On this web page:

http://www.usps.com/news/2001/press/pr01_1024safety.htm

The USA's postal service says that they will start using irradiation,
rumored to be the "electron beam" systems made by San Diego-
based SureBeam to kill any possible anthrax bacteria in the mails.

The USPS is said to have bought eight of these machines.
No idea where they will be installed.  Here's SureBeam's website:

http://www.surebeam.com/

SureBeam's FAQ spews out doublespeak like this:

   "Isn't SureBeam? irradiation?

    SureBeam? electronic pasteurization is an environmentally
    friendly form of irradiation that uses ordinary everyday
    electricity to kill dangerous food borne pathogens without
    the use of radioactive materials."

In other words, "Yes, it is irradiation".

The process will certainly kill bacteria, but will also kill seeds,
bulbs, live plants, and any other living things, including bees.

Given that the USPS is subcontracting bee delivery to third
parties, this may be a non-issue for the specific case of bees,
but even the champagne yeast used to make mead will be
killed if run through this toy, or any similar toy that is capable
of killing anthrax.

I wonder if anyone at the seed companies knows the implications
of the phrases "irradiation" and "electron-beam"...

        jim

        farmageddon (where we shove electrons out the pipe,
                                 and they turn into marks on your screen
                                 like this one here => *  )