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Where Are The Greens On Malaria?
By ALICIA COLON
April 21, 2006
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Every single day I get e-mail from various environmental groups warning about global warming. Matt Drudge posts on his Web site the latest exhortations about this issue from scientists, politicians, Hollywood celebs, and, of course, Al Gore. A coalition of environmentalists and institutional investors recently laid out for AOL customers a listing of which companies will be best prepared for climate change. Greens may be concerned for their wallets, but when it comes to the lives of Africans, these environmentalists are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.
April 25 is Africa Malaria Day, but don't expect headlines reflecting on the unnecessary deaths of millions of Africans. Don't expect to hear about rallies organized by the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton alleging racism behind these deaths. In fact, the only civil rights organization that has been fully involved and spearheading efforts to stop the epidemic is based in New York City. It's the Congress of Racial Equality. Roy Innis, the CORE chairman, recently issued a press release citing the enormous impact of malaria on Africans. He writes: "Every year, over 400 million African mothers, fathers and children are stricken by acute malaria."
According to Mr. Innis, the calls for the world community to take action have led to nothing but bombast because "radical greens continue to obstruct proven strategies, and disease and death rates climb."
What's the environmentalists' beef? DDT, of course. The most effective insecticide against the malarial mosquito was banned here in 1972, thanks to Rachel Carson's junk science classic "The Silent Spring." Although never toxic to human beings, DDT was cited as endangering certain birds and banned - and millions of Africans died as a result. Why no outrage? All together now: Because it's in Africa.
Will this year be any different? Mr. Innis expresses hope that it will be because Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a cofounder of Greenpeace, Patrick Moore, and hundreds of physicians, clergy, and human rights advocates are joining him in demanding that DDT be put back into the malaria control arsenal.
There has been growing support for indoor DDT spraying, which greatly reduces any contact with the environment. Sprayed in small quantities, just twice a year, on the walls and eaves of mud and thatch or cinder block homes, it keeps 90% of the mosquitoes from entering the premises. No other insecticide - at any price - does that.
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