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Ôrono Weekly Times, Wednesday, September 6, 1989-7 Back at school on Tuesday The older students arorenew- about the past summer ac- in a new school year. There was ing old friendship and of course tivities but still with an interest much to catch-up on. the topic of conversation is all Christian Comer . .. by Rev. Marg West God is a good God, He does not a * so re i ect thee, that thou shall be want us ignorant of His word. If He 1,0 priest to me: seeing thou has does not want us ignorant of His forgotten the law of thy God, I will word, He must want us to unders- also forget thy children." tand what he's saying -, 'right'? This verse is referring to people Well then how do we get to know who once knew God and have turn- what His word says and understand cd away from serving Him. We see j t 9 that as well as rejecting us God will First off we must be His child, also reject our children. (born again by faith believing in His Reject: refuse to accept, to son, Jesus Christ). throw away, to discard. Now in the natural (because the Now no one in their right mind Christian walk is a spiritual walk) wants to have their children rejected when we have family business, to" by God. In James 1:5 God tells us deal with we deal with it in the fami- "if an V lack wisdom, let him ask ly. We don't call a meeting and in- God that giveth to all men liberally vite all the neighbours in to discuss and upbraideth not (reproacheth) family business. That's why unsat'- and it shall be given him. ed people don't understand us or ' Then when we have received the the word of God, because His talk- wisdom we need we can repeat and ing to the family, His family. Un- get back in right standing with our fortunately even some Christian heavenly Father, don't understand the word of God Mark 1:15 says, "The time is and what-,He is saying to them. fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God In Hosea 4:6 it tell us "My people is a t hand, repent ye and belie the are destroyed for lack of gospel." knowledge, because thou has't re- Comments or questions jected knowledge (or God), 1 shall Box 179, Orono Biodegradable garbage is complicated issue: By Pippa B. Wysong When a plastic package announces that it is biodegradable, don't believe it--there is no such thing as a truly biodegradable plastic, says a federal government scientist. Plastics expert Dr. David Wiles, director of chemistry at the National Research Council, says ' e best thing to do with plastics is recycle them. "There's a lot of mythology floating around and it's very hard for people who don't have the facts to get them," Wiles says. He is trying to set the record straight. He says that when a substance biodegrades, it is due to activity by micro-organisms--mostly fungi^- which excrete enzymes that go after carbon atoms. When the fungi break the carbon atoms off materials, such as paper or food wastes, these materials biodegrade. However, the micro-organisms can't biodegrade, plastics because the carbon atoms are too difficult for them to break off. Wiles says this is just as well, since we use plastic containers for food. Milk, for example, comes in polyethylene jugs and bags which are "totally inert microbiologically," Wiles says. If they weren't, we'd be eating and drinking plastic. Conditions have to be just right , for the micro-organisms to do their thing, Wiles says. "They thrive in ■ warm, moist, dark conditions"-- conditions not found in dump sites wherç plastics, food waste and other garbage end up. "In a sanitary landfill nothing biodegrades, whether or not it's biodegradable ... the conditions are not right. It's too dry, too cold," he says. "Ordinary biodegradable things, like waste foodstuffs, which you thought were neatly biodegrading away after you threw them out, are not doing that." Since nothing biodegrades in the dumps, it is practically useless to dump biodegradable or compostable compostable products in landfill dump- sites, Wiles says. An example are environmentally friendly garbage bags--some of which may not be that environmentally friendly to start with. "When someone brings me a package containing garbage bags that says 'these are 94 per cent biodegradable' and asks me if this is correct, I have to say no," Wiles says. The bags are made from about 94 per cent polyethylene (a plastic) and 6 per cent cornstarch. Wiles says the starch will biodegrade "under the right conditions, warm, moist and lots of oxygen," but the plastic doesn't. "You are left with a weaker than normal polyethylene bag," he says. When the cornstarch biodegrades, what remains is a plastic bag that is full of "pinholes" where the starch was. Bags that are.advertised as being compostable are better. Wiles estimates that they have about 50 per cent starch in them. In a compost compost heap where conditions are friendly to micro-organisms, "the starch will biodegrade leaving particles particles of polyethylene behind." The other option is plastics that "photodegrade" or break apart by being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. Wiles says it's possible to "convert polyethylene into something that will phdtdegrade, but you can't convert it to som- thing that will biodegrade." However, he notes that in a dumpsite light can't get to photodegradable plastics because "the stuff is covered over every day." Thin sheets of photodegradable . plastic are used in agriculture. Farmers can lay them between rows of vegetables to help keep the soil warm and moist, and discourage weeds. "When the stuff boeaks down at the end of the growing season, you simply plow it under* ' says Wiles. Plastic that photodegrades breaks down into small dust-sized particles that mix in with the soil, he adds. (Canadian Science News) Minister appointed for maternal health care The Ministry of Health has appointed appointed Nancy Shosenberg, an instructor instructor at Durham College in Oshawa, as its co-ordinator of maternal and newborn care, Health Minister Elinor Caplan announced today. Mrs: Shosenberg, who is being seconded from the college's department department of health sciences, will be responsible for policy development and co-ordinating the management of maternal and newborn care services services in the province. She will be assisted by an advisory advisory committee to be chosen soon from health professionals and members of the public. Throughput much of her career, Mrs. Shosenberg has specialized in the care of premature infants. She was a nurse in the neonatal intensive intensive care unit at the Hospital For • Sick Children for two years, lectured lectured in that area for 10 years at George Brown College in Toronto, and has written a number of books and articles on premature infants. As maternal and newborn coordinator, coordinator, Mrs. Shosenberg will be most immediately involved in mobilizing expert teams of health professionals to assess and identify areas within 1 (he perinatal system that require increased support. The teams will visit perinatal facilities in all regions of the province. "I'm pleased that such an expert in this area will be-able to provide greater attention to the full range of perinatal services in the province, as well as 1 developing new initiatives," Mrs. Caplan said. Mrs. Shosenberg, a Kingston native, graduated as a registered nurse from the Nightihgale School of Nursing in 1968 and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Queen's University the following year. • In 1984, she achieved a Master of Health Science (Specialty in Health Promotion) at the University of Toronto. At various times during her 10 years at George Brown College, Mrs. Shosenberg taught nursing, was a consultant on the reproductive reproductive care nursing program, and helped to develop a post diploma program in high-risk maternal nursing. nursing. Shê also worked as a research nurse in the department of infant studies at the University of Torqnto from 1979 to 1982. Mrs. Shosenberg headed the organization of two conferences - one on high-risk infants in 1982 and another on current issues in parent- (Continued page 10) STEEVES' C>A FT > AUTO SUPPLY A complete line of AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR and SUPPLY PARTS for Domestic & Import Cars OLD KENDAL STORE » c °UEcn» ttS 216 King St. E. NEWCASTLE 983-9875 987-1657 Custom Designed SILK and DRY FLOWERS . 987-1658 SMALL FURNITURE • WREATHS Monday - Friday 8:00 - 6:00 Also In Stock Saturday 8:00 -1:00 * Folk Art Products Lewiscfaft Products Smart DARLENE and STEVE CHILDS EASTS MILL STREET, KENDAL 983-9875 # Affordable Dream Vacations! « Free Vacation Planning Services • Discount Cruises 1 • Charter Vacations « Airline Tickets • Honeymoon Packages • Hotel .and Car Reservations 'PERSONAL & CORPORATE TRAVEL SERVICES Travel Agents International We're with you all the Way • 68 KING ST. E., BOWMANVILLE Over 300 Agencies in North America 623-6600