Daniel Salzler No. 1071
EnviroInsight.org 6 Items October 9, 2020
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1. Atmospheric Water, Part 2: From Wild West to New Frontier. Tuesday, October 20 at 2 pm ET/ 1 pm CT
Join your peers in a unique educational event, presented by the SGC Water Group, comprised of Storm Water Solutions (SWS), Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Industrial Water & Wastes Digest (iWWD), and Water Quality Products (WQP), in partnership with Global Water Works.
About the Webinar:
Up until just recently, atmospheric water solutions were primarily available in the tropics, where relative humidity levels are high and water can be condensed in much the same way it is captured through a dehumidifier or air-conditioner. Atmoswater Research founder and Principal, Roland Wahlgren, will trace the history of water-from-air from 1900 to the present.
The 2020 Water Quality Products Industry Icon, Frank Brigano, will look at implications on water quality due to the unique sourcing model (separate from existing pipes/ infrastructure), and Tom Palkon, Executive Director of ASSE International, will explain the role standards will soon have in demystifying water quality, energy efficiency and value of AWG systems.
Key Take-Aways:
- Extreme weather events, crumbling infrastructure and emerging contaminants are impacting water quality and placing new demands on our utilities and water systems
- Atmospheric water generation (AWG) is maturing and could soon prove to be an essential compliment to existing water resources.
- Applications in the tropics and for disaster relief have demonstrated the value of this technology. Similar to the solar energy sector, innovation is accelerating and will soon enable scalable solutions to be present even in the desert
To register for this FREE webcast, on to https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=2029420215966655&REFERRER=EMAIL
2. Moringa Tree: Information requested by a Watershed Info subscriber. Growing the Moringa tree in Arizona can be accomplished by doing the following: Mix top soil pile with 1-2 shovelfuls of manure and put back in hole, then put remaining pile of dirt back into hole. It is best if dirt is somewhat mounded so that water cannot pool around trunk of tree. Moringa will die if it remains flooded for too long.
The Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 and 10. Since minimum winter temperatures in zone 9 can be as low 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, occasional, short-lived frost might develop in this region. The tree can withstand a brief period of sub-freezing temperature, but benefits from planting in a site that is relatively warm and protected, such as near the south- or west-facing wall of a building. You could also plant the horseradish tree near the top of a sloping area, where cold winter air can drain away to the lower portion of the slope.
When saplings reach .5 meter (20″), remove weakest carefully so that roots of remaining tree are not damaged. Extra saplings can be transplanted to any empty holes. Keep area around saplings free of weeds.
Moringa grows very quickly and so must be pruned aggressively in the first year to encourage lateral growth and increased production, as well as ease of harvesting.
- When tree reaches a height of 1 meter (3.25′) cut to height of .5 meter (20″).
- When tree reaches a height of 1.5 meters (5′) cut to height of 1 meter (3.25′).
- When tree reaches a height of 2 meters (6.5′) cut to height of 1.5 meter (5′).
- When tree reaches a height of 2.5 (8′) meters cut to height of 2 meters (6.5′).
- Flowers will appear around 4-9 months.
- Seed pods will mature at around 12 months.
- When harvesting leaves or seed pods prune trees to height of 2 meters (6.5′).
The light-colored, earthy-tasting powder is derived from the leaves and seed pods of Moringa oleifera, a tree that’s native to India but also grows in Asia, Africa, and South America, and is sometimes referred to as the drumstick tree, miracle tree, horseradish tree, or ben oil tree, according to a review published in March 2014 in the journal Phytotherapy Research.
The same review noted that the plant contains a number of important compounds, including beta-carotene, quercetin, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), one 10-gram (g) serving of Moringa powder offers 150 milligrams (mg) of calcium (15 percent of the daily value, or DV), 2 mg of iron (11.11 percent DV), and 160 mg of potassium (3.4 percent DV). There’s some protein in there too, which is exciting because generally leaves are mostly carbohydrates,” Hultin says. (One 10-g serving of Moringa powder offers 3 g of protein.)
Because fresh moringa is tough to get in the United States, many people are turning to the powdered form, Hultin says, and research suggests the powdered version may offer health benefits as well. (More on that research next.)
Moringa has medicinal properties and contains many healthful compounds.
Moringa contains many healthful compounds such as:
vitamin A vitamin B1 (thiamine) B2 (riboflavin) B3 (niacin), B-6
folate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) calcium potassium iron
magnesium phosphorus zinc
It is also extremely low in fats and contains no harmful cholesterol.
Yet while there is some research to support the benefits of moringa powder, a lot of the evidence is based on animal studies; the studies that have been done on humans are pretty small. “This doesn’t mean they’re not valid, it’s just hard to make general recommendations,” Hultin warns.
Research shows moringa powder may be beneficial for raising antioxidant levels in post-menopausal women, whose antioxidant enzyme systems are affected due to lower estrogen levels. In one study published in November 2014 in Journal of Food Science and Technology, post-menopausal women who supplemented daily with 7 g of moringa powder saw a significant increase in blood antioxidant levels, as well as a 16.3 percent decrease in malondialdehyde (a marker of oxidative stress) after three months. Those changes may signal improvements in health outcomes, but more studies are needed to know for sure. In addition to supplying a hefty amount of antioxidants, moringa powder may help lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and improve heart function.
“The anti-inflammatory effect of moringa is the big news because we know that out-of-control inflammation is the hallmark of most kinds of diseases,” Foroutan says. According to an article published in November 2012 in the Journal EMBO Reports, inflammation has been linked with a wide range of chronic diseases, from different types of cancer to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to heart disease.
RELATED: What Are Adaptogens, and Should You Add Them to Your Diet?
In a study published in the March–April 2014 issue of Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, for example, researchers found that treating rats with Moringa extract for five days was an effective treatment for colon inflammation, such as that experienced with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Further research is needed to determine if it will be effective in humans, though.
The research on blood sugar appears more promising. In a study in the Journal Bioscan, people with type 2 diabetes who supplemented daily with 8g of Moringa powder saw a 28 percent decrease in decrease in fasting blood glucose and 26 percent decrease in post-meal blood glucose average after 40 days. Meanwhile, the aforementioned study in the Journal of Food Science and Technology revealed that post-menopausal women who took 7 g of Moringa powder every day for three months lowered their blood sugar by an average of 13.5 percent.
An older study of International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that taking 50 g of Moringa powder with a single meal decreased blood sugar levels by 21 percent.
In addition, Moringa contains a plant compound known as terpenoids. “Terpenoids from Moringa have been found to help the pancreas secrete more insulin, which can be really helpful for people with diabetes,” Foroutan says. According to a review published in 2014 in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, researchers believe the terpenoids in Moringa play a role in stimulating B cells, which triggers insulin production.
Furthermore, a study published in February 2016 in the American Journal of Hypertension revealed that supplementing with 750 mg of moringa seed powder every day for eight weeks improved cardiac diastolic function (the stiffening and relaxation of your ventricles) in hypertensive rats. Though the powder didn’t lower blood pressure, researchers speculate that it may help prevent heart disease associated with high blood pressure. Again, more studies in humans are needed.
Does Moringa Powder Have Any Safety Concerns to Be Aware Of?
Pregnant or lactating women should avoid moringa powder altogether: “[Moringa powder] has some uterine stimulating effects,” Hultin says, which could cause the uterus to contract when it’s not supposed to. Moringa powder also hasn’t been proven safe for children, so stay on the safe side and keep it away from kids.
Moringa powder is also risky for anyone taking medication to treat diabetes or high blood pressure, or Levothroid (levothyroxine), a hormone that’s commonly used to treat hypothyroidism, Hultin says. If you’re on any medication, check with your healthcare team before trying Moringa.
3. TREE-PLANTING SEASON UNDERWAY – Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Tucson City Council Member Richard Fimbres, Tucson Clean and Beautiful, and several organizations recently kicked off tree-planting season. They celebrated by planting 25 trees and 120 pollinator plants during an event at the Thomas O. Price Service Center, 4004 S. Park Ave., as part of the mayor’s ongoing Tucson Million Trees initiative. If you want to help reach the tree-planting goal, low-cost trees can be obtained from Tucson Electric Power, Trees for Tucson, Trico Energy Cooperative, and Desert Survivors.
Tucson Clean & Beautiful/Trees for Tucson
Trico Electric Cooperative
Desert Survivors
How to plant a tree video
4. Judge orders Arizona to extend voter registration to Oct. 23. Deadline had been set for midnight Monday Voters in Arizona will have almost another three weeks for sign up to cast ballots after a federal judge ordered the state to push back a registration deadline that was set for Monday at midnight, citing the difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, voters will have until 5 p.m. on October 23 to sign up to cast ballots in the November 3 election. The first wave of Arizona’s early ballots will be mailed out this Wednesday, to voters who have already requested them.
U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan found in favor of Mi Familia Vota and the Arizona Coalition for Change, two activist groups that have worked to register new voters, in ruling that the coronavirus outbreak has caused a “severe burden” to signing up people to the voting rolls.
Citing the “loss of possibly tens of thousands of voter registrations,” Logan ordered state officials to keep voter registration open for another three weeks.
The judge ruled that “voter confusion will be minimal,” because “voters who are already registered will not need to bother with the new deadline, and those voters that were unable to register before October 5, 2020 now have extra time.”
Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, an elected Democrat, said Monday that she would not appeal the decision, despite having argued in court in favor of upholding the statutory deadline.
“With the general election less than a month away, Arizonans deserve a quick resolution to this matter,” Hobbs said. “Providing clarity is more important than pursuing this litigation.”
Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing against moving the date, and two GOP organizations — the Republican National Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee — filed to intervene in the case to argue against extending the deadline to sign up voters.
“This is a huge victory for democracy,” says Flavio Bravo of Mi Familia Vota. “With this court-ordered relief, thousands of more voters will be able to register to vote in the midst of this pandemic and will be able to participate in the November 2020 election.”
The groups argued that because of the stay-at-home orders issued this spring by Ducey, they were prevented from effectively signing up new voters, because in-person contacts were so limited.”I urge anyone who still needs to register to vote or update their registration to do so as soon as possible. Do not wait,” Hobbs said.
5. Agua Fria Watershed Protection Plan for Dugas Solar Site. The project proposes to develop approximately 6,000 acres of vacant land as a large scale solar power plant. The solar power plant is expected to generate approximately 500 Megawatts of power for Yavapai County and the surrounding area.
When complete, this solar power plant may provide power equivalent to that of approximately 100,000 homes. This project is abreath of fresh air for Arizonans who want to encourage sustainable and renewable energy. The subject property is located approximately three miles north of the Interstate 17 and Highway 69 interchange.
6. October 12th Columbus Day. A day loved by some and hated by others. Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492, and Columbus Day 2020 is on Monday, October 12. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century, but did not become a federal holiday until 1937. For many, the holiday is a way of both honoring Columbus’ achievements and celebrating Italian-American heritage. But throughout its history, Columbus Day and the man who inspired it have generated controversy, and many alternatives to the holiday have proposed since the 1970s including Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August 1492, bound for Asia with backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella aboard the ships the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.
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