Notes and News

• A German study suggests Cell Phone radiation as a possible cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, which we have blogged about previously. This issue is finally getting the attention it should have on the Internet and in the media. However, the research has not yet been published, apparently, and no conclusive link has been proven. I guess we can just add it to the list of possibilities. UPDATE: This article in Der Spiegel provides more information both on the study and the overall CCD Situation. The article points out that the so-called cell phone study really used household wireless phones and not cell phones. They suggest adding cell phones to the list of possible causes, but also add a number of other potential causes to the list.
• Tony Burfield of Cropwatch, (and this blog) has accepted an invitation to present a keynote lecture on Sept 12th 2007 at the 38th International. Symposium on Essential Oils (ISEO) 2007 at Graz, Austria. Tony will be presenting a hard-hitting lecture in the Regulatory Aspects section, entitled "Over-regulation is destroying natural aromatics".
• Tony will also be joining the editorial board of Saponifier Magazine, where he will be a Feature and Aromatic Materials Editor. Established in 1998, Saponifier has always been, and always will be, dedicated to the success of the handcrafted soapmaker!
• Citrus aurantium subsp. bergamia  was featured as the Botany Photo of the Day recently. Great photos of the plant, albeit with some misinformation about almost everything having to do with the essential oil. It's as if they didn't know about Google, or else didn't know how to sift the wheat from the chaff. Saved a little bit by the commenters.