I am connected, albeit by a few degrees of separation, to the early environmentalist Rachel Carson. Her 1962 work, Silent Spring, was the first public affairs victory of the growing environmental movement.
I am, by training, a scientist as well. And as such I value a rational argument, well documented and supported by testable facts. I have no issue with the teaching of intelligent design, as long as it is done in the context of a class on mythology.
Which brings me to today's musing, DDT. Many nations in the developing sphere are suffering from significant deaths due to malaria and other mosquito borne illnesses. Due, in large part, to the writings of Carson DDT is no longer available as a viable pesticide. It is time to reexamine the original reasons behind this chemical's removal from use. We have improved analytical tools and more sophisticated methods for evaluating the potential harm from this chemical.
It seems, however, that the debate on DDT is simply not even an acceptable topic.
This must change.
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