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  • From: "Melody O." <melody AT crecon.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Rethinking DDT--or should we?
  • Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2005 12:26:50 -0700

At 09:49 AM 1/8/05 -0700, you wrote:
>This is a sobering article. Along with others we have recently read, it
>points out that malaria kills many times more people than the recent
>tsunami did. But--somebody give me a reality check, please--I find myself
>wondering if such human catastrophes are not simply Nature protecting
>herself, a way that Gaia is creating a balance from the increasing
>destructiveness of its dominant species. I feel pretty certain that human
>overpopulation is the biggest threat to our planetary home. Yet, not one of
>us could look a sick child in the face and not want to help in any way
>possible. But looking at the big picture, consider the outcome if all lives
>were saved. Am I losing my humanity?

As with any drug, one has to make sure that the benefits outweigh the risks.

In a country such as the US, who does not -to the best of my knowledge-
have to worry about malaria, I think DDT would not be a good choice. We do
have West Nile Virus here, but I think DDT would be bringing out an
elephant gun to kill...well, a mosquito.

But in other countries that have trouble with malaria where thousands die
because of bites by infected mosquitoes, of course DDT would be a wise
solution. If they don't use it, many are going to die. If they do use it,
it may cause *possible* birth defects and premature births.





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