Frosty The Pyromaniac

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09073.html

 

NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 23, 2008 Release #09-073

Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 425-5627 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Hallmark Recalls Jumbo Snow Globes Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Jumbo Snowman Snow Globes

Units: 7,000

Importer: Hallmark Cards Inc., of Kansas City, Mo.

Hazard: When exposed to sunlight, the snow globes can act as a magnifying glass and ignite nearby combustible materials, posing a fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Hallmark has received two reports of the snow globes igniting nearby materials. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves a Hallmark Jumbo Snow Globe in the shape of a snowman with model number 1XAG5093 and UPC code 795902066666. The snow globe measures 11 by 12 by 17 inches. The model number and the UPC code can be found on the back of the hangtag.

Sold at: Hallmark Gold Crown stores nationwide from October 2008 through November 2008 for about $100.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the snow globe from exposure to sunlight and return it to any Hallmark Gold Crown store for a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Hallmark at (800) 425-5627 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.hallmark.com

 

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Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

 

It Never Snows In Southern California, But It Blizzards, Man, It Blizzards.

It Never Snows In Southern California, But It Blizzards, Man, It Blizzards…

 

 

http://yourscene.latimes.com/mycapture/photos/Album.aspx?EventID=657181&CategoryID=20832

 

UW-Madison News Release--Residents Support Wetland Protection

UW-Madison news wrote:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/2/08  CONTACT: Bret Shaw, 608-890-1878  POLL SHOWS WISCONSIN RESIDENTS SUPPORT WETLANDS PROTECTION  MADISON - Wisconsin residents are concerned about the destruction of the state's remaining wetlands but don't know much about the wetland types that are most threatened, according to a recent statewide poll.  The Oct. 21-28 Badger Poll found that 84 percent of residents were concerned about the destruction of Wisconsin's remaining wetlands, with more than half reporting they were "quite" or "extremely" concerned.  "Most people correctly identified only the most obvious kinds of wetland features," says Bret Shaw, an assistant professor in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "And that's a concern in a state that has lost 47 percent of its original wetlands.  "Many view the presence of ducks, cattails and open water as defining features of wetlands when, in fact, they're not," Shaw adds. "The poll's results suggest that people are much less familiar with the drier, less obvious wetlands. That's a problem because these are the wetlands that face the most threats from development and from the rush to grow commodity crops."  The state's definition of wetlands identifies water-loving plants, wet soils and hydrology - or soils saturated with water - as the three defining characteristics.   Three-quarters of respondents said that cattails were required for wetlands, and more than 50 percent said that each ducks and open water were required for a wetland.  On the positive side, Shaw said, the overwhelming majority correctly identified the range of benefits that wetlands provide. Ninety-nine percent recognized wetlands as providing wildlife habitat, and at least 80 percent recognized other benefits of wetlands including filtering stormwater runoff, storing floodwaters, offering recreational opportunities and providing habitat for young fish.   "These results reaffirm the 180-degree shift we've seen over the last 50 years in public attitudes toward wetlands and their benefits," Shaw says.   Throughout much of the state and nation's history, wetlands were viewed as wastelands and obstacles to development, and federal laws provided incentives for draining wetlands and converting them to other uses. In Wisconsin, for instance, 4.7 million of the estimated 10 million acres of wetlands left by glaciers and other processes were drained and filled between the 1800s and 1970s.  The Badger Poll results indicate that Wisconsin residents support government offering incentives to protect and restore wetlands.   More than 86 percent supported giving private citizens a tax break if they protect or restore wetlands on their property, with more than 50 percent saying they were "quite supportive" or "extremely supportive" of such incentives.  Current tax law penalizes many property owners who want to restore wetlands on property now classified as agricultural land. Lands restored under certain government programs, such as the United States Department of Agriculture's Wetlands Reserve Program, or without government assistance lose eligibility for agricultural classification for tax assessment purposes. The land is reclassified to "undeveloped land" which tends to be assessed at much higher values than agricultural lands.   The Badger Poll surveyed 538 people randomly chosen within households with working land lines and was weighted to correct for those with only cell phones. Results from this survey have a margin of error of a little over plus or minus 4 percent. The survey was commissioned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in partnership with Shaw to fulfill grant requirements for evaluating DNR outreach materials about the state's drier wetlands.   ###    **************************************************** For questions or comments about UW-Madison's email news release system, please send an email to: releases@news.wisc.edu  For more UW-Madison news, please visit:  http://www.news.wisc.edu/  University Communications University of Wisconsin-Madison 27 Bascom Hall 500 Lincoln Drive Madison, WI 53706  Phone: (608) 262-3571 Fax: (608) 262-2331