Protecting yourself and properr y against lightning From 'The Consumer' Canadian Standards Association Each summer, it seems, we hear of lightning-related deaths and destruction. A baseball player struck in a park, a boater caught at sea - even a person watching a thunderstorm from an open doorway - have all been victims of the violent electrical WHITBY 668-6606 TORONTO 294-7965 I energy released during a thunderstorm. Property, too, may be significantly damnaged. Lightning can shatter glass, split tree trunks, set wooden structures on fire and spark explosions around oil and gas tanks. Trees are especially liable to catch fire, since their moist interiors are excellent conductors of electricity. In addition to property damage, there is also a risk that when isolated trees and poorly protected buildings are struck, the sudden high voltages produced may cause burns or shocks to people in the vicinity. So how can we protect ourselves and our property against lightning? Protect yourself When lightning strikes, you are most in danger outdoors, especially in open areas such as golf courses, parks, beaches and bodies of water, the top of a hill, or under an isolated tree. If you're caught in a thunderstorm out-of-doors, the Canada Safety Council has these recommendations: • Take shelter in a building or a car, bus or truck with a steel roof. • Leave the water. If boating, head for shore. • Avoid contact with exposed Provided by the University of Guelph's Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) Dr. Freeman McEwen, dean Roses get computer friendly hey call him The Man Who Listens To Plants, but he'Il soon be surren- dering that title to a computer. Prof. Mike Dixon, Depart- ment of Horticultural Science, has developed an international reputation for creating instru- ments that can monitor and "listen" to the amount of water stress plants endure. This specialization is crucial for the greenhouse industry, where levels of temperature, light, humidity and carbon dioxide - factors that highly influence water stress - are closely controlled. In the University of Guelph Rose Research Greenhouse, Dixon and his colleague Prof. Jim Tsujita have spent the past year creating a computer-con- trolled environment for some 500 rose plants. The set-up involves two computers. Sensors hooked to the roses provide one computer with information that reveals the plants' degree of stress. Sensors hooked to a second unit measure stress influences. Technicians read data from both computers and make the proper environ- mental adjustments. But soon the computers won't need technicians. Dixon and Tsujita are writing software programs that will allow the computers to communicate - when one senses that the roses are too dry, for example, the other will respond appropri- ately with more humidity or less heat. The purpose of all this is to create "recipes" for the green- house industry, so growers will know the ideal environmental combinations for their plants. And who could better tell them than the plants themselves?! The Rose Research Green- house, a $700,000 project, was built through the generous assis- tance of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the greenhouse industry, rose growers and the University of Guelph. metal objects, such as bicycles, golf clubs and fences. * Stay away from tall trees, open spaces, hilltops, overhead wires and transmission towers. * If there is no shelter in an open area, look for a low place, such as a ditch, and crouch in a fetal position, with only your feet touching the ground. In a forest, your best bet is to take cover under small trees on low ground. • Don't run in a group of people. Spread out to reduce the risk. • If indoors, avoid standing in open doorways. Don't use the telephone, as lightning may travel along the line. You should also avoid touching plumbing fixtures, electric wiring, and radio and television sets. Building protection Your personal safety may also be at risk in a building without adequate lightning protection. Since lightning tends to strike the highest objects on the horizon, the projecting parts of buildings - chimneys, deck railings, gables and skylights - are vulnerable SEE PAGE A11 Plant sales PLANT AUCTION The Brooklin Horticultural Society will hold its annual 'Plant Auction' on Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m., at Grass Park, Brooklin. Auctioneer will be Ken Brown. PLANT SALE A plant sale will be held at Leslie McFarlane public school, 300 Garden St., Whitby, on Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. TULIP SHOW A tulip show, sponsored by the Oshawa Garden Club, will be held at Hillsdale Manor in Osh- awa on Saturday, May 20, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All welcome. For more information call 725-6909. GERANIUM SALE The Brooklin United Church Women will hold their annual Geranium sale on Saturday, May 13, beginning at 10 a.m. at the church. A yard sale is also inlu- ded. Coffee and donuts will be available. PLANTSALE Kathleen Rowe public school will hold a plant sale on Satur- day, May 13 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. "5 HEATIN 'del 1 1 1 1 1 1