Page.·6 RAIN Aug: /Sept: 1980 "The Spiderwort Strategy" (poster), 1980, $2.00 from: Friends P.O. Box663 East Quogue, Long Island, NY 11942 U.S. EPA Environmental Research Center . Research Triangle Park, N 27711 91~/541-4577 Like a modern-day version of the coalminer's canary, the spiderwort is becoming the flower of the anti-nuclear movement. Researchers at the EPA's Health Effects Research Laboratory are experimenting with a hybrid Tradescantia, the spiderwort plant that commonly grows wild in certain parts of the country. Tradescantia looks. like a normal houseplant with long, grassy leaves; waxy, knobby stems; and tiny bluish-lavender flowers. The experimental strain of Tradescantia is a cross between a blue-flowering and a pink-flowering spiderwort, with blue being the dominant color. In the presence of mutagenic substances a change occurs in the gene that determines the color of the stamen hair cells of the flower, causing the recessive color-pink-to appear 5 to 17 days after exposure. This change is visible with a low-power microscope. The flower petals themselves do not visibly change • color, though pink spots hav'-been seen on some flowers in Japan. Accoraing t'J the poster, This process indicates a frequency of mutation which is used as statistical data to graphically challenge the myth of "acceptable standards." ... The Spiderworts will show in a short time what - would take years to appea,:- in the af- • fected population. The poster people poi~t out, though, that "for the strategy to work it requires many plants 'encircling the site' to collect enough data to then make conclusions about radiation in the environment." To speed up the-lengthy examination of the flowers under a microscope, the EPA researchers are trying to automate the process; they are also studying the pollution-detecting abilities of Arabidopsis ( of the mustard plant family), barley, and corn. Eventually they hope to develop "a battery of mutagen-sensitive bioassays, including plants, for monitorix,.g environmental quality," with a variety of test systems to detect different chemicals. The spiderwort poster is both eye-pleasing and informative. It includes a listing of the Spiderwort Strategy nuclear site monitoring projects going on in North America. These projects are totally dependent on community support, so purchasing the poster helps to finance the monitoring as well as to spread the word. One final note: Since the spiderwort used in monitoring is a non-seed bearing hybrid (propagated by root divisions and cuttings only), do not be taken in by the advertisements of fast-buck companies for ' spiderwort seeds, "Nuclear Plants," or "Geigercounter flowers." -MR Nukebuster, from: Solar Electronics 56 Drakes Lane Summertown, TN 38483 Three Mile Island made the danger of depending upon "assurances" of utility and government officials quite clear. It also made people understand the psychological nightmares of dealing with invisible clouds of death released by nuclear accidents. One wise alternative for individuals, neighbor- •hoods and communities is to have their own independent radiation monitoring systems, evacuation alerts and procedures. The anti-nuclear activists at The Farm in Tennessee have made available a profitable 12•vokalpha, beta, gamma and X-ray detector, with AC and battery adaptors .available, which can form the base for such independent community survival systems. Prices for various options run from $200 to $300. - Tom Bender Volca,:,icAshfall, 1980, free from: Federal Emergency Management Agency RegionX Fed~ral Regional Center Bothell, WA 98011 Some of you who only have to put up with ordinary, run-of-the-mill natural disasters like droughts and blizzards and tornadoes may be curious about how we in the Pacific Northwest deal with Ma St. Helen's volcanic eruptions. The feds managed to get this little pamphlet into every mailbox for hundreds of miles. It explains what volcanic ash is, how to prepare for it, what to do during an ashfall, and ways to protect your home, car, kids and pets (in that order). Most of it seems pretty sensible, but there are a few gems. For example: • Don't panic. Stay calm. • You may eat vegetables from the garden, but wash them off first. The grit is . harmless. Don't believe everything you read. - MR C SOLAR ) Solar Law Reporter, bi-monthly, $15.00/ yr. from: Superintendent of Documents U.S. Govt. Printing Office Washington,DC 20402 Suppose you or your organization erects the first wind generator in town. Does the local height ordinance for buildings apply to your tower? What rights do you have if the neighbors complain to the city council that you are erecting an "eyesore"? Knowing what other people in other places have done in your situation could be very helpful, and that's why you should know about the Solar Law Reporter. Each issue of this SERI publication provides 200 solid pages of information of interest to anyone (not just lawyers) concerned with legal barriers or incentives to renewable energy development. Included are abstracts of recent federal and state legi~lation, solar news items from around the country, and articles on such topics as solar zoning restrictions I product liability for wind machine manufacturers, legal aspects of biomass energy conversion, and implementation of sola·r financial incentives. The Reporter is a potentially valuable tool for the solar activist, businessperson, or homeowner. - JF Solar Energy and Jobs (Report No. 49), July 1980, 11 pp., $1.25 prepaid from: Citizens' Energy Project 1110 Sixth Street N.W., Suite 300 Washington, DC 20001 This just in: Solar doesn't create jobs. Not by itself, anyway. Sure, there's lots of potential for solarrelated employment. But Ken Bossong's latest eye-opener shows that the present directi'on of solar commercialization will only serve to frustrate the promise of solar jobs.
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