Off the News: Potty training; Phytoremediation

‘Boot camp’ not for toddlers

According to Merriam-Webster, boot camp is a place where people who have recently joined the U.S. Army, Navy or Marine Corps receive their basic training; or a short but very difficult training program; or a program or situation that helps people become much better at doing something in a short period of time.

Boot camp is not for toddlers. It is not for potty training. That there is a market for "potty camp" and "potty boot camp" is a sad commentary on modern life.

Stressed-out, time-crunched parents hand their children off to outside "experts" (drill sergeants?) to rush through an essential developmental milestone.

Raising kids is tough sometimes, and potty training isn’t pretty, but some tasks shouldn’t be outsourced.

Phytoremediation about to happen!

At long last, research-ers here have received a permit to import industrial hemp seeds from Australia for Hawaii’s Industrial Hemp Research Project, which was signed into law last April after years of advocacy.

To be clear: These are seeds to grow and research industrial hemp for fiber products. But because hemp seeds are still considered a Schedule 1 drug by the federal government, their import and use require DEA approval, says industrial-hemp proponent state Rep. Cynthia Thielen.

University of Hawaii scientist Harry Ako will lead the research on using industrial hemp as a phytoremediator as well as a biofuel. Phytoremediation uses green plants to stabilize or reduce contamination in soils, needed to rejuvenate agricultural lands.