Sunday, June 27, 2010
Rachel Carson is responsible for the unnecessary death of millions of Africans because she wrote a book called silent spring
Silent Spring was a book written by an American marine biologist named Rachel Carson in 1962. This book was instrumental in the launching of the environmental movement. Silent Spring documented negative effects of pesticides on the environment, more specifically DDT. Since the publishing of this book, environmental extremists have sought to ban all DDT use. In 1972, the EPA banned DDT use. Some extremists groups convinced the nation that DDT was not only unsafe for humans but unsafe to birds as well. Their arguments have since been scientifically refuted.
While DDT saved crops, forests and livestock, it also saved humans. In 1970, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences estimated that DDT saved more than 500 million lives during the time it was widely used. A scientific review board of the EPA showed that DDT is not harmful to the environment and showed it to be a beneficial substance that "should not be banned." According to the World Health Organization, worldwide malaria infects 300 million people and about 1 million die of malaria each year. Most of the victims are in Africa.
Studies conducted on DDT concluded that the chemical is safe and beneficial in the fight against malaria and the mosquito vector. Because the lack of knowledge about DDT, causing the chemical to be banned, many people have suffered and died due to malaria. Further studies need to be conducted to better understand the effects of DDT allowing for proper regulation.
While DDT saved crops, forests and livestock, it also saved humans. In 1970, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences estimated that DDT saved more than 500 million lives during the time it was widely used. A scientific review board of the EPA showed that DDT is not harmful to the environment and showed it to be a beneficial substance that "should not be banned." According to the World Health Organization, worldwide malaria infects 300 million people and about 1 million die of malaria each year. Most of the victims are in Africa.
Studies conducted on DDT concluded that the chemical is safe and beneficial in the fight against malaria and the mosquito vector. Because the lack of knowledge about DDT, causing the chemical to be banned, many people have suffered and died due to malaria. Further studies need to be conducted to better understand the effects of DDT allowing for proper regulation.
Friday, June 4, 2010
There is a good website about mercury in fish and shellfish for women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and children at:
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/files/MethylmercuryBrochure.pdf.
Also, there is a great website to visit these guidelines in Georgia at:
http://www.georgiaepd.org/Files_PDF/gaenviron/GADNR_FishConsumptionGuidelines_Y2010.pdf.
This tells you the amount of fish safe to eat but not necessarily any ranges.
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/files/MethylmercuryBrochure.pdf.
Also, there is a great website to visit these guidelines in Georgia at:
http://www.georgiaepd.org/Files_PDF/gaenviron/GADNR_FishConsumptionGuidelines_Y2010.pdf.
This tells you the amount of fish safe to eat but not necessarily any ranges.
Dr. Johan F. Gottgens
Dr. Gottgens is a professor at the University of Toledo in the Department of Environmental Sciences. The research center is the Bowman-Oddy/Wolfe Complex. Two of his publications on mercury contamination include: Mercury accumulation in sediment cores and along food chains in two regions of the Brazilian Pantanal and Estimation of methyl mercury concentration in fish due to deposition of mercury from an urban area on water bodies. One publication not dealing with mercury is Pesticide Accumulation Rates in a Northwestern Ohio Marsh.
Dr. Marc Lucotte
Universite du Quebec a Montreal
Institute des Sciences de l'Environment
CP 8888, Succursale Centre Ville
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
lucotte.marc michel@ugam.ca
Dr. Johan Gottgens
Department of Environmental Science
University of Toledo
2801 W Bancroft Street
Toledo, OH 43606
johan.gottgens@utoledo.edu
Dr. William Fitzgerald
University of Conneticut
Department of Marine Sciences
1080 Shennecossett Road
Groton, CT 06340
william.fitzgerald@uconn.edu
Universite du Quebec a Montreal
Institute des Sciences de l'Environment
CP 8888, Succursale Centre Ville
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
lucotte.marc michel@ugam.ca
Dr. Johan Gottgens
Department of Environmental Science
University of Toledo
2801 W Bancroft Street
Toledo, OH 43606
johan.gottgens@utoledo.edu
Dr. William Fitzgerald
University of Conneticut
Department of Marine Sciences
1080 Shennecossett Road
Groton, CT 06340
william.fitzgerald@uconn.edu
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