent cars from hitting bicyclists and pedestrians?

Next - someone on the twit-machine just pointed out to me that the EPA has just put out a product cancellation order for certain pesticide registrations. I'm not especially familiar with the jargon and legalese, and there's a whole lot of information embedded in this. Any of you have a better idea of the implications?

Third, a pop-sci piece on quantifying one's gut microbiome over the course of a year, a task only recently made possible through the falling price for collecting bioinformatic-heavy data. Lots of interesting data to pore over in this one. I'm still finding this to be a fascinating area of science these days.

Lastly, instructions on how to construct a DIY bumble bee nest. Some day, I will have a pollinator garden. Some day.

Date: 2014-08-07 04:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twoeleven.livejournal.com
Next - someone on the twit-machine just pointed out to me that the EPA has just put out a product cancellation order for certain pesticide registrations. I'm not especially familiar with the jargon and legalese, and there's a whole lot of information embedded in this. Any of you have a better idea of the implications?
So, *cides are "registered" with the EPA for specific uses in specific formulations, the same way drugs have FDA "indications" for diseases and dosages.

It appears that the companies have decided to phase those products out. I don't know specifically what those registrations are -- the document lists a bunch of registration numbers, but I never worked on that side of the house, so I don't recognize them -- so I don't know why they're being dropped. Could be under EPA pressure, could be the markets are disappearing (ie, there are newer ways to solve the same problem¹), could even if be that resistance to the class(es) is getting out of hand and there's no point in using them any more.

Without looking up the registrations, it's hard to know. I could check with my sources, but they don't always know, and I can't always repeat what they tell me.

1: Could be anything from newer molecules in the same class, newer classes of *cides, replacement by entirely different methods (eg, IPM), etc

Date: 2014-08-07 04:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rebeccmeister.livejournal.com
A friend over on Brand F social networking site said basically the same thing. So I now suspect that the person on the twit-machine posted it as an FYI for people more in-the-know to comb through in pursuit of specific cases for various reasons. Helpful for my non-policy self to understand the processes at work! Thanks!

Date: 2014-08-07 04:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twoeleven.livejournal.com
Oh, huh. Never had to construct a nest for my bumblebees. They seem to just move right in. It wouldn't surprise me if my gardens act as island biomes, though, since I've always got something blooming, and few of my neighbors bother with flowers.

If I thought they'd survive the trip, I'd send you some of mine. I have tons of them. :) Very locally, honeybees seem to be rebounding too.

Date: 2014-08-07 04:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rebeccmeister.livejournal.com
Nice! Of course, if you wanted to set up some sort of observation nest, this design could be a useful starting point - bees will often relocate if they're offered a more tempting dwelling near their present dwelling. Mmm, nest migration...

I find non honey bee pollinators way more interesting, personally. Buzz pollination by bumble bees is really cool. They shake the whole flower! Blueberries and tomatoes are just a couple of the crops that are dependent on buzz pollination.

Date: 2014-08-07 05:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twoeleven.livejournal.com
Somewhere, somebody sent me something on blueberry bees, which are small solitary bees that do the same thing. But I can't find it now. :(

Date: 2014-08-07 05:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twoeleven.livejournal.com
You know you want some. :) They make ideal pets: they feed and walk themselves, and don't annoy the neighbors.

I thought I had another link for ordering queens, but I can't find that either. I'm sure it turn up soon. :P

Date: 2014-08-07 05:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twoeleven.livejournal.com
Oh, and in the continuing afterthought department...

The reason I'm interested in my local honeybees is that we're miles from the nearest farm. AFAICT, they're living somewhere near here. If they've developed resistance to CCD or Vorroa mites, that would be interesting. I know there are people searching the wild (well, feral, on this continent) honeybees for resistance, so the traits can be bred into the commercial lines.

'course, it could just be that we work our bees too hard, and they're dropping from stress. I read something to the effect that the Europeans aren't having quite as bad problems with either as we are. While they have somewhat tighter limits on the use of neonics, the article was saying that a bigger part of the difference seems to be that they don't truck hives around as much.

Date: 2014-08-07 05:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rebeccmeister.livejournal.com
The expert I rely upon regarding honey bees and other pollinators is Marla Spivak. Here's an interview where she summarizes all of the factors that probably contribute to CCD, including trucking hives around:

http://www.livescience.com/14886-marla-spivak-bee-health-bts.html

Honey bees are capable of foraging for distances of upwards of 2 miles from their hive, FWIW.

Date: 2014-08-07 05:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] twoeleven.livejournal.com
Further than I thought.

Also, IJLS "Varroa destructor". :)

Date: 2014-08-08 01:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] randomdreams.livejournal.com
I'm reading a book on urban bicycling right now. One of the author's main points is that cyclists might as well assume all the responsibility for avoiding crashes, because there's no reason not to and plenty of reasons why trying to blame someone else after getting run down isn't really addressing the situation.
I'm totally in agreement with the blog's viewpoint, but from a realpolitik point of view, yeah, I try to ride under the assumption that I'm surrounded by murderous blind drivers.

Date: 2014-08-08 03:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rebeccmeister.livejournal.com
Right, yes, from a personal standpoint, you have to protect yourself.

But from a Public Service Announcement standpoint, I think the driving public should be getting more "Pay attention, dumbass!" messages so as to reduce the number of times the media implies the bicyclist or pedestrian was to blame, rather than an irresponsible driver ("I just didn't see him!").

But do remember I'm currently living in a state where the Governor vetoed a distracted driving bill, declaring that the fine people of the state were obviously all personally upstanding and responsible citizens (other than those, you know, illegals) who didn't need no law telling them what to do. Might be a different story in a state with different driving culture.

Date: 2014-08-08 04:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] randomdreams.livejournal.com
Urk. I don't quite know how you can be for distracted driving...

Date: 2014-08-08 03:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rebeccmeister.livejournal.com
I think most Texans would say, "Never underestimate the power of the oil lobby."

Car culture here is pretty bad. Worse than in Arizona.

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