Mr. Milloy is a known shill for big oil & tobacco. He has regularily recieved money from astroturf groups like "CropLife America" (formorly the American Crop Protection Association) - a group of pesticide producers. His site "Junk Science" is more aptly named than you may have first recognized.
However that has nothing to with the truth of the claims presented about DDT. Except he is basically wrong.
DDT has continued to be used selectively around the world and when it hasn't been it was often because of overuse as an agricultural pesticide. Resistance evolved in mosquitos and this often no longer made it cost effective.
Some environmental groups have aggressively campaigned against DDT - not always for for reasons that were accurate - but their impact has been exagerated. And the idea that you can get from a few environmentalists are "chicken littles" to saying that Racheal Carson is worse than Hiler is ridiculous.
Check out a slightly more balanced view from an entymologist: http://membracid.wordpress.com/2007/06/07/ddt-junk-science-malaria-and-the-attack-on-rachel-carson/ quote: "DDT is NOT a cure-all solution for malaria. It has to be used–if it is used–carefully, with planning, evaluation, and forethought. It’s easy to understand why some folks want DDT to be a panacea–Malaria is a horrible disease, and children suffer the most. But jumping in and randomly spraying DDT can have the potential to make things worse, not better, in the long run."
Deltoid's series is enlightening as well: http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2007/05/who_put_out_the_contract_on_ra.php
Mr. Milloy is a known shill for big oil & tobacco. He has regularily recieved money from astroturf groups like "CropLife America" (formorly the American Crop Protection Association) - a group of pesticide producers. His site "Junk Science" is more aptly named than you may have first recognized.
However that has nothing to with the truth of the claims presented about DDT. Except he is basically wrong.
DDT has continued to be used selectively around the world and when it hasn't been it was often because of overuse as an agricultural pesticide. Resistance evolved in mosquitos and this often no longer made it cost effective.
Some environmental groups have aggressively campaigned against DDT - not always for for reasons that were accurate - but their impact has been exagerated. And the idea that you can get from a few environmentalists are "chicken littles" to saying that Racheal Carson is worse than Hiler is ridiculous.
Check out a slightly more balanced view from an entymologist:
http://membracid.wordpress.com/2007/06/07/ddt-junk-science-malaria-and-the-attack-on-rachel-carson/
quote:
"DDT is NOT a cure-all solution for malaria. It has to be used–if it is used–carefully, with planning, evaluation, and forethought. It’s easy to understand why some folks want DDT to be a panacea–Malaria is a horrible disease, and children suffer the most. But jumping in and randomly spraying DDT can have the potential to make things worse, not better, in the long run."
Deltoid's series is enlightening as well:
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2007/05/who_put_out_the_contract_on_ra.php