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Health & Fitness

PLANT OF THE WEEK: SWEET PEPPERBUSH

SWEET PEPPERBUSH

Reviled in New England and New York the Clethera alnifolia gets a bad rap, politically.

Unlike New Jersey and many other States the concerted effort to pit “us against them” with “environmental tactics” reminds many of the Soviet Era.

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Worldwide, the sustained over centuries tactic for human instigated plant growth of creating Reservoirs keeps the Clethra family gainfully employed.  Everyone gains by employment. We only have to correct the imbecilic driven “engineering” foist that creates a perfect triangle of misery inflicted by politics. Planning needs to return to its roots.

Sweety loves to keep its feet wet at any temperature and spread them strongly and efficiently. But for the New England know it all’s and the NYNY nannies it blooms so late in the season it is avoided by the Exterior Decorators. Irony stops being natural when it is purposely promoted and used for hidden purpose.

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People dropping dead in Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh (where the downtown streetlamps had not been turned off in 30 plus years) a year after I was born led to the Clean Air & Clean Water Act when I was 20. The non-partisan engaging Federal level discourse was a wonderful victory for those of us active in such matters at the time. Common place in the 60’s in America and parts of Western Europe were riots, violent demonstrations and theatrical press attention begging events based on race, gender, anti-war positions. To witness environmental commonality and proud sense of National Ambition it gave many of us a sense of pride and patriotism. Then the Politicians at local levels put in gear a regulatory machine franchise system fueled by special interests. These machines litter our landscapes today. Both major parties and some peripheral ones exploit the nationally embraced good intentions.

100 years ago the environmental movement reached its first peak. New England city and New York City based demand for bird feathers to adorn the name dropping, status seeking damsels in money seeking competition. Teddy Roosevelt was ready. Originally brought to fame by his Irish hating position in New York City politics his heritage includes little recognition of that launch but his use of Presidential powers to sequester millions of acres in the West ad fiat, which did encourage contemporaries the likes of Lenin, Mao and Stalin. The most severe overuse of his good intentions was called the Soviet Union. The feathers in Teddy’s cap few talk about are his unprecedented move to make the US a Colonial Power for the first time and the phenomenon known as the Prohibition. Add in his election influencing run as a fringe 3rd party candidate for President and successful implementation of the Panama Canal (without EPA Permit ‘kidding’). Never Filibuster Free, he toiled, researched, wrote (5,000 plus published pages) and communicated with deep, sincere honesty. Taking on the “donor base” by protecting the Species in vogue to adorn ladies’ lids was brave and effective. We see in happy flight birds that may have gone extinct to suit cocktail party whims.

Today, crucial decisions need to be made as the world’s population reaches unprecedented numbers. Politicizing planning to suit “policy” prompted by political opportunists using green veils to conceal power worshipers and revenge driven ethics is already running out of shelf life.

Significant Tectonic Plate activity has frequently altered weather patterns and Ice Age era ending warming creates violent weather events. While the population grows modern agriculture and energy can provide a level of lifestyle superior to all of man’s history. Teddy studied science at Harvard when the Darwin Theory entered academic science. Creationism dogma stood in the way of a broad acceptance to the broad possibilities given to our Species. One hundred years later the fight has been resumed. Yesterday’s Creationists are today’s Carbon Dioxide haters and Darwin Theory is still Darwin right.

Improving the lot of mankind by creative planning on a Darwin scale will win.

Sweet Pepperbush on berms directly adjacent to wetlands will allow storm water to be slowed and help all. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has recently received a new political appointee who has a long history of environmental failures in the two most backward States in managing their environments.  Streams, rivers, inlets and other geographic features that understand water flow have been seriously compromised. Greedy dam builders of yore and “overdevelopment” is claimed to be the reason for non-recreational water quality throughout the Northeast and manmade flooding. In fact, “policy” boilerplate with government cover up is the villainous cause. Sweety berms will allow the wetlands to function as normal, add in increased filtration, stabilizing groundwater and when well-designed assure low flow in dry times.

Midwestern States now lead the way in rational planning. “Dust Bowl” pejorative defines the area in the minds of many. 10 year drought and wind/weather patterns similar to the early 21st Century were the key factors. Government programs and the Soil Conservation Service get some deserved credit for modernizing, improving yield and industrializing agriculture. Appropriately named the Soil Erosion Service when formed in 1933 it got its more recognized name in 1935. 1994 Congress awarded it the present name Natural Resources Conservation Service to make it as politically correct as possible and swing open many more pork funding resource doors. It has become the most intellectually corrupt and financially incompetent organization that dearly negatively affects millions negatively.

When it goes back to its’ original name and principles the world will be better off. When the Soil Erosion Service names Clethera as its’ key mark a new real era of real planning will be here. We will be looking to the success in the Midwest not being looked down on by the Northeast.

Sweet revenge is never sweet, Sweet Pepperbush always is.

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