DSK wrote:
Dave wrote:

Maybe in a few years, we can start using DDT again.
Heresy to the enviros.

That was a joke. It would probably be healthier in the long run to use
powdered plutonium as an insecticide.

Is plutonium an effective insecticide? If so, do the cockroaches know that?

You know, some people are actually saying countries should start using
DDT
to save the many of the lives lost to malaria each year as a result of
banning its use..

Why is a malaria the "result" of banning DDT? What did they blame it on,
before DDT was invented?

Whatever local deity was in charge of inflicting misery on the local
population. Didn't you pay attention in religion class?


There are a number of much better answers. One of my sailing partners is
a malaria researcher, currently working for the Army (they have a HUGE
interest in malaria prevention & cure).

I would hope so. But, speaking as one of those dreaded enviros, I could
be persuaded that a limited application in situations where malaria is
particularly bad would pass the cost-benefit analysis test. In North
America, there is clearly no need to lift the ban.

The comeback of bald eagles is one of the great success stories of the
enviro movement - I didn't see one in the wild until I was in my late
30s, now I see several dozen a year. Think about it - several
generations of kids grew up without ever seeing our national symbol, and
we came together as a nation and changed that.

//Walt

"Walt" wrote ...

Is plutonium an effective insecticide? If so, do the
cockroaches know that?


Ask Bob or Charlie.

Walt wrote:
DSK wrote:

Dave wrote:


Maybe in a few years, we can start using DDT again.

Heresy to the enviros.


That was a joke. It would probably be healthier in the long run to use
powdered plutonium as an insecticide.


Is plutonium an effective insecticide? If so, do the cockroaches know
that?

You know, some people are actually saying countries should start
using DDT
to save the many of the lives lost to malaria each year as a result of
banning its use..


Why is a malaria the "result" of banning DDT? What did they blame it
on, before DDT was invented?


Whatever local deity was in charge of inflicting misery on the local
population. Didn't you pay attention in religion class?


There are a number of much better answers. One of my sailing partners
is a malaria researcher, currently working for the Army (they have a
HUGE interest in malaria prevention & cure).


I would hope so. But, speaking as one of those dreaded enviros, I could
be persuaded that a limited application in situations where malaria is
particularly bad would pass the cost-benefit analysis test. In North
America, there is clearly no need to lift the ban.

The comeback of bald eagles is one of the great success stories of the
enviro movement - I didn't see one in the wild until I was in my late
30s, now I see several dozen a year. Think about it - several
generations of kids grew up without ever seeing our national symbol, and
we came together as a nation and changed that.

//Walt


Not only eagles but peregrine falcons and condors. Now if they could
just clone passenger picgeions from some stuffed artifact...

katysails wrote:
Not only eagles but peregrine falcons and condors. Now if they could
just clone passenger picgeions from some stuffed artifact...

A couple of the condor species didn't make it.

Among coastal birds, ospreys & pelicans & the Great Blue
Heron were also very hard hit by DDT. When young, I was told
to take a good look at the few Great Blues around because
they would soon be extinct. Fortunately, that was wrong.
There certainly are a lot more pelicans around nowadays than
back then, too.

While I agree with Walt that there are a few special cases
where the benefits outweigh the costs, in general the
reasons for banning it are still most persuasive.

DSK

DSK wrote:
katysails wrote:

Not only eagles but peregrine falcons and condors. Now if they could
just clone passenger picgeions from some stuffed artifact...


A couple of the condor species didn't make it.

Among coastal birds, ospreys & pelicans & the Great Blue Heron were also
very hard hit by DDT. When young, I was told to take a good look at the
few Great Blues around because they would soon be extinct. Fortunately,
that was wrong. There certainly are a lot more pelicans around nowadays
than back then, too.

While I agree with Walt that there are a few special cases where the
benefits outweigh the costs, in general the reasons for banning it are
still most persuasive.

DSK


In remember the mosquito planes flying over when we were kids dumping
DDT around the lakes...I wonder how much cancer in out age group that is
responsible for and how many birth defects,,,