iain

The depleted uranium waste produced can be further reacted using a proven technology that needs more research, look at the breeder reactor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeder_reactor It can use depleted uranium. There is an interesting article I read on the release of radioactive particles from coal combustion http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-...xt/colmain.html I'm not sure how accurate the numbers are but it seems that coal produces more harmful radioactive waste than what is contained in a reactor. When the next generation of reactors is introduced we wont have to worry about depleted uranium being produced and used for weapons. There is currently a new type of reactor being used in China called a pebble-bed reactor, it does not require a traditional cooling system and if there is a malfunction it will simple stop reacting instead of going in to meltdown. It doesn't require liquid cooling, it uses air flow. It is true that there is not much uranium but in the near future it will be possible to use thorium which is vastly abundant. It is possible to convert Thorium-232 into U-233 in reactors specially designed for the purpose. In this way, Thorium can be used to breed U-233 nuclear fuel. U-233 is also believed to have favourable nuclear properties as compared to traditionally used U-235. I think solar, wind, geothermal etc is great too but we need to look at all possibilities to reduce pollution

I've been looking at recent breakthroughs in solar cells, very interesting. Nanotechnology has so much potential, i don't know why greenpeace is so opposed to it, maybe they're just afraid of new technology. have a look at this company http://www.nanosolar.com/ They have a nanoparticle ink that can be printed on flexible substrate to make solar cells very cheaply

the loph is the white flower variety, grafted towards the end of 2003 it usually has 6 or 7 flowers at a time. The other was my first graft also in 2003

cant get the focus right large Oreocereus celsianus recently degrafted from a cereus

Hi, I was looking for cuttings of either, i can trade other trichs or loph cuttings or money. I tried ordering from cactus land but pachanoi is the only thing they sent because the rest are not on the Permitted and Quarantine Species Lists and I dont think they can be convinced to send it at my risk. Could someone who doesn't live in WA recieve the order then re-send it to WA? Hopefully the rest of the trichs will soon be added to the list like the pachanoi

The worst glochids i've seen are on tephrocactus sp. Clumps of 1000's of glochids on each areole. But a really nice looking plant

I'm looking for a spore print of P.Cubensis I can trade cuttings of either T.Scopulicolus , T.Pachanoi, T.Bridgesii or L.Williamsii (white flower) or money if necessary. I can meet for a trade if its in perth or just send by mail. thanks for any help

me too, thanks

I have tried grafting with rubber bands and sterilised (with isoprop then dried) metal needles to hold the scion in place but the result was death in the surrounding flesh that the needle was in. It went red and mushy then rotten, i had to carve out large chunks from my grafting stock to stop the rot. I then tried again using large spikes from another cactus and it worked perfectly with no damage to the stock. It seems to me that the metal has a bad reaction with the cactus maybe like some types of metal are rejected from the human body if implanted. The spines are ideal because they are the sharpest non-metal type of spike i can think of.