National Geographic Acknowledges Huge Loss of Life to Malaria and Need for DDT

LifeSiteNews ^ | 8/7/07 | Steve Jalsevac

[wagglebee]

August 7, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - National Geographic (NG), a leading environmentalist, de-population supporting magazine, has published a major cover story by Michael Finkel on the extraordinarily deadly and complex malaria parasite. The July 2007 NG edition article discusses possible solutions to the disease but also uncharacteristically acknowledges a leading expert's contention that the international ban on DDT was a terrible mistake which may have cost many millions of lives, especially in poor African nations. Environmental ideologues have been quick to slam Finkel's article as being flawed and damaging to the their past success in convincing the world to ban the DDT pesticide.

The article, Malaria, Stopping a Global Killer, states, "This year malaria will strike up to a half billion people. At least a million will die, most of them under age five, the vast majority living in Africa. That's more than twice the annual toll a generation ago."

Finkel writes that Robert Gwadz, a malaria specialist at the US National Institutes of Health, says the worldwide ban on DDT that eventually followed the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which condemned use of the chemical, "may have killed 20 million children." The quote by Gwadz does not include the huge number of adults that have also died since "DDT become nearly impossible to procure" because "the chemical was outlawed by most of the world for agricultural use".

The deaths caused by malaria, however, are only the beginning of the problems caused by the disease. A far greater number of the continent's people are regularly afflicted by malaria, which often causes life-long disabilities and devastating effects on African economies. Gwadz tells NG that "It's possible that due to malaria, almost every child in Africa is in some way neurologically scarred".

NG relates that in the past there were massive numbers of malaria cases in the United States. "A million Union Army casualties in the U.S. Civil War are attributed to malaria." There were also millions of U.S. malaria cases in the 1930s, which led to the launching of an intensive antimalaria program. The Centers for Disease Control was founded in 1946, "specifically to combat malaria". By 1950, reports National Geographic's Finkel, "transmission of malaria was halted in the U.S."

Finkel reports that prosperous nations such as the U.S have been able to eradicate malaria, but "In the meantime, several distinctly unprosperous regions have reached the brink of total malarial collapse." The author presents his own analysis of why this has happened. He does not, however, address the argument presented in past LifeSiteNews articles, that racist western depopulation policies were likely a large factor in the withholding of desperately needed, inexpensive life-saving measures such as DDT from high birthrate African nations.

Internationally prominent author Michael Crichton, who, while having a severe anti-religious bias, nevertheless excels in the area of thoroughly researched fictional novels on scientific issues, presented a more directly condemning view of the Rachel Carson inspired DDT ban in a speech he gave in Sept. 2003. 

In this speech, Environmentalism as a religion, Crichton stated:

"I can tell you that DDT is not a carcinogen and did not cause birds to die and should never have been banned. I can tell you that the people who banned it knew that it wasn't carcinogenic and banned it anyway. I can tell you that the DDT ban has caused the deaths of tens of millions of poor people, mostly children, whose deaths are directly attributable to a callous, technologically advanced western society that promoted the new cause of environmentalism by pushing a fantasy about a pesticide, and thus irrevocably harmed the third world. Banning DDT is one of the most disgraceful episodes in the twentieth century history of America. We knew better, and we did it anyway, and we let people around the world die and didn't give a damn."

The National Geographic magazine website appears to have buried its July malaria cover story. Anyone visiting the site would not be aware that such an important article was published by NG. The article is not listed in the section of latest features at http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/hubs/latest-features.... It can can only be found by doing a search which brings up the appropriate link. 

See the complete National Geographic article at http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0707/feature1/index.h... See previous LifeSiteNews and other reports:  

See previous LifeSiteNews and other reports on the malaria issue: 

Green Hands Dipped In Blood: The DDT Genocide
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/aug/050816a.html

Finally an End to Massive Genocide Caused by Environmental Extremists' DDT Ban http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/06092709.html

Call for DDT Opponents to be Held Accountable for Millions of Preventable Malaria Deaths
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/sep/060927a.html

50-80 Million Deaths Blamed On Environmental Extremists' DDT Ban
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/aug/05081601.html

U.N. TREATY RESTRICTIONS CRIPPLE FIGHT AGAINST MALARIA
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2001/jun/01061301.html

Tierney Takes on Rachel Carson and 'Silent Spring' DDT Ban
http://newsbusters.org/node/13269

Give Us DDT
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB118160970924631993-lMy...;

[DoughtyOne]

I used to work with a guy that thought the world was overpopulated. I was shocked one time to ask the guy if he thought it would be good if a large portion of the world’s populace were to die. He said yes. I aske how many and he state about 3/4ths of the world populace.

This was a guy with a doctorate (not ecology related). I will say he was a very nice person other than wanting about 3.5 billion people to die (at that time).

There are some strange people out there. I will note though, it’s my opinion that the third-worlders aren’t who they want to see die off. And that’s where the National Geographic story begins to make some sense.

It’s the industrialized nations, you and I they want to see six feet under, and they don’t mince words if you press them.

The nature freaks have a real mental sickness IMO. I know we kid about that, but this has to be categorized as clinical IMO.

[monday]

Forget Mao, or Stalin, Pol Pot, or Hitler, Rachel Carson is the greatest mass murderer in history, and racist one at that. Shes nothing less than a genocidal fiend.

[Shermy]

“Put down the Kool Aid”

Put down the DDT

[Southack]

The DDT patent expired decades ago. Anyone can make it now.

[Eva]

I was thinking the same thing, the left must be very pleased with all those deaths caused by malaria. Banning DDT achieved what abortion couldn’t in third world countries.

[Hacklehead]

“She has far more deaths on her hands than does Hitler. (I know. Groan. Bringing up the H-word. But it’s true.)”

Actually you could say she has inadvertantly killed more than Hitler, Mao and Stalin combined. But her intentions were good so all is forgiven.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Interestingly, malaria — once endemic in the southeastern US — was virtually wiped out BEFORE the introduction of DDT. Civilization is more powerful against malaria than DDT.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

At least National Geographic acknowledges that there was an international ban. Most “environmentalists” today are deniers — they are busy rewriting history to cover up the ban.

Ironically, even the ZPG zealots have nothing to cheer about the 50 million (plus) unnecessary malaria deaths. It’s been pretty well established that birth rates go up to more than compensate for high childhood mortality rates. People want to ensure that they have a male heir — if they expect a large number of their children to die before maturity, they’ll have extras as “spares”.

[GATOR NAVY]

Considering the moonbat tilt NatGeo has been taking I admit I was quite surprised when I read the malaria article. Of course this bit of common sense was “balanced” in the same issue with the greenie propoganda piece “The Truth about Tongass.” After 20-something years I’ll probably be letting my subscription expire this time. I just don’t want to be associated with their belief system.

[TChris]

But you’re saying the threat to birds has been disproven? You have a link to that?

DDT: A Case Study in Scientific Fraud

The Ban of DDT: Science That Wasn’t (Mentions the above study)

[Shermy]

“The DDT patent expired decades ago. Anyone can make it now.”

That’s interesting.

I’ll nose around and see which company/ies are funding this pr campaign. If you didn’t know, these planted news stories about DDT have been parceled out over about a year or more.

[TChris]

But you’re saying the threat to birds has been disproven? You have a link to that?

Another good piece: Bring Back DDT: The testimony of Roger Bate and Richard Tren, of Africa Fighting Malaria

[wagglebee]

You’re forgetting the eugenics movement. Founded by Francis Galton (Charles Darwin’s cousin), later lead by Leonard Darwin and finding it’s biggest follower in Margaret Sanger.

[samtheman]

thanks

[LexBaird]

There apparently is a campaign by the DDT patent holders to allow them to dump their product in Africa again.

A 30 second search on Google reveals the patent for DDT expired in 2004. Ditch the tin foil hat, it's making your brain overheat.

[IslandJeff]

Great article, thanks.

Whatever happened to the Nanny State Nostrum of “If it only saves one life...”?

[IronJack]

Once again, millions of people pay with their lives so that some ill-formed, feel-good leftist platitude can be indulged. Decades pass, and the world eventually admits that conservatives were right all along.

In the meantime, the lefties have concocted another string of platitudes that they demand be indulged ...

[PEACE ENFORCER]

Did anyone mention DDT has huge benifits for eleminating some tumors in humans? I don’t have all the facts but it’s what I’ve heard and read.....

[Petronski]

Snarkiness aside, THANK YOU National Geographic for taking this important step.

[L,TOWM]

I knew you would point out what Saint Margaret and Saint Rachel have accomplished.

Just think, if they were men, and did what they did in the name of christianity, every college professor in the country would curse their names during lectures on them in using the vilest language possible.

But instead, they are raised upon academic pedestals as enlightened, progressive thinkers that have done much for the Human Condition. The left worships those that can kill in bushel baskets, while deriding the poor schlub that insists on owning a firearm and taking responsibility for his own safety. {phthui} I spit on them all...