MessageI was researching soaker hose to use in brewing. They are manufactu=
red from recycled automobile tires. So I started researching the constitue=
nts of tire rubber and ran into a woman named Dr. Allison Draper. I commun=
icated with her several times and based on her research -- which got her ca=
nned from a tire industry sponsored school -- you should avoid any product =
made with tire rubber or tire rubber compounds. Of primary note was gene m=
utation and birth defect potential along with a number of other problems. =
I junked the idea of using any soaker product around anything I was eating =
or planning to use for a food source such as compost and compost tea.
Now, there is a guy in New Zealand who has a method of reusing tires as pla=
nters. I have someone experimenting with this now and we finally have a he=
rbal crop of oregano grown in the tires and in conventional wooden beds we =
can get tested. I am assuming that, as Dr. Draper indicated, there will be=
some transferrence to the food product but I will know more when we get th=
e tests back.
To the eye, the crop grown in the tires looks the same as the grop grown in=
the beds. The grower has been eating the the tire and bed stuff and he ha=
sn't grown a third eye or strange new limbs yet but I will not touch it unt=
il we get tests back.
I trust Allison's work as I trust Elaine's work so I would advise avoiding =
recycled tire rubber products until someone who is NOT associated with the =
tire industry gives it a clean bill of health.
Ted Peterson
Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth
Received on Fri Apr 09 2004 - 14:42:30 EDT