Chewing gum loses its flavor in Mexico

MEXICO CITY -- The country that gave the world chewing gum is getting gummed up: The average square yard of Mexico City sidewalk has 70 blobs of discarded chew.

Mexico largely forgot its natural, biodegradable gum base and wholeheartedly adopted U.S. synthetic gum. Mexicans now chew an average of 2.6 pounds (1.2 kilograms) of gum each year, half what the average American chews but still among the highest rates in Latin America. A lot of that winds up on the street."It's nothing to get too upset about if it happens," Desai said. "But we shouldn't make a habit of it."Modern chewing gum was born in the 1860s when Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna brought some Mexican chicle to U.S. inventor Thomas Adams, who first experimented with it as a possible rubber substitute but later added flavorings and sold it as a treat.Not so fast, says Dr. Nick Desai, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. He said swallowing gum isn't a good idea. It usually passes through the digestive system, but can ball up with other objects and cause an intestinal blockage.Now Mexico is responding with innovations ranging from expensive sidewalk steam-cleaners to natural chewing gum that breaks down quickly. It's even telling its citizens (gulp!) to swallow their gum.Jaral has purchased 10 German-designed machines that treat sidewalks with steam and chemicals, and plans a large-scale cleanup starting Feb. 1. He is also looking to launch a public-awareness campaign.But Jaral notes that marketing campaigns by top brands will make it hard for chicle to compete. And in any case, only about 300 tons of chicle are produced annually, a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of tons that would be needed to supply even Mexico's domestic market."It's a major, major problem for malls, schools, any kind of public facility," said Rid-a-Gum owner Jack Hurley.Jaral shrugged off such concerns Wednesday: "I've always swallowed my gum, and it's never done me any harm."Of course, gobs of discarded gum are a problem around the world. Singapore once famously banned chewing gum outright to save its sidewalks, and still requires chewers to register at the pharmacy. The Rid-a-Gum company of Staten Island, New York, sells about 200 of its $3,500 cleaning machines a year."People just spit their gum out right on the sidewalk," marveled Paula Moran, a 32-year-old secretary. "It's ugly, and it's even worse when you step on it -- especially when it's still warm."Some say the solution may lie in the past, with Mexico's natural chicle producers.The general in the war on discarded chewing gum is Ricardo Jaral, Mexico City's director for conservation of public spaces. He bemoans the blackened gobs that mar the newly restored 700-year-old downtown area, whose rough, porous paving stones serve as stubborn gum traps.Plus, Aldrete notes, the "environmentally conscious consumers" who buy organic gum probably aren't the same people spitting their chews onto the sidewalk."When you finish chewing a piece of gum, you either have to put in a piece of paper and deposit it in a trash receptacle, or swallow it," Jaral said."They're the kind who are probably going to find a garbage can and deposit it in the one labeled 'organic waste,"' he said.In the jungles of southern Mexico, Manuel Aldrete's cooperative of chicle harvesters is about to launch a line of organic chewing gums. He says his product breaks down far more quickly on park benches, streets and sidewalks.The sticky problem involves the long-lasting, synthetic chewing gum base used since the 1940s to replace the latex-like chicle resin that ancient Mayans had long collected from the Sapodilla tree. The Mayans chewed unflavored chicle to clean their teeth.

"They're the kind who are probably going to find a garbage can and deposit it in the one labeled 'organic waste,"' he said.

Trends to watch in '09

NAPLES, N.Y. -- Food and beverages with beauty benefits, detox products and highly concentrated household cleaners are just a few of the trends to watch in consumer packaged goods this year, according to a new report from the market research firm Datamonitor.

Recent detox launches include Function Urban Detox goji berry drink and Biore Detoxify daily scrub in the U.S. and V Water detox vitamin water in the United Kingdom.Church & Dwight Co., for instance, is offering Arm & Hammer Essentials, a line of cleaning products that comprises a glass cleaner as well as a multi-surface cleaner that includes an empty 32-ounce trigger sprayer bottle sold with attached 1.2-ounce bottles of liquid concentrate to be mixed with water.Though the trend is very much in its infancy, Vierhile notes that signs of the product segment becoming more mainstream are starting to emerge.Closely related to this, Vierhile says, is the growing trend away from energy drinks and toward beverages that provide a more relaxing effect as well as toward detoxification formulas.In addition, Datamonitor's Product Launch Analytics report says relaxing drinks, the zero-calorie artificial sweetener Stevia, flower-based products, steam cooking, including nuts and seeds as part of a healthy diet, and anything marketed as eco-friendly will make significant inroads this year.Signs of this trend are already appearing, the report notes, with such products as Drank relaxation energy beverage and Purple Stuff pro-relaxation and calming elixir already being marketed in the United States, while similar products--Nescafe Body Partner relaxation coffee in the Philippines and Lotte Relax Gum in Japan--have appeared elsewhere in the world.As consumers strive for better health, products that provide detoxification are also on the rise, Datamonitor says. Some food-based detox products use such liver-friendly ingredients as dandelion root as active ingredients, but regardless of the science behind the trend, consumers are paying attention as a growing array of celebrities from singer Beyonce to talk show host Oprah Winfrey tout the benefits of detox diets.Beauty care is quickly moving beyond just cosmetics into a whole new area of products that can be ingested, notes Datamonitor director Tom Vierhile.Nestle, for instance, recently launched Glowelle beauty drink supplement powder in the United States, while Masterfoods is offering Dove Beautiful milk chocolate, a candy bar that has such skin-nourishing ingredients as vitamins C and E along with biotin, zinc and cocoa flavanols.Meanwhile, soaring oil prices in 2008 caused companies to conclude that transporting water is expensive and it is cheaper to have consumers add their own water when possible. As a result a number of suppliers of household cleaners have begun marketing highly concentrated formulas that are then mixed with water to make a larger quantity of cleaner.A number of high-profile suppliers, including Nestle SA and Masterfoods, are getting ready to market specially formulated foods and drinks that combat aging and nourish skin.

Church & Dwight Co., for instance, is offering Arm & Hammer Essentials, a line of cleaning products that comprises a glass cleaner as well as a multi-surface cleaner that includes an empty 32-ounce trigger sprayer bottle sold with attached 1.2-ounce bottles of liquid concentrate to be mixed with water.

Super filters stop sand

M17A3

* Air filter, NSN 2940-01-529-8953* Inlet cap, NSN 4730-00-485-5055Then rinse the filter from the inside out with low-pressure water. Shake off excess water and let the filter air dry. Never use compressed air, an open flame or a dryer. They damage the filter.To clean both filters, tap the filter element with your hand to knock dirt loose. Gently brush out the dirt with the soft bristle brush in your tool kit. Never use gas, caustic solvents, strong detergents, high-pressure water, or steam on the element. They damage the filter.A/E32U-8* Outlet cap, NSN 4730-00-929-0791When the filter is dry, re-oil it with K&N air filter oil, which is also part of the cleaning kit. Put one pass of oil along the bottom and top of each of the filter's pleats. Let the oil soak into the filter for 20 minutes. Apply more oil to any filter areas that are still white. Never use any other oils on the filter except in emergencies.* Inlet cap, NSN 4730-00-484-5055

When the filter is dry, re-oil it with K&N air filter oil, which is also part of the cleaning kit. Put one pass of oil along the bottom and top of each of the filter's pleats. Let the oil soak into the filter for 20 minutes. Apply more oil to any filter areas that are still white. Never use any other oils on the filter except in emergencies.

Linde North America's Toledo Plant Receives Responsible Care® Certification

Plant supplies hydrogen for cleaner-burning fuel production

Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group web site at www.linde.comThe Toledo plant joins five other production locations certified in 2008 under the Responsible Care[R] program. Those locations are: Cartersville, Georgia; Kittery, Maine; Nashville, Tennessee; South Bend, Indiana; and Vancouver, Washington. Linde's corporate headquarters in Murray Hill, NJ, also was certified.Responsible Care is a globally recognized management system aimed at helping companies improve performance in areas such as safety, health, environment and security. Certification is mandatory for all ACC member companies, which must undergo headquarters and facility audits by an independent, accredited auditor to verify that they have a structure and system in place that manages and measures performance. Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) is Linde's independent auditor.The hydrogen helps both refiners meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for producing cleaner-burning, lower sulfur gasoline and diesel fuels.The Toledo plant, which began operating in 2006, is located at the Sunoco refinery site in Toledo. It supplies up to 120 million standard cubic feet a day of hydrogen to the Sunoco and BP oil refineries for cleaner-burning fuel production. It also supplies high pressure steam to the Sunoco refinery for general use. The Linde plant employs 12 people.The Responsible Care management system offers an integrated, structured approach for driving continual improvement in seven key areas: community awareness and emergency response; security; distribution; employee health and safety; pollution prevention; process safety; and product stewardship.MURRAY HILL, N.J. -- Linde North America has received certification of its Toledo, Ohio, hydrogen plant under the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care[R] program."The Toledo plant is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, which intensifies our responsibilities in terms of safety and the environment," said Bob Flage, operations manager for the plant. "The plant's successful certification shows how committed Linde is to Responsible Care by safely serving our customers and protecting our employees, neighbors and environment."Linde North America is a member of The Linde Group, a world-leading gases and engineering company. The ACC is an association of producers, manufacturers and suppliers of chemical products.Implementing the Responsible Care system is a multi-step process. Companies must first plan - identify, assess and evaluate potential hazards and risks associated with their products, processes and operations - and establish goals and objectives to address any significant hazards or risks. Next, they must do what they have planned, checking their progress along the way to measure performance and take necessary corrective actions. Communicating with employees and other stakeholders, including neighbors and customers, along the way also is essential.The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with more than 50,000 employees working in around 100 countries worldwide. In the 2007 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 12.3 billion (USD 18.7 billion). The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based and sustainable growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.

Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment - in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development. For more information, see The Linde Group web site at www.linde.com

Use leeks for a better shepherd's pie

Dear Martha: I love Irish food. But when I make shepherd's pie, it doesn't taste like I recall. Do you have any suggestions?

Most organic gardeners wash aphids and other insects off plants with a strong stream of water, deter pests with fabrics or fences, time planting and pruning to avoid the emergence of a certain insect and pull weeds by hand instead of using herbicide. Another way to keep a garden free of pests is to collect and discard dropped foliage from plants with a fungal disease. Vigilance is imperative to ensure insect problems are dealt with before they have an opportunity to spread.Dear Martha: Is it possible to remove an ink stain from leather?Answer: First of all, I always use a stainless-steel pan, not a nonstick one, when cooking eggs. Start by heating a pat of butter until it bubbles and coats the bottom of the pan, and then pour in the egg. Making scrambled eggs is like making an omelet, but you have to keep moving the eggs around with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides of the pan from time to time.To prevent spots on a leather surface, apply an anti-stain spray, such as Scotchgard, to the item in the same way you would upholstered furniture. Lightly coat the entire surface; let dry completely.If the spot is on a large or unwieldy piece of furniture that is difficult to take to the cleaners, such as a sofa, you can treat it yourself. Apply a leather-safe stain remover (available at hardware stores) to a white cotton cloth, and blot the stain. If the blemish doesn't disappear, lightly mist it with a renovating spray (available at shoe stores) in the same color as the leather.Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036. Questions may also be sent by e-mail to: mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. (c) 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. Dist. by The New York Times SyndicateAnother key precept is maintaining plant vigor. Plants that are healthy do not require frequent fertilizing, whereas plants growing under stress are easy targets for opportunistic pests, so it's crucial to site a plant properly and to understand its needs. An organic approach also requires an understanding of the importance of contributing natural resources, including water and soil, and taking steps to conserve them, such as preventing soil erosion, collecting rainwater, using natural mulches and disturbing soil as little as possible.If you use enough butter, the eggs won't stick to the bottom, and the cleanup will be very easy. While the pan is still hot, fill it with water, and let it soak for an hour or two.Answer: When I make shepherd's pie, I use lamb instead of beef. It makes a delicious pie. I saute the meat with a little shallot, salt and pepper and maybe some herbs. Leeks are really good with lamb. And I steam carrots separately before I add them to the pie to preserve their flavor and texture.Answer: Ink can be exceptionally difficult to remove from any material, particularly leather. The easiest solution is to take the item to a professional cleaner, who has access to products and chemicals that are not readily available.Dear Martha: What is the best way to clean a pan that has scrambled egg stuck to it?Answer: Organic gardening is more a philosophy of garden maintenance than it is a particular regimen. Success depends upon encouraging healthy plants and soil and creating an environment that welcomes good insects to prey on the bad ones. Practices that upset the natural balance, including using pesticides -- which kill beneficial insects such as bees and lacewings, in addition to the targeted pest -- should be avoided. Nontoxic, plant-derived pesticides don't provide a lasting viable solution to pest problems, either.Dear Martha: I'd like to learn more about organic gardening. Where should I start?

Questions should be addressed to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10036. Questions may also be sent by e-mail to: mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. (c) 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. Dist. by The New York Times Syndicate

Solarbrook Discusses Solar Assisted Steam Generation Technology

Solarbrook Water and Power Corporation
(PINKSHEETS: SLRW), a developer, manufacturer and marketer of water quality
and clean power products, discusses its newest acquisition.

The proprietary Add-o-mizer technology entrains ambient air into water,
providing an air rich mixture of water into our high efficiency steam
producing intake manifold. Steam exits the manifold into a Rotary Steam
Engine which in turn powers dual generators.About Solarbrook Water and Power CorporationFor more information, please visit www.SolarBrook-water.comPower production challenges today are numerous. Major problems include
unstable fossil fuel markets, coupled with dwindling supplies, as well as
concern for emissions. Demands are greater to find solutions for cleaner,
cost efficient, reliable energy. Alternative fuels are costly to produce
and still need to be burned in order to release energy, continuing to
contribute to air pollution.Solarbrook Water and Power Corporation, headquartered in Raleigh, North
Carolina, maintain a core focus of seeking out synergistic acquisitions
that will provide capital appreciation and income for its portfolio
companies. The mission of Solarbrook is to acquire and develop innovative
technologies and businesses that will improve the quality of water
throughout the world by means of detection, treatment and removal of
contaminants. Solarbrook also seeks to provide integrated clean power
alternatives for remote and off-grid systems, further expanding market
potential.The benefits of the recycled steam system include the ability to provide
clean power without fossil fuels, thereby eliminating emissions. This
system is scalable to provide off grid as well as grid supply.Statements regarding financial matters in this press release other than
historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company intends that such statements
about the Company's future expectations, including future revenues and
earnings, and all other forward-looking statements be subject to the safe
harbors created thereby. Since these statements (future operational results
and sales) involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any
time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from expected
results.Clean Power Solutions, Inc. (CPSI), a division of Solarbrook Water and
Power Corporation, has developed new technologies for providing power
generation through innovative steam production and efficient use thereof.
This system utilizes micromanagement of supply and demand controls to
regulate power production on an as needed basis. New battery technology is
used to provide starting power and peak demand offsets.Contact: Solarbrook Water & Power Corporation Investor Relations 919-415-1716 Ext. 1210 investorrelation@solarbrook-water.comThe primary generator is used to provide power based on demand. The
secondary generator is used to power the steam production unit and charge
batteries after initial battery start up. Solar and/or wind provide
supplemental battery charging. Heat exchangers in the exhaust stream can
provide hot water and HVAC heat as well as provide condensation for
recirculation.

Contact: Solarbrook Water & Power Corporation Investor Relations 919-415-1716 Ext. 1210 investorrelation@solarbrook-water.com

Raising a big stink over waste to energy

Critics say process creates pollution, but defenders say it's far cleaner than landfills

"The Europeans have embraced wasteto-energy," he said. "In fact, they are putting waste-to-energy facilities in downtown Paris."When compared to sending waste to landfills, waste-to-energy reduces harmful emissions, said James Stewart, a member of the environmental law practice group at the Roseland law firm of Lowenstein Sandier. "You collect [waste] in trucks, take it in trucks to landfills, use other bulldozers that emit carbon to place it in the landfill and cover it up," he said. "And as it degrades, it creates methane, which emits into the atmosphere."But residents often say they don't want incinerators burning waste in their back yards, and the process has been criticized as contributing to greenhouse-gas emissions a charge called "overstated" by the executive director of Camden County's Pollution Control Financing Authority.Garg's band of waste-to-energy supporters, the Washington, D.C. -based Local Government Coalition for Renewable Energy, is seeking legislative support for the practice in New Jersey and rest of the nation.Still, the potential business opportunity of waste-to-energy is attractive despite the absence of incentives, he said. Energy from waste could be more appealing to investors if it were to be upgraded to a higher category that fetches better rates from regional electricity grids.Waste-to-energy also is "a reliable source of energy, generated at significant volume," Stewart said. "We don't have to worry about political squabbles with foreign countries to disrupt our [fuel] supplies."In the waste-to-energy process, municipal waste is burned at high temperatures in combustion chambers, and the heat is used to generate steam, which drives a turbine to produce electricity, Garg said.E-mail to shankar_p@njbiz.comBut if he's successful getting policy support for wasteto-energy facilities like the one his agency owns, he may well rebrand himself the "Energy Man."But "there are no magic bullets" on renewable energy, said Assemblyman John McKeon (D-South Orange), chair of the state assembly committee on environment and solid waste. Municipal waste is one option, along with solar and wind power, to meet the state's renewable energy goals, he said, but wants more focus on energy conservation.No new waste-to-energy facilities have been built in the United States in the last dozen years, Giordano said, but perceptions are changing, with a facility planned in Florida and one on the drawing board in Maryland.In the Garden State, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset) said waste-to-energy calls for big investment commitments, and "we need the commitment from a policy perspective that this is a viable technology.""In the fall, or late fall, we might do a public hearing without necessarily moving any piece of legislation, so people get comfortable," McKeon said.SUNIL GARG, EXECUTIVE director of the Union County Utilities Authority, in Rahway, calls himself the "Garbage Man of Union County.""We still have this NIMBY situation" regarding the not-in-my-back-yard attitude such facilities face, said Frank Giordano, of the Pennsauken-based authority. His agency handles up to 450,000 tons of waste annually, part of which generates about 23 megawatts of electricity, he said; the rest of it goes to a landfill.New Jersey in 2006 produced nearly 23 million tons of solid waste (including municipal, or household, and commercial waste), of which 12.4 million tons was recycled, Garg said. There were 11 million tons of municipal waste generated, but only 1.5 million tons was used to produce electricity, he said.But while Europeans may be taxed for putting such burnable waste in landfills, Garg said the technology gets unfair treatment from U.S. policymakers: Solar and wind energy get investment subsidies of $23 to $24 per megawatt, as opposed to none for waste-to-energy. "It does act as a disincentive for prospective investors," said Garg, who is part of a national group that supports waste-to-energy.

E-mail to shankar_p@njbiz.com