Mothballs

I have been increasingly concerned about mothballs in the homes of loved ones. I need to find a way to lovingly and firmly convince people that, if a home reeks of mothballs, the residents of that home are slowly being poisoned.

I have only just started my research on this topic, so I don't have much to go on yet.

Here is a brief overview, but I need to find some scientific studies to back up this information.

If anyone has any information, please post here or feel free to contact me. I am mostly interested in how inhalation of mothball fumes may simulate symptoms of dementia in elderly humans.

Pollinator Pathway

A gardening friend told me about a project for which her niece has won an award. It's the Pollinator Pathway project in Seattle and here is some information from the website:

What is the Pollinator Pathway?

Pollinating insects are in crisis, with populations plummeting across the U.S. The work that these tiny animals do to sustain plants and food crops– usually working out-of-sight and out-of-mind– is critical to not just their survival but our own.

The Pollinator Pathway is a plan being developed by artist and ecological designer Sarah Bergmann to provide a model of support to the foundation of the food web. With a mile-long series of gardens in planting strips along Seattle’s Columbia Street, the project establishes a corridor between the two green spaces bookending the project-Seattle University’s campus at 12th, and Nora’s Woods at 29th.

The project is also getting a lot of attention from the press. Here is an entry on National Public Radio's food blog that interviews scientists about the effectiveness of Pollinator Pathway's plan to convert small parking strips all over the city into gardens.

The main idea is to plant small islands of native plants everywhere possible in order to create tiny sanctuaries for native insects that help pollinate our food crops.

The conclusion: It helps!!!