Rachel Carson and Silent Spring

Rachel Carson is responsible for more deaths than Hitler. Between one and three million African people die from malaria each year, and this is due to Rachel Carson’s environmental fanaticism that evoked most of the world’s stance against using DDT. Her book, Silent Spring, was written in response to the overuse of pesticides during World War II, but it sparked a worldwide crackdown on DDT take would take hold in the next decade. DDT is a very cheap pesticide that is used to kill mosquitoes that harbor the malaria disease.

Malaria is now running rampant through Africa because the DDT is not sprayed in certain countries. In some cases, the results were extreme. In Sri Lanka in 1948 (before DDT), there were 2.7 million cases of malaria, in 1963 (when DDT was legal), there were 17 cases, but in 1969 (after DDT was outlawed), there were 537,700 cases in the country. There is some blame to put on developed resistance due to inadequate and erratic spraying, but most of the blame should be levied on the book and her research. She referenced this resistance in Silent Spring as destroying “our very means of fighting.” There is a legitimate seriousness to the resistance developed by mosquitoes because if they start becoming resistant to every means of eradication then there will be no stopping them. Because of the novel, the US now refuses to supply the funds to Africa that would help make more efficient use of DDT, like DDT-treated walls/nets and specified spraying that would help the areas affected the most by malaria. This refusal results in millions dead each year from malaria.

One of the reasons the US is still backing the anti-DDT legislation is because there is no need to fight malaria in the US and we will only see the negative side of the DDT use. Malaria was almost non-existent in the world a couple years ago, when DDT was legal, and now it has come roaring back because malaria’s primary combatant has become discarded. There are much more expensive ways to combat malaria, but if DDT is cheap and works then why not un-ban it and develop a plan of efficient spraying? It almost sounds too easy. And where is the scientific evidence against DDT? According to heavily respected health scholar Amir Attaran, scientific processes “has not even one peer reviewed, independently replicated study linking exposure to DDT with any adverse health outcome.” When a judge ruled in favor of DDT spraying in 1971, an administrator from the newly formed EPA, who did not even attend the hearings, decided to overrule the judges verdict and ban DDT anyways. This ruling made the ban effective in most of the world because most countries were dependant on US-funded programs in their countries, so they had to relax and, in most cases, completely ban DDT.

Silent Spring should have been used responsibly by the public, but, as we Americans know, the vast majority of the public blindly and wildly follow fervor and are easily persuaded to back a cause without knowing any information on the subject. This is especially true when it comes to politics and the environment. Also the chemical industy’s crazy outpouring trying to discredit Ms. Carson only gained the novel more recognition and completely backfired. What they should have focused on what a world would be like without pesticides rather than trying to discredit an environmentalist that was already widely respected. The US would backtrack hundreds of years in terms of population, agriculture, resistance to disease, and economy if we would lose the ability to augment our crops with pesticides. Her scientific basis for the novel was based on needs/risk assessments that she had to pick one pest over another. One had to do with spruce budworm that kills forests within a year of it presence. DDT was used to kill these budworm, but did so at the expense of a certain aquatic insects that were fed on by baby salmon. So the assessment was to save the little amount of salmon babies for the risk of deforestation when an area gets infested by the budworm. Also, within the novel, Carson points out that there really is no scientific or medical evidence to determine what harmful effects DDT has on human health, so she says to be careful when using the substance. She also uses other, natural ways to get rid of insects like introducing new insect-predating organisms. This could introduce foreign organisms to a place where there are no other predators, which could cause an infestation of these new organisms that could be worse than the previous organisms they were used to prey on. This happens a lot with exotic plants and trees populating and over-running an area to the point that they themselves become pests.

In the end, Rachel Carson enabled the epidemic that is malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Due to her environmental over-enthusiasm and the public’s blind allegiance, millions upon millions die from malaria that DDT can extinguish. The almost religious devotion to anti-DDT movements has lead to massive death in sub-Saharan Africa, which does not affect us here in America. I bet if anyone in the US has relatives or loved ones in sub-Saharan Africa, they would be part of the pro-DDT contingency fighting for the eradication of malaria, as well as the environmental nuts that stand by the scientifically unproven, governmentally blocked yet circumvented ban on DDT.

Mercury and Associate Health Risks

I have made a brochure to inform the public about Mercury, methylmercury, human health risks associated with both, and the toxicity/type of poison that both exhibit on the body. I hope you enjoy.http://www.mercer.edu/enp/Hg_ROBB.pdf

Parasites and Diseases 2

Parasite and Disease

Malaria

     
Since most of the regions in the world are battling malaria, I thought that would be an interesting topic to tackle. In 2008, the CDC estimated there was 190-311 million cases of malaria worldwide and between 700,000-1,000,000 people died from the disease. Malaria is caused by a parasite carried around by mosquitoes that feed on humans. Also, 3.3 billion people live in areas at-risk for malaria transmission and only 35 countries account for 98% of all malaria-related deaths. 30 of those 35 are in sub-Saharan Africa. As this map shows, the distribution is heavily in sub-Saharan Africa, the Amazon rainforest, and southern/southeast Asia.


The life cycle of the infection is quite simple, it is carried by mosquitoes. First, a female Anopheles mosquito feeds on an affected human and stores the spores in her salivary glands. When the infection is ready, the infected cells burst and infect the mosquito. The salivary gland is then infused with spores which is transmitted to humans. She feeds on an unaffected human and, in turn, injects the malaria spores into the human bloodstream. The spores then travel to the liver and “invade” the liver cells. Over the next few weeks, the spores divide and multiply. When ready, the infection leaves the liver cells into the bloodstream and invade red blood cells, replicate, and multiply. Some of the infected cells leave the replication stage and form into gametocytes, and then gametes. When a mosquito feeds on this human, they will again store the infection in the salivary glands and burst like previously.
The symptoms of malaria are anemia (due to the infection of red blood cells), a fever, convulsions, headache, jaundice (due to liver infection), muscle pain, nausea, bloody stool, sweating, and vomiting. There is a vaccine for malaria but it is administered at hospitals, which is the reason why sub-Saharan Africa is the region most affected by it. They do not have access to any sort of healthcare.

Roundworms (Nematode)

According to the Journal of Experimental Biology, roundworms are one of the most diverse of all animals and are the most numerous multicellular animals on Earth. There have been over 28000 different roundworms documented and two thirds of them are parasitic. I decided to use roundworms because they seem to be the most interesting of all the helminth organisms. As you can see by the map below, most intestinal nematode infestations happen in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia.

There are many symptoms that arise with a roundworm disease, most of them include abdominal pain, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), and fever. The life cycle of all types of roundworms can be broken down into one basic life cycle. The cycle consists of 7 stages, an egg, 4 larval stages, and 2 adult stages comprising both male and female sexes.
The first stage is when the larvae is in the egg. When the egg hatches, the larvae feeds on bacteria and molts, or sheds/grows out of it’s old skin. Roundworms molt 4 times during each life cycle, at the end of each larval stage. Usually around the end of the second larval stage, the roundworm will infect it’s host. At it’s immature adult phase, or the last larval stage, the larvae sexually matures into a male or female. In the adult stage, the helminth will reproduce and start the life cycle all over again.

Parasites and Diseases 1

1. The predominant parasites and infectious diseases of each continent.

According to the Parasitology Center Inc. (PCI) in Scottsdale, AZ, the number one parasite/disease in North America is what are known as protozoa, or single-celled organisms that cause disease in humans. Examples of the diseases that these protozoa are known to inflict on people are malaria, giardiasis, dysentery, and trichomoniasis. Next are called blastocystis hominis, or other single cell organisms found in molds and algae. These organisms are in the digestive tract and cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and GI problems. Then comes cryptosporidium parvum which is a mammalian digestive tract parasite. C. parvum is considered to be the most important waterborne parasite in developed countries, and, in immuno-compromised people, it causes dehydration and sometimes death. There is also the problem of helminth organisms, or worms.  Everybody knows about roundworms and tapeworms, but there are also hookworms, pinworms, liver flukes, and whipworm. All are somewhat prevalent worldwide, and combined are a very real problem.

In South America, there are many prevalent parasites and diseases because of the numerous tropical regions of the continent. Malaria is one of the foremost and important health problems in South America and has had confirmed cases in every country. There is also the issue of Yellow Fever, which is endemic in certain regions at certain times. The CDC requires travelers going to most of the South American countries to get a vaccination first. Cholera is a very serious disease in a good portion of South America. The reason for this is that the water and food are not cleaned or disinfected before buying it and water is not thoroughly boiled before drinking. The water problem is not an issue in big cities but outside of the cities, the water should not be expected to be clean. The last one that I will discuss is Leishmania, which is second only to malaria in deaths caused. It is spread through sandflies and unleashes a terrible attack on the body that can affect the liver and spleen, and possibly cause anemia and death.

Asia, and namely southeast Asia, is home to some of the world's most unique and affective diseases/parasites. Leishmaniasis is a very important disease in the region as well, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Another important problem, especially in southeast Asia, is Malaria. Due to certain catastrophes, wars, and drugs, the southeast Asia region does not have reliable and clean drinking water, which contributes to the malaria problem. According to WHO’s southeast Asian office, “regionally measles is the commonest cause of childhood death due to a vaccine-preventable disease and remains a major cause of both morbidity and mortality.” It says that the reason it is still a problem is the underutilization of the vaccine for measles. A new threat to Asia, is the Dengue virus. The Dengue virus is looks a lot like measles, but can turn into a hemorrhagic shock, in some cases, causing circulatory failure.

Europe is a very developed and mostly modernized region, not unlike North America, which means it has problems more associated with developed nations. All 53 countries in the region are polio free and there are only 5 countries left that are affected by malaria according to WHO/Europe. However on a bad note, measles is one of the leading causes of childhood death. Europe has been distributing the vaccine in hopes to rid Europe of measles. A communicable disease that is prevalent in the area is the rotavirus. It is responsible for 25% of all diarrheal illnesses and more than 10,000 children under 5 die in the European region each year.

Africa is a continent of very unique cultures and very contrasting people due to environmental barriers. Diseases and parasites of Africa are very tropical and different. The first one I will talk about is African Trypanosomiasis, or African sleeping sickness. The parasite is carried around by the Tsetse fly and is transmitted through a bite. In diagnosis, sleeping sickness has the same symptoms as meningitis. As with other regions, malaria, yellow fever, and cholera are very common diseases. Typhoid fever is also a somewhat common occurrence in the southern countries. It originates in contaminated food or water that is ingested and is common in the rural areas of southern Africa. Last, Dengue fever is considered a common disease. It is an endemic disease in certain parts of the continent during certain seasons of the year.

In Australia, the most prevalent disease is malaria, as with numerous other continents. Lice and scabies are an issue as well in Australia. Helminths are a source of disease, including tapeworm, roundworm, pinworm, and whipworm. Trichomaniasis is a very important issue in the region as well.

Water

1) Where is the water in the world? All of the water? Freshwater? Accessible water? Potable water? Contaminated water?

Water is just about everywhere on Earth. Between ocean water, freshwater sources, groundwater, water vapor, precipitation, ice, etc., water is the most abundant resource in the world. Water is what distinguishes Earth from the rest of the planets and is what makes human life possible to sustain. Ocean water takes up just over 70% of Earth's surface and comprises upwards of 95% of all of the planets water. Water makes major changes to the Earth as well. Water in the atmosphere is what comprises/influences weather patterns, hurricanes, climate shifts/changes, tsunamis, and the overall temperature of the planet. It changes the landscape and alters the environment through erosion (the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon), runoff from precipitation and agriculture, creating water-heavy/absent environments (deserts/rainforests), and pretty much impacting every living habitat on the face of the Earth. Water is everywhere.


Freshwater is exactly that; water that is free of salt. A lot of people get freshwater mixed up with drinking water. All freshwater is not drinking water, but all drinking water is freshwater. Fresh water comes from underground aquifers, glaciers and ice caps, freshwater rivers/lakes/ponds/streams, atmospheric water vapor, precipitation, and snow. It is well broken down in this link: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html

The biggest problem with water in the world today is not the lack of water, nor is it the cleanliness of water; it is the lack of adequate access to water. Accessible water is a problem right now for those that have suffered the effects of tsunamis in east and southeast Asia. Millions upon millions of people are now deprived access to clean drinking water. The increase in urbanization and rapid population of these urban areas contribute to the problem of limited access and it has become a very real problem for many people today.

Potable water is the same as drinking water. In the US, water has to be of a specific quality and must meet certain governmental standards to be considered good enough to drink. Water is tested for amounts of certain contaminants through means of Nitrogen, coliform, E. coli, total dissolved solids, hardness, pH, and iron content testing. The way that the water is purified is by physical (sedimentation/filtration), biological (activated sludge), and chemical means (chlorination/flocculation),As previously stated, the biggest concern with water is the access to potable water but there are still places on the Earth where good drinking water is available.

Contaminated water is water that has been polluted by human sewage, agricultural/urban runoff, and other pollution generated by power plants and factories. This is water that, if imbibed, would cause sickness, disease, and even death. One water contaminant that has been a huge problem recently in our region of the nation has been the oil pipe burst in the Gulf. This has become a problem because of the biological repercussion of death to droves of fish, completely decimating ecosystems, and impacting the regional fishing economy. Water contamination effects everybody.

2) Where in the world are the good and accessible soils for agriculture, silviculture, and farming?

As we know in the US, the most used area for farming is the midwest because there is more land and less people. A very good percentage of people in this country live within 100 miles of the coast, so there is much more land per person in the middle of the country. It is very tough to gauge which areas are the best for overall farming because different crops require certain soil compositions for optimal growth. Tobacco is mostly grown in the south and southeast, grains and vegetables are mainly grown in the midwest, and fruits are principally grown near the coast or in areas with vast amounts of precipitation. Cattle and livestock are raised in just about all regions of the country but the numbers are much higher in the midwest due to more land to graze on. Since there are no real rainforests (but many small forests) in the US and the presence of the ever growing timber business, silviculture is principally left to places with lush rainforests and legitimate sources of sustainable forest management. The last important and size-able places left in the country that would be using silviculture would be in the northwest and Alaska. Outside of the country, there are millions of places that are sustaining the forest. these include the Amazon (even though they are cutting it down at a very fast rate as well), the Nile river surroundings, and other lush areas teaming with forest and adequate precipitation.

4) Identify the ten most populated cities in the world. Identify the ten most populated cities in the United States. Identify tribal groups in the world that have little or no contact with "modern society". Where is the greatest ethnic diversity? Where is the least ethnic diversity?

World (http://topoflists.com/2011/04/12/top-10-most-populated-cities-of-the-world-in-2011/) - 10) Jakarta, Indonesia; 9) Seoul, South Korea; 8) Sao Paulo, Brazil; 7) Moscow, Russia; 6) Mumbai, India; 5) Delhi, India; 4) Karachi, Pakistan; 3) Istanbul, Turkey; 2) Beijing, China; 1) Shanghai, China

USA (http://www.tiptoptens.com/2011/05/08/10-most-populated-cities-in-america-us/) - 10) San Jose; 9) Dallas; 8) San Diego; 7) San Antonio; 6) Phoenix; 5) Philadelphia; 4) Houston; 3) Chicago; 2) Los Angeles; 1) New York, NY

The "most isolated tribes" in the world are the Sentilese and Jarawa tribes of the Andaman Islands located in the Bay of Bengal. A link: http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/1367. Other tribal areas/tribes that have had little or no contact with the outside world include any Indian Ocean Islander tribes, Pacific Isander tribes like those in the Pitcairn Island (a community made of 50 people that were the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutiny), the Tibetan tribes only found in certain areas on the way up/down Mt. Everest, tribes throughout the Amazon, and the peoples that live in or close proximity to Siberia.

The greatest cultural/ethnic diversity can be found right here in America, in New York City. People from all over the world come to NYC daily to go siteseeing and spend their money. The most culturally diverse city in the world, NYC has everything from Jewish delis, to Dutch bakeries, to Italian bistros, and that's just the eateries. There are mosques, temples, churches, and other places of worship. There are millions of people that have different sexual preferences, cultural backgrounds, and ethnicities. All of these are rolled up into one crazy, beautiful, unforgiving city.

The least culturally/ethnically diverse place in the world would have to be the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This is because there are no outsiders, no outside influences, no changes in culture in the last couple thousand years, and no diversity whatsoever. As alluring as it sounds to have never been touched by society, these cultures have not changed from spears, arrowheads, and fire. These people also threaten and kill any outsider that comes near their island and turn away any societal influences that may be placed on them.

5) Where in the world are the people? What are some interesting statistics about the quality of life for the people of the world? (For example, how many large populations live great distances from clean water?)

People have inhabited almost every place on Earth so the question of where they are is better stated as to where people are not. The only thing I am able to show is . That is as close as it gets to trying to show where people live and work.

Some interesting population statistics on quality of life:
-Bhutan has a GNH, or Gross National Happiness, that puts a numerical value on it's country's citizen's quality of life. On their website it states, "...ultimately without peace, security and happiness we have nothing. That is the essence of the philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Our most important goal is the peace and happiness of our people and the security and sovereignty of the nation." The link is: http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/.

-The world population is 6.9 billion.
-About a quarter of the population live in the developed nations (meaning they have average food consumption well above their needs, a low infant mortality rate, high life expectancy, and literacy approaching 100%)
-1/4 of the population uses 4/5 of the world's commercial energy
-35 thousand children die each day from starvation
-In International Living's 2011 Quality of Life Index, the top 5 places to live regarding quality of life are, from 5-1, were Monaco, France, Malta, New Zealand, and #1=United States.
-The worst 5 places were, from 189-194, were Angola, Sudan, Yemen, Chad, and last/certainly least Somalia
-Health was found to be the worst in Sierra Leone and the best in Japan and France
-The best environment was found to be in Iceland and the worst in Sierra Leone
-The economy was found to be the best in the US and the worst in Zimbabwe
-There were many countries that tied for the best in risk and safety while Afghanistan and Iraq were the least safe places in the world
-Infrastructure was also taken into account and America took the top spot while Guinea, Central African Republic, Burma, Ethiopia, and Burundi all tied for the worst infrastructure


All of these statistics were taken from the 2011 Quality of Life Index here: http://www1.internationalliving.com/qofl2011/