It’s not enough for our food to be healthy and natural, we also expect it to be cheap!

So we – through the powerful supermarket chains – ramp up the pressure on farmers to use low-chem, “safe” agricultural products, such as bio-pesticides, while also keeping costs down.

The time it takes to licence newly-emerging pesticides and other low-chem agricultural products in some parts of the world is a big problem in achieving these goals.

It’s a particular problem in bureaucracy-plagued Europe, where you’re talking three to five years to complete the licensing process. Could new, updated EU regulations passed in October 2009 speed things up at last?

The Plant Protection Products Regulation.

The new regulations became law on December 14, 2009 and must be applied from June 14, 2011. One key Regulation, Article 67: Recording and Disclosing Information on pesticides, aims to increase the level of protection for people and the environment but also, crucially, to speed up decision making and provide clearer rules.

European legislation on plants was first formulated against the background of the 1950´s and 60’s when use of heavy metals preparations prevailed with resulting negative environmental and health effects.

The EU’s aim now is to remove as many substances as possible that have adverse impacts on health and environment or leave dangerous pesticide residues in the final products.

The new framework introduces substitution so other, safer solutions or methods, such as low-chem fertilisers and bio-pesticides, replace the problem agents.

Sweden’s Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA) has a program called MASE (Microbial Activity for a Sound Environment), which has been working with food producer Findus on the use of micro-organisms in the cultivation of all their pea products.

Christopher Folkeson Welch, MASE Program Director, hopes the new regulations will simplify and speed up regulation for new, environmentally-friendly bio-pesticides and other low-chem products currently being developed.

He reports that there is intense pressure from the food industry for alternatives to chemical pesticides and that Findus is ready to use micro-organisms in the cultivation of all their pea products and wants to see this happen as soon as next year.

“The new legislation seeks to have control of both chemical and biological agents used for pest management. The result is both good and bad for us,” he says.

Deputy program manager of MASE Margaret Hokeberg says: “In the new proposal the authorities have been given a limited evaluation period, which is very important.”

Another new aspect is the classification of pesticides known as “Low Risk.” Here is where Christopher Folkeson Welch and Margaret Hokeberg hope the biological resources will end up. But low-risk agents have a longer approval period than the “traditional” pesticides.

At the same time legislators are severely restricting the old option of temporary permits during the evaluation period, which meant a product could be sold on a limited market basis. This change could have negative consequences, particularly for smaller companies with limited research budgets.

Often it is small businesses that depend on getting out into the marketplace quickly that research biological pesticides. This, with impatient financiers, is a bad combination according to Margaret Hokeberg.

The time it takes for licensing in the EU is a problem for all bio technology research companies as highlighted by Marcus Meadows-Smith, CEO of AgraQuest, a leading US-based company specialising in researching and developing low-chem agricultural products.

In a 2009 interview with Agrow – World Crop Protection News, he contrasted reduced regulatory requirements and review times in the US with the “considerably more onerous” EU process, which makes no distinction between bio- and conventional pesticides.

He estimates that without a dramatic change in the process it will take up to six years to licence products in Europe and believes its is not right that farmers should have to compromise on yield and profitability as older, more toxic pesiticides are banned, leaving gaps in their portfolios.

The company has several bio-pesticides already on the US market but only one product, a bio-fungicide called Serenade, licensed in the EU in partnership with distributor BASF.

Hopefully the new EU regulations will be good news for AgraQuest, European farmers and food producers and ultimately for us consumers.

Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers

When it comes to arriving at campgrounds, experienced campers advise to arrive early so you’ll have plenty of time to prepare and set everything up. Daylight is needed so you can pitch your tent properly. While you can do everything when the sun is down, it will be twice as hard. But some campers travel far or have prior engagements that’s why they arrive at their campsite after sundown.

To make setting up camp easier, here are 5 tips to follow if you arrive at your campsite at night:

Make all your things “setup-ready”

If you’re anticipating a late arrival at your campsite, one thing you can do to make setting up camp in the dark less of a burden is to pack your gear right. Have them organized in boxes and ready to go, especially the most important gear you’ll need on the first night.

Once you’re at your campsite, the last thing you would want is to scramble in the dark looking for your tent poles or your sleeping gear. So make sure you know where everything goes and that everything you need is accessible.

Have your camping lantern ready

A good source of light is the most important thing you’ll need when setting up camp in the dark. Your flashlight or camping lantern is the first thing you’ll grab once you’re at your camping spot so be sure to have them within reach (or on you!). It’s also ideal that each camper has his own lighting gear to make setting up smoother.

Create a bonfire

If you’re not too tired or it’s not too late, create a bonfire! It will not only provide you with a better source of light while unpacking and setting up, but it will keep everyone in the spirit of camping! Also to keep everyone in a good mood, it’s ideal to eat a quick meal first, preferably something pre-packed.

Assign tasks to each camper

When setting up your camping gear in the dark, the goal is to do it the quickest way possible. To achieve this, assign tasks to each camper – some would be responsible to pitch the tent, others would unload stuff from the car and others may set up your camp kitchen. It’s also important to have each camper responsible for their own things.

Mind your neighbors

Nobody want to be woken up by noisy campers unloading things from the car or pitching their tent. If you arrive at your campsite at night (especially late at night), be mindful of your neighbors who are most likely sleeping or enjoying a quiet night in the woods.

Follow these 5 tips for arriving at your campsite at night and setting up will be hassle-free!

To ensure a smooth and stress-free move, you have to talk to your family about your plans. If you have kids, you should give them enough time to adjust to the situation. Moving will not only change your life, but also that of your kids. It is possible to get their help or support once the packers and movers arrive. All you have to do is follow the tips below.

Inform your kids about the move in advance

– This will give them time to prepare and to accept the fact that you’re moving to another place. Kids don’t like uncertainties especially if they are already in the school-age group. Leaving behind friends and classmates can be hard. This is the best time to improve your communication lines.

– Get your kids to talk about their feelings, and don’t hesitate to get their opinions on and about the move. If you tell your kids in advance, they will surely cooperate.

Get your kids involved in the planning process

– Try to assign simple packing tasks to your kids, for their support. For instance, you can tell them to sort their things – pick the ones that they will take during the move and the ones that they want to give away or put in the trash.

– Change is good but if it’s too sudden for your child, it can be upsetting. You can minimize this by getting your kids involved.

Try to build memories with your kids in the old neighborhood.

– Before the move, you should allocate enough time to take your kids to their favorite restaurant, parks, or hangouts. You also need to give the kids more time to spend with their friends.

– Building memories prior to relocation is good because they can leave the old neighborhood with a positive note. When your kids are happy, they can cope well in the new environment.

It is a wise decision to hire reliable packers and movers because you can spend more time with your kids. You can easily keep track of your kids’ activities, feelings, and issues especially the ones related to the move help them sort that out. Once they are fully convinced, you can get them to help with the relocation activities.

Your kids have the right to know everything about your relocation plans as it will change their lives too. Best you can do is – guiding them throughout the process.

The normal term of a pregnancy is classed as 40 weeks. Midwives and doctors calculate a pregnancy due date as 280 days from the first day of the last period. This means that by the time most women are alerted that they are having a baby (from the day of a missed period) they would already be classed as being 4 weeks pregnant.

But how many babies actually arrive on time? The EDD (meaning estimated due date) given to pregnant women is classed as a guide, as the actual length of a pregnancy can vary because of different people’s ovulation patterns and the fact that the date of fertilisation is rarely known accurately.

We conducted a poll amongst over 300 members to find out how accurate the pregnancy due date they were given turned out to be.

Bang on time

General statistics report that only 5% of babies are born on their EDD but our members had much more success. Over 14% stated that their baby was born on the date they were given. Most mums had a sense of achievement at this:

“Zoe arrived on her due date: I was a very proud mummy.”

“Kiera arrived on her due date too, who says girls are always late!”

Early babies

Going into labour early can be a worry for many mums-to-be, but a pregnancy is classed as full term at 37 weeks. The majority of babies are born two weeks either side of their due date so if your little one is slightly early there is usually no need for concern.

Our survey showed that of our members who responded, 34% had their babies before their EDD. The majority were within the normal 2 week window, but there were a few exceptions of babies arriving very early and now doing well:

“These 2 were 10 weeks early” – mums of multiple births report a higher percentage of their babies being born early.

“2nd was 14 weeks early” – our mums told us about their healthy, bouncing premature babies.

Late arrivals

Nearly 51% of our respondents reported that their babies arrived later than their EDD. Whilst it may be frustrating to have to wait a bit longer, babies being born past their due date is completely normal. Your doctor and midwife will monitor you and if you continue into your overdue pregnancy without any signs of your baby making a move, then they may decide to induce you.

“My pregnancy lasted 42 weeks exactly and ended up having a c-section as he was not coming out … he was too comfy!!”

So whilst your pregnancy due date is a good guide for when to expect your new arrival it’s clear to see that babies will come when they are ready! If you’d like to find out roughly when your baby is due, try our pregnancy due date calculator.

There is certainly no doubt our perception of how a relationship should be, is heavily influenced by how we see other people’s relationships work. How our parents acted, or act towards each other, our own past intimate relationships, and the media can also affect our view. But there are several other sources that affect our perception too…

Other couples. We see so many couples amongst our family and friends, and out in public. They are so attentive to each other, finishing each other’s sentences, sampling the other person’s food, fawning all over one another, and “dripping sweet” so much you can almost see the love oozing out of their pores. Some of us are encouraged by these couples: others are nauseated. But they exist, and they help to influence us in how we think a relationship should be.

But not everyone gets along with their partner in the same way as these couples appear to. Personalities often conflict with one another. One personality can be somewhat abrasive at times. People experience different degrees of patience. Their sense of humor may vary, or not exist at all. Plus, their backgrounds will not be exactly the same. Finances can differ. There may not have ever been any negative stigma attached to the relationships they were exposed to. For their particular situation, things could have always been rosy for them and every other couple they have ever encountered.

It’s not realistic to base your relationship on someone else’s. You don’t know all of the factors the other couple has in their life. For all you know, they could fight like “cats and dogs” when no one else is around. When couples are in public, they usually put on their best persona. Catch them in private and the relationship could be radically different. You can focus on their good qualities, but that isn’t necessarily their only qualities.

Your friends. This is a tough one because people usually like to give other people advice; the benefit of their experiences. But when you accept advice from a friend, you really have to consider the source. Are they in a stable, healthy relationship (notice that we didn’t just ask if they were in a relationship). Do they change relationships almost as frequently as they change clothes?

You need to be careful who you take relationship advice from. You would never take relationship advice from someone who isn’t in a healthy, long-lasting and happy relationship… just like you wouldn’t take money advice from someone who is broke. Instead, look for the happily married couples and ask them for their guidance and advice.

Are you wasting money on paper and toner from SPAM faxes and your colleagues time to look at them? A Fax Receiver Appliance could be the answer to saving cost and speeding up workflow.

The era of the fax machine is coming to an end, but not so quickly. Fax machines are still used to receive faxed orders or requests from customers.

Instead of having to maintain a whole PC with virus checker, an uninterruptible power supply that has to be replaced every few years and other support costs, a Fax Receiver Appliance connects directly to a phone line and to the Ethernet Network, converting incoming faxes directly into a PDF email sending it to a mailbox of a mail server.

A Fax Receiver Appliance reduces direct waste significantly and often produces a return on investment of less than a year. This is based on approximately 20 SPAM faxes a day @ 0.08 cents per page for 365 days a year totals a direct saving of US$584 per device.

Indirect savings from personnel no longer looking and evaluating advertising in the fax machine is likely to be even higher.

Faster workflow as the documents no longer need to be collected from the machine but arrives immediately in the administrators email inbox. Email servers can be set up to copy more than one person, so emails may be picked up while on the move.

A Fax Appliance may be located more securely in the Telephone or the Computer Room, away from everyday hazards or mal-intent.

Each page is an attachment in the email that can be easily re-distributed or used for input into other applications.

Further saving come from the device’s very low power consumption and high reliability as there are no moving parts to be maintained or paper to be supplied. On average only 20% of business communication in electronic format is actually printed out which brings further savings.

A one-time setup of the fax appliance will run for a lifetime without maintenance unless you change the email server address. Parameters are stored permanently in Flash Memory and the power-up sequence is less than 10 seconds. Remote management via Telnet with login and password protection allows management in any networked environment such as Windows®, Unix® or Apple®.

A Fax Receiver Appliance is always ready, not dependent on operating system upgrades, virus checkers like a PC based or Multi Function Copier based Fax solution that require maintenance and a lot of power. When your company has mainly incoming faxes and does not want to rout a fax line to every Copier / Printer a Fax Receiver Appliance is the most cost efficient solution.

You might not have noticed it yet, but the holidays are creeping up to us! It means it is time to start putting your home in good shape for all the relatives and loved ones who will be filling your rooms with their fun and laughter. Instead of getting overwhelmed with the enormity of cleaning the house for everyone, read up on these tips so you know how and where to start.

Create a Battle Plan

The very first thing you need to do is to make a plan out cleaning the house. This plan consists of organizing the tasks, delegating chores to certain members of the house, making a list of necessary cleaning supplies and making a schedule of when certain areas ought to be cleaned. Ideally, you can create cleaning kits for the different areas of your home so whoever is in charge of a room will have his own caddy handy and get to work right away. Put together one for your bathroom, the kitchen, living room and other areas.

If the cleaning task is enormous, make sure you get things done right now. The earlier you start, the less stressed out you will be. Start with the things that get in the way of major cleaning, such as dusting off hard to reach places so the closer you get to the holidays the less you have to do.

Visualize What People See

Put yourself in the shoes of your guests and try to imagine what they will notice upon entering the home. You might find that you missed cleaning out on some areas or certain rooms need a bit of decorating touch ups. Make sure to also clean your carpets. You can either do it by yourself if you have the time or you can send it out for professional cleaning.

Part of making a home look well-maintained is stocking up on what people need, such as paper towels, water or any other thing your guests might need and would come in handy during parties. You might feel like you have so many cleaning jobs to accomplish but if you do this part by part in a consistent manner you will notice that the entire house will be clean on the very first day your first holiday guest arrives. By that time, you will no longer be worried about how your house looks and would instead focus on greeting the first person and making him feel right at home.

The Milky Way is sort of a spinning record made out of stars. It measures 100,000 light years across and 1,000 light years thick. The point that’s halfway between the top and bottom of this disk of stars is known as the Galactic Equator. The position of any object in space is measured by astronomers by employing a system that’s like the latitude and longitude coordinate system that’s used on earth. But astronomers also use another measurement system known as the galactic coordinate system for measuring the position of objects in space. This system uses the Galactic Equator to gauge the position.

The measuring system that utilises the galactic equator for measuring the position of objects in space uses the sun as the center point. A 0 degree ling is drawn from the sun to the galactic equator. Objects that are positioned above or below the galactic equator may also be measured using this system. The north galactic pole is situated 90 degrees above the galactic equator and the south galactic pole is situated ninety degrees below the galactic equator. The solar system is said to bounce above and below the galactic equator. The solar system takes 64 years to finish one full cycle above and below the centre of the Milky Way. A popular myth assumes that the solar system will cross the galactic equator after 2012. Nevertheless many scientists have dismissed this to be false and say it’s just a myth and no such thing should occur. Regardless of whether such an event occurs, no serious danger will be caused. Nevertheless analysts say that there could be some repercussions in case the sun rises over the galactic disk. Possible increase in comets and meteors are foretold but all these might turn out to be completely fake. Radiation and cosmic rays are another aspects that we may have to be afraid of. There’s an increased risk of comets being hurled towards earth because of the gravitational forces present on earth. The gravitational communication between objects and the densest part of the Milky Way may cause these objects to be thrown towards earth.

Mayan astronomy and mythology forecasts a dark rift feature lies along the galactic equator and this is the place where the sun will reside in 2012. Therefore, a huge cross will be formed comprising of the Milky Way and the ecliptic line between the Sagittarius and Scorpio constellations. The Mayans called this cross the sacred tree or the crossroads. The Mayans anticipated an event will occur on earth in 2012. Their astrology attests this because of the holy tree formation that appears in the stars in this year. This area that forms the sacred cross is commonly called the nuclear bulge among astronomers. The center of the Milky Way or the nuclear bulge is detectable by the bare eye from earth. It’s the widest and the brightest area of the entire Milky Way. The alignment that will happen in 2012 is the alignment between the December sun and the Galactic center.

Today, the spiritual field is littered with half-baked truths, crackpot facts, unthought-out meanings and downright lies. For the truth to appear clearly and distinctly amid the hub-bub is a tall order. Perhaps it is best announced quietly, strongly and in a regular voice to distinguish it from spirituality dressed up as business, spiritual liberation presented as the object of individual desire or a relationship to the Infinite reframed and interpreted as happy marriages.

It has, and probably always will, take a great deal of courage, persistence and hard work to arrive in the place where you are not. Seeking the truth without becoming attached to the search itself is a humbling task. As ego-forces worm their way in, truth-seekers guided, misguided and left alone to make of their spiritual paths anything they want them to be may easily flounder.

Some basis of spiritual fact may be useful if you are, or are thinking of, making the spiritual your priority. It is, as I explained to a client the other day, like the advice I once heard from a singing teacher: “If you cannot reach the note, aim to hit the note above it!” This works. And it is analogous to spirituality in the contemporary world. If you are not happy and fulfilled in your relationship, career, finances, recreation, lifestyle, search for meaning and purpose, reach higher. The spiritual world is the higher one and, if you truly reach it, it will rain down upon you a transcendent rain that will turn everything in your life figuratively into gold – the golden treasure of life: all things will be given to you, all help, all experiences, all teachings, all the happiness that you need, desire or could dream of… the only thing is – and please hear this – you cannot do it for that reason.

Why do it then? you say. You do it, because the spiritual path is the way to YOU.

So, here is my encouragement. When you are looking for a way, that is a teacher, a teaching, a method, a meditation or what have you, to further your spiritul journey, please remember this: be discriminating. Think about what you hear, consider how you feel, put your genuine-ness meter on full-time. Do not accept anything on face value, mull over it, ask questions and see if it makes sense, because so much in this field doesn’t and so many so-called teachers when challenged falter and fall.

I know this first hand. When I was writing my book The Flight of Consciousness, my editor, a tough, spiritually cynical Californian who had heard it all before, one day shouted at me, “Richard, you’re not preaching to the converted now! This is not one of your workshops where everyone nods! When you write, you have got to tell people why it is true – you have to justify your statements!” He wasn’t a spiritual teacher, but he taught me to want to learn to write.