Letters to the Editor
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Rachel Carson & DDT
Rachel Carson never attempted to ban the use of DDT in fighting malaria. She attempted to ban its overuse as a pesticide in foodstuffs. It was the incompetence and misapplication of the DDT ban by the UN which prevented DDT's use in Africa.
Blaming her for the failure to use DDT against malaria is like blaming people who object to the use of chlorine gas in warfare for the failure to use chlorine in swimming pools.
The link is too tenuous.
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Yes please address this in your article as well
"At the end of the article, Stier adds, "Blindly following environmental extremists might make you feel good, but there is a dark side. Recall the millions of unnecessary malaria deaths that have resulted from Rachel Carson's 'green' effort to ban DDT."
...?
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ACSH?
Secondly, there's ACSH.
Secondly? That's the first time ACSH appears in the item. I reread the item a second time and I'm guessing that the scientist that "Stier then quotes" is from ACSH. But as written, the appearance of ACSH three quarters of the way in is confusing. And I had to use Google to find out that ACSH stands for American Council on Science and Health...
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The source does matter
I forget who said this, but some wise person said, "It's hard to make a man understand something when his paycheck depends on him not understanding it." Given how environmental issues eventually boil down to almost all scientists on one side, and a few funded by the polluting industry on the other, I would say the source of funding matters a lot. This paper versus plastic bag issue is still unclear but once it's clear, if it comes down against plastic bags, watch for ACSH to still defend them.
Meanwhile, bring your own bags. Save a tree or landfill space.
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Chemical companies pay these people to lie to us
Chemical companies pay these people to lie to us and create studies challenging legitimate science, in an attempt to make us think that scientific facts that go against their interests are merely theories.
I have a friend at the EPA that told me that Dow Chemical has a patent for plastic that is bio-degradable. It would be a million times better for the environment, but it would cost them money, so they own the patent and refuse to make the stuff so they can keep selling all the plastics that they have other patents for. What that means is that nobody else can make it either or it is patent infringement. The government would let them sue anyone that tries to make the stuff.
Somebody please forward this to Al Gore.
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Urban Legend Alert!
Please don't tuck a misleading claim about DDT and malaria deaths into an article without refuting it. This claim alone tells me Stier is a right wingnut - that's one of their favorite environmental myths. The truth is that the original ban on DDT made allowance for using the chemical to control mosquito populations in malaria prone areas. However, many mosquito's had developed resistance to DDT and the cost and the sheer scale of the problem have limitied DDT's effectiveness at eliminating mosquito's in many regions. Tropical rainforests, for example, may have millions of potential mosquito breeding sits per square mile. You can't spray every puddle. In southern Africa, there is just so much land and the people are so spread out that it is economically not feasible to use DDT to kill off most malaria bearing mosquitos.
We can't just let lies like this pass. Banning DDT has not resulted in millions of deaths. It is unlikely that it resulted in any deaths, since malaria had been wiped out in developed nations long before the ban, and DDT was still allowed in other places. With DDT resistant mosquito's around, DDT is less effective then ever, and it's ban should not be held up as a disaster. I'm not personally against using chemicals to solve human problems, but chemicals are not always the best answer, and they can often do more harm than good. The modern focus on bednets is a far more practical and effective solution for preventing malaria.
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New York Post
Whenever I see someone reading the NY Post, my heart breaks a little. So many readers, so much drivel.
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Most Americans do not grok cockroaches
Midwesterners do not have cockroaches, even in cities, as far as I know. When they read about cockroaches, they imagine utter, worst-level filth. However, Midwesterners, you should know that everybody in New York City gets cockroaches, even luxury pent-house folks, even God-fearing clean-livers. That's just the NYC climate, or something.
From the other side, when you East Coasters write about cockroaches, do not expect Midwesterners to relate or to care. We never have cockroaches in our bags or in our kitchens. It is as if you were writing about the danger of rampaging elephants. We do not take it seriously.
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@ jebldmm
It's also worth noting that DDT-resistant mosquitoes exist because DDT use was so widespread. If it had only been used to carefully target specific populations of mosquitoes, it'd still be useful for disease control.
But measured, careful use of chemicals isn't as profitable as trying to hose the planet with them.
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One word in favor of plastic bags - Rain
I always ask for paper bags, except the one time I didn't when it was raining. My groceries ended up all over the parking lot. I know that it would be a great idea for me to invest in about a half a dozen cloth saks, but than what will I use to put my grabage in and how much energy will I waste laundering my cloth sacs? Saddly there are no free rides. Personally, I wish that would put forth more effort into minimizing wasteful packaging and offer all of their dry goods in bulk, instead of just a token handful.
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I saw two hawks and an eagle on my way to work this morning.
I live in the north shore of MA. Growing up here in the 80's, I never saw hawks. Ever. Left here in 1990 and returned in 2002 and the difference is absolutely amazing. I see at _least_ 3-4 raptors flying over the highway ever day now and there are several bald eagles nesting nearby along the Merrimack river.
I thank the ban on DDT every time I see em.
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Lead? Sheesh.
While the "cockroach" argument used by Stier is equally absurd, the assertion that lead from the inks used on plastic bags poses a danger is sheer alarmism. How many plastic bags would one need to digest for this to be a health issue?
Does she have the same fear regarding mercury in CFLs, which the EPA does in fact deem to be a significant danger?
Does she have any evidence that those 100 billion plastic bags being deposited in landfills each year pose any danger to any living thing? Or is it just the idea of non-biodegradable garbage sitting around that she doesn't like?
Does it take more energy and resources to produce one canvas bag than the 100 plastic bags it may replace?