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The Article linked above is about children in Ghana, Africa getting poisoned by chemicals that are in the electronic waste fields there. Its very informative and horrifying that we are one of the three largest contributors to these waste fields.

This article is especially disturbing considering I am a heavy user of computer components. There has got to be a better way to deal with this waste.

http://www.basel.int/TheConvention/MediaResources/NewsFeatures/EwasteattheITUGreenStandardsWeek/tabid/3348/Default.aspx I researched more on the Basel Convention and found out there was a conference this last week on E- Waste. It will be good to see what the more recent regulations and how to enforce them was discussed this week.

This site tells about some chemicals used to control poison parsnip as well as some general information about the site.

This site informs people of the potential harm this plant (Poison Parsnip) can cause when exposed to sunlight, and the cautionary measures people can take to avoid direct contact with this plant.

SPECIES CHARACTER Description The thick taproot of the wild parsnip is long, conic, and fleshy. Branching from the fleshy root is the light green, hollow, deeply-grooved stem that stands erect at 2-5 feet (0.6-1.5 meters) tall. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, and branched with saw-toothed edges. Another site describing chemicals that are used to control poison parsnip. The common chemicals are 2, 4-D and Round UP, which could be interesting to test on the seeds.

I used this site for research on the concept of solarization, to consider the possibility of it effecting poison parsnip seeds, so that they could possibly be made ineffective by destruction using heat. This site discusses the effects solarization can have on soilborne pathogens, weeds, beneficial microbes, and plant nutrients. Many people seeking to rid their gardens or certain areas of weeds or invasive species choose to use this technique, as it is better for the soil, doesn't leave residual chemicals in the soil, and solarization actually helps the soil become more fertile and accommodating, so that beneficial microbes can repopulate quicker, and the nutrients the soil yields are better. The site also gives people a general idea of how long this process (solarization) can take, and how to carry it out: moisturized soil is cleared of debris, a tarp placed on top of the soil in a time of year where temperatures can superheat the soil, and then left for around 2-4 weeks to kill all plant life and bacteria/pathogens under the tarp, so the soil is left fertile. This technique reminds me of how farmers used to burn their crops to ensure more fertile soil and the plants growing back healthier. It shares the same idea, but unlike with fire, this technique doesn't damage the soil and takes less time for the plant life to recover. This is an interesting idea, and I had heard of solarization before I began studying it, but I never understood exactly what it was good for. I will be able to use this site, if only to study the effects of solarization and possibly draw a connection to poison parsnip. This is a reliable education site, and it will be helpful for something to consider while I write my experimental procedure and begin my experiment.

This site details the poison parsnip growth process and the effects it can have on skin afflicted by it under sunlight. It also discusses the invasiveness of the species.