1) Unleaded Petrol 2) Fungus Gnat Maggots 3) Sterile Sundew Hybrids

Nigel Hurneyman (NHurneyman@softwar1.demon.co.uk)
Fri, 30 Aug 1996 15:47:42 +-100

The remit to reduce brain-damaging lead in petrol and reduce ozone
zapping gases seems to have been handled differently in different
countries. In the UK, the incumbent (income-bent?) government, which
receives political donations from the largest platinum producers, specified
the technology to be used ie unleaded petrol and catalytic converters. These
produce much greater amounts of benzene derivatives in the exhaust fumes,
which are probably responsible for our asthma epidemic and are known
carcinogens. Other countries, which have tackled the problem by
specifying exhaust emission requirements, have shown much more
initiative in experimenting with eg ultra-lean-burn, sugar beet, rape seed
oil, LPG and electricity. (Political flame-mails to me privately please.)

Anyone who has seen a fungus gnat maggot chew through a perfectly healthy
pygmy sundew leaf, or the stalk of a newly-germinated seedling, would not
dismiss them as harmless. However, it is good to see revenge in action -
Byblis Gigantea particularly seems to be like a magnet to the adult flies.

Although I have never seen it formally documented anywhere, it seems to
be a good rule of thumb that pygmy Drosera which produce seed are not
hybrids. I asked for any exceptions to be reported to me in the UK CPS
newsletter. If anyone in this group knows of any exceptions, please let
me know.

Thanks, NigelH