[afro-nets] Roy Innis on malaria (3)

["Jeff Buderer" <jeff@onevillage.biz>]

Roy Innis on malaria (3)
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Robert,

The greatest travesty on not just your generation but all generations (in both developing and developed countries) now living is global warming, which is caused by industrial CO2 emissions primarily from rich nations.

Harvard's Paul Epstein attributes the rise of malaria to global warming - which by the way has led to a increase in locations where malaria occurs.

With regards to flowers and Kenya - my understanding is that Finlay Flowers of Kenya produces flowers with consideration for workers conditions. I have a contact in the region who reports that the plantations actually treat their workers relatively well - unlike most industries that export products to the West. That someone would not want traces of toxic chemicals on their products, which they put in their houses, is understandable, regardless of whether or not it is valid to spray DDT to eradicate malaria.

I am also not content with the references to America's malaria effort in Roy Innis's article as it is a different climate zone.

My view is that the issue of malaria like AIDS will not be solved with simplistic solutions and particularly those, which come from those who have ideologically based agendas. What we need is an integrated and holistic approach to human health that considers the how human activities associated with modernization have affected the health and the integrity of ecological systems of the planet in a unprecedented way. The changes that we have initiated in the planet through industrialization now are having untold impacts on human health through the increased spread of diseases like malaria as well as pollutants in the air in the water and in the soil and in the biomass and food chain as is the case with concerns about use of the chemicals like DDT. If we don?t address these issues in a very rapid, then malaria while a significant health problem for many will seem rather insignificant in comparison to the total global impact of global warming, loss of species diversity, loss of soil, lack of drinking water, etc upon the state of humanity and its ability to sustain itself.

I do not have the background to say whether the costs exceed the benefits of using DDT only that I believe it is important that we look any widespread use of a chemical like DDT very carefully.

And lets make one thing clear - environmentalists are not always right and indeed many of them may be wrong in the case of malaria. However the scientific community is increasingly agreeing with environmentalists who warn that the way in which we humans are affecting the environment goes against our very interests in maintaining the ideal conditions to ensure the continued integrity and stability of our global society/economy.

Jeff Buderer
oneVillage Foundation
http://www.onevillagefoundation.org
mailto:jeff@onevillage.biz