Douglas E. Frame's Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roaring brook, what’s your name?

Is it “babbling”, or “gushing”

caught between a rock and a hard place

yet never forgetting its place, moving downhill?

 

In the morning a scrambling knave, forever starts and stops

rambling through the days, as a ne’er do well.

Lost in a quandary, perplexed by a puzzle

Finding something lost, but never returned

 

And a babe in the night crying, held close onto mother’s breast

Reassured that the monsters of the night persist not

While frigid air may waft through the room

A roaring fire burns shedding light, and warmth

 

Or the homeless wanderer lost in the midst of plenty

A vagabond among humanity, interlaced with roads and bridges

Searching for what cannot exist, or wants what all want, but cannot have

shoes unlaced,and untied, disheveled, disgraced, black sheep of the family

 

Yet the golden boy stands erect, upright, like Adonis beaming power

And the touch of King Midas anoints the crowd that mulls about

The ardor of God sits watching over the flock pondering

Well tended are all, not left alone in their travails on earth.

 

An angel wings, in showing brilliance and light, to light up the night

like a prism showing the jewels of the wealth of men set up for all to see

And the halo never dimmed, but shown out of respect to the those living free

proving that no evil exists unpunished, no lie goes unrevealed

 

So is it a babbling brook or something more monstrous that rules the day

like a flood or the unstoppable shriek of a tempest’s sea

or rather as a calmness that comes at the eye of the storm,

so that all can rest and smile, for the fateful day has not yet come

An even keel

the winding wheel

round and round

upward and down

 

The wheel of life

never knowing

never knowing

where it all revolves

 

inward like a vortex

swirling, ever swirling

like a collapsing star

toward the birth of new worlds

 

or a fountain of red and gold

revealing the lifeblood of the populace

doing their duty

remembering their charge

 

Foundations of life

stir sleeping, ever sleeping

up the stairs, toward a better life

never knowing what to keep

 

Round and round it goes

like a baritone singing so fine

to find a sound

worth hearing, worth hearing

 

Plausibly it seems

that of all the dreams

the one held tight

long into the night

regards what’s right

Oh dubious plight!

of feeling, of feeling

ever feeling

 

In this manner it goes

jumping like frog or toad

but so sublime

prince before it’s time

 

moving toward one’s goal

be it mountain or shoal

in your days of old

ever reaching, ever reaching

A forest green
a meadow scene
meandering path
forward ever forward

A deed well done
is never past
a frolic of fun
forever done

the sun, it’s rays
shine through the days
reminding us of ways
a day well done

The stars at night never
betray the plight
of those who might
for fun, for fun

Oh fabulous day
oh glorious play
of the colors of hues
not charging dues

and at the end
my friend, my ever friend
is lost not forever
but dwells within

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The glitch with Google seems to be fixed. The Yoga Party: Philosophical Writing can be accessed there as far as I can tell.

I am having trouble making my book available. Google Books no longer is able to sell my book because of some glitch. Hopefully this will be resolved soon.

I tried making it 100 percent viewable through preview, but now there are problems with the formatting of the preview. So If anyone wants a copy of the book, email me at frame@framepublishing.com   I will send it out to you free of charge as a PDF file.

Because of the joker that is selling my book at $2475.00 dollars, I have decided to go ahead and update the third edition (the one I am offering to you now) to a 4th edition which I hope to have finished before too long. It will be newly edited and I will throw in some of my poetry as well.

I wanted to assert my solidarity with the OWS peaceful protestors. Be careful folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This book seller is selling my book which I had listed at $9.95 for $2475.00

The Yoga Party: Philosophical Writings

If you buy this book, this sale is not sanctioned by me. In fact it is being sold at this price against my will. I receive no proceeds from this sale. I do not own this copy.

 

Check out my writing at Suite101

I'm happy to report that I have been promoted at Suite101 to Topic Editor. As well as reading other philosopher's writings, I will continue to write my own. Could life be better? Drop by and see my articles there. Thanks!

My Suite101 profile

 

The Argument Against DDT Use 

Malaria is the 11th most common cause of death in the world. It is the 2nd leading cause of death in Africa (Gideon, 2011). There has been little success in eliminating malaria around the world. Many countries are desperate to control this scourge.

DDT has been used in many countries throughout the world. The use of DDT began in the United States in 1945. It was thought to be a miraculous insecticide that seemed to have few toxic effects on humans. It was learned later that it had deleterious effect not only on insects but it also became obvious that it was very toxic to birds, especially predatory birds (World, 1989). One well known effect was that it decreased the shell thickness of many species of birds, causing the shells to crack, and the embryos die when the mother came to roost.

The extent of the effects of DDT are unknown. The toxicity in humans, while previously not regarded as significant, is now a source of great concern. DDT has pronounced environmental effects and there is concern about ecosystem which ultimately support human health and survival. (World, 1989). There are also ethical considerations where the poor, such as farm workers, whom were most likely to be exposed to pesticides.

It is not readily apparent that DDT causes harm to humans, but in this paper I will discuss several articles that make the claim that DDT is in fact toxic to humans. This is a special concern because DDT is known to accumulate in the environment, and is absorbed easily into the soil, and can persist in the environment (World, 1989).

Now there is evidence of the toxic effects of DDT in recent studies. One important issue is is the risk of contamination greater than the benefits of its use, especially when spraying to eliminate mosquitos which carry the Plasmodium parasite which causes Malaria. There are other risks too, including what are the long term implications are on human health as well as the long term effects on the ecology that supports human survival (World, 1989).

When used extensively to eradicate mosquitos, this pesticide was so much more successful that other classes of insecticides. Conditions were markedly improved in areas where Anopheles mosquitos infested. But after its ban in many countries the prevalence of mosquitos returned to their previous levels of infestation.

The choice is not only between whether DDT should be used or not because of its toxicity, but there is evidence that some Anopheles mosquitos are developing some tolerance to DDT. Once DDT is lost in the arsenal, its usefulness for major new outbreaks would be eliminated. So what is the answer?

Is it ethically justified if the fact of DDT's ability to persist and continue to kill mosquitos is also tied with toxicity in humans and the environment?

 

Statistics and Stakeholders

 

The goal of DDT use is to control and eventually eliminate the carrier of plasmodium, the Anopheles mosquito. There are many species of Anopheles mosquitoes which include Anopheles Bambiae in Africa, Anopheles Arabiensis in Uganda, Cameroon, Sudan, Zimbabwe and South Africa.  There are also the species Anopheles Sinesis in China, Anopheles Epiroticus in Vietnam all of which can carry different species of the plasmodium parasite.

"In humans, the parasites (called sporozoites) travel to the liver, where they mature and release another form, the merozoites. These enter the bloodstream and infect the red blood cells." "The parasites multiply inside the red blood cells, which then rupture within 48 to 72 hours, infecting more red blood cells. The first symptoms usually occur 10 days to 4 weeks after infection, though they can appear as early as 8 days or as long as a year after infection. Then the symptoms occur in cycles of 48 to 72 hours". This infection can result in anemia. chills,coma, convulsions, fever headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, bloody stools, sweating, vomiting. (National, 2011) There are 4 types of parasites that can infect humans. These include Plasmodium Vivax which rarely causes death, Plasmodium Malariae which is not usually fatal,  Plasmodium Ovale which is the rarest form and finally Plasmodium Falciparum which is the most lethal (Malaria, 2009)

In 2009 there were 81 million cases of Malaria. In 2006 there were 881,000 deaths. About 860,000 Africans die from malaria each year (Gideon, 2011). In 2001, malaria was ranked the 8th highest contributor to the global Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) and 2nd in Africa (Salazar-Garcia, 2004).

As is clear the impact of Malaria in Africa is most severe and affects the quality of life and its socioeconomic status. Since malaria is such a burden on the health care system the stakeholders include hospital personnel, administrators and others. The government has a vital interest in addressing the problem of malaria because of its effect on the standard of health and well-being. Businesses in general too must be concerned about malaria because of days missed due to work, the inability to acquire new investment and to recruit. Also international agencies such as the World Health Organization that are inevitably involved because malaria knows no borders and any effort to eradicate it must involve all of the countries involved. With all stakeholders involved, a concerted effort can be effective. This interest is especially vital in Africa, with plasmodium falciparum, because of it's lethality.

 

Evidence of DDT Toxicity in Humans

 

When deciding if DDT spraying is justified, the central factor is what effect it will have on ecosystems and human health. While it has not been definitively demonstrated that DDT causes harm to humans, there are studies that point out statistical probability that there is toxicity in humans and may even contribute to cancer. There is reason to believe that there may be a dose-response relationship between DDT spraying and human toxicity.

 

Breast Cancer and DDT Toxicity

 

One concern regarding DDT toxicity is that it persists in andipose tissue (World,1989). One female organ, the breast, is composed almost totally of andipose tissue. Over time with long term exposure it is conceivable that DDT can build up in the breast.

DDT first became legal in the US in 1945 and was finally outlawed in 1972. Cohn examined those who had longer exposure with those that had less. "Because DDT was first widely introduced in the United States  beginning in 1945, a woman's age in 1945 is a proxy for the youngest at exposure to DDT for the age when DDT use was peaking" (Cohn, 2007).

Cohn continues " High levels of serum p,p' -DDT, a median 17 years before diagnosis, predicted a 5-fold increased risk of breast cancer among women who were born after 1931. These women were

 

DDT and Neurotoxicity

 

In Salazar-Garcia's study, it indicates a dose dependent toxic relationship between DDT and congenital malformations.  In Salazar-Garcia's study there is also shown a dose dependent relationship between DDT exposure and limitations in neurodevelopment among young Mexican American children (Salazar-Garcia, 2004). There is also a statistical correlation between poverty and the manifestation of DDT's toxic effect (Esenzai, 2006).

 

DDT and Birth Defects

 

In Salazar-Garcia's study there was evidence of a dose dependent increase in congenital deformities among Malaria control workers when the workers had on average 15 years of exposure as chemical workers. " The most common congenital malformations reported were in the nervous system and the osteomuscular system. The number of cases of other birth defects were as follows: eye and ear, leporino lip, chromosomal and other congenital deformities" (Salazar-Garcia, 2004).  Similar to the Cohn study, a dose dependent relationship was pronounced.

 

Is Using DDT Justified in the Battle Against Malaria?

 

First off it should be recognized that DDT is not sufficient in the battle against the Anopheles carrier of the malaria causing parasite. Evidence mounts that resistance is increasing among many of the species of Anopheles mosquitos.

One reason that DDT is the pesticide of choice is because it is less expensive. It is the preferred choice and also the bane of environmentalists for the same reason, it's ability to persist and bioaccumulate. It is considered more effective because it kills longer and therefore has a better outcome. The more money saved, the greater risk of toxicity. Since the harm done to life and humans in particular is unknown, is it prudent to balance health against DDT's persistence in the environment?

DDT is not the only insecticide that is effective against malaria. Others do not bioaccumulate and persist which is what makes DDT more effective. A greater investment in malaria eradication could be just as effective in eliminating this scourge but the political will does not exist.

The largest rate of morbidity and mortality for malaria exists predominately in the poorer countries in Africa and lesser so in Asia and Latin America. It is difficult to establish a cause effect relationship between malaria and poverty since malaria robs a country of its wealth with increased morbidity and mortality. But this poverty supports the claim that something must be done without increasing human suffering.

Not only are there other insecticides that are effective in killing the Anopheles mosquito, but these pesticides do not bioaccumulate. It is my opinion that with the political will malaria can be eliminated. Strategies using treated mosquito nets, improving housing in the affected communities, better management of bodies of water as well (Berg, 2009) and using less "cost effective" insect sprays, there is no reason that malaria cannot be eliminated without threatening ecosystems and human lives.

The evidence is there that DDT bioaccumulates in the environment and in particular human fat cells where it remains indefinitely. It is also clear from the evidence that with this accumulation in the human body that toxic effects are possible. With the political will malaria can be eliminated using safer (and saner) alternatives.

 

References

 

Berg, H. (2009). Global status of DDT and its alternatives for use in vector control to prevent disease. Environmental Health Perspectives, 117(11), 1656-1663. doi:10.1289/ehp.0900785

 

Cohn, B., Wolff, M., Cirillo, P., & Sholtz, R. (2007). DDT and Breast Cancer in Young Women: New Data on the Significance of Age at Exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(10), 1406-1414. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

 

Eskenazi, B.,  Marks, A., Bradman, A., Fenster, L.,  Johnston, C., Barr, D., and Jewell, N. (2006) In Utero Exposure to Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and neurodevelopment among young Mexican American children.  Pediatrics 118.1  p233(9).

 

Gideon (2011) Retrieved on July 9, 2011 from http://web.gideononline.com/web/epidemiology/

 

Malaria Prevention.Info Malaria Types. (2009) Retrieved on July 9, 2011 from  http://www.malariaprevention.info/malaria_types.html

 

National Institute of Health. National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. Malaria (2011) Retrieved On July 11, 2011 from

http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/malaria/Pages/default.aspx

 

Salazar-García, F., Díaz, E., Prudencia Cerón-Mireles, Dana Loomis, & Victor H Borja-Aburto. (2004). Reproductive Effects of Occupational DDT Exposure among Male Malaria Control workers. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112(5), 542-7.  Retrieved July 6, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 711593291).

 

Snow, R., Newton, C., (2003) Disease Control Priorities Project: Working Paper No. 11 The Public Health Burden of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Africa: Deriving the Numbers. World Health Organization. Retrieved on July 10, 2011 from http://archives.who.int/prioritymeds/report/append/610snow_wp11.pdf

 

World Health Organization (1989). DDT and Its Derivatives – Environmental Aspects. International Program On Chemical Safety. WHO:Geneva. Retrieved on July 9, 2011 from http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc83.htm