tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088893.post111383999462752093..comments2023-10-18T07:02:57.612-04:00Comments on The Barking Dingo: Is the Sky Falling?Dingohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04386587646469853172noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088893.post-1113922102619260972005-04-19T10:48:00.000-04:002005-04-19T10:48:00.000-04:00yeah, I just could not figure out their point. An...yeah, I just could not figure out their point. And I was not picking and choosing, I posted the entire release. <BR/><BR/>I agree, it is about striking a balance. And a lot of being an environmentalist is not about the birds and trees, but about protecting humans from ourselves.<BR/><BR/>As for the DDT. I think there are some places it may need to be used, but we don't need it in the US. I also think an even better idea is to find a cure/vaccine for malaria. We have been using the same preventative medicine for 100 years. The problem is, is that there is no money in finding a cure for malaria. Drug companies know that they would lose money because none of the affected countries could afford to pay high prices, and developed nations don't need it, so we wouldn't be subsidizing the costs.Dingohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04386587646469853172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8088893.post-1113919989215551372005-04-19T10:13:00.000-04:002005-04-19T10:13:00.000-04:00Dingo,Judging by WSJ profitablity figures, you mig...Dingo,<BR/>Judging by WSJ profitablity figures, you might be right to be skeptical of their market research!<BR/><BR/>I found that article confusing too. Pesticides and herbicides (some of them) DO cause cancer. It's a question of limiting concentrations and trying to use less toxic chemicals. But I think the richer nations have not always been responsible or realistic about what environmental solutions we decide to impose.<BR/><BR/>DDT did cause problems in the environment, and it did threaten large bird species by thinnning shells. It was banned when I was in high school or junior high. At that time we never ever saw even crows. Now all the larger bird species are coming back. That having been said, I am not sure whether the claims about massive deaths from malaria do justify the total ban worldwide. <BR/><BR/>It seems to me like we are picking pretty birds (because we can afford too) over poor kids with dark skins (not as cute, I guess). It's not a pleasant tradeoff. Shouldn't the more developed world be paying for our pretty birds by funding the cost of other mosquito eradication/control/barrier programs for these areas? My conscience isn't comfortable with what I've read about that particular issue.<BR/><BR/>Effective environmentalism is a matter of good research and striking a realistic balance. There are far too many of us humans not to have a massive impact on the environment, but it takes a lot of money to treat sewage and prevent deforestation, etc. We have tremendous scientific ability; I think we need to get very serious about developing alternate energy sources such as nuclear power.MaxedOutMamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08011469804162511617noreply@blogger.com