[eagleninja]

It is a well established fact that DDT destroyed the egg shells of a wide range of birds including the bald eagle, our nation's symbol of freedom.

If I have to swat a few bugs in order for my kids to be able to see an eagle soaring across the sky, so be it.

Not all chemical compounds are safe. That's why DDT was banned. Wake up and smell the coffee and let's move on to some real issues.

[Squawk 8888]

It is a well established fact that DDT destroyed the egg shells of a wide range of birds including the bald eagle, our nation's symbol of freedom.

Goebels would be proud. That eggshell myth was debunked back in the 60s, there is no evidence of any kind that the eggs of exposed birds are any more fragile, but of course it gets repeated so often that nobody ever hears the truth. MOF the use of DDT actually caused the population of all species of birds (including the bald eagle) to increase because the biggest killer of birds is insect-borne disease.

[Lurker]

Here's wishing your kids come down with a nice case of malaria.

Somehow I doubt they'll be able to enjoy the sight of an eagle soaring when they are wracked with cramps. But hey, it'll be worth it, right?

Besides, who cares about all those darkies dying around the world. It isn't your problem is it?

L

[backhoe]

You did read the evidence in those links, didn't you?

[medved]

If I have to swat a few bugs in order for my kids to be able to see an eagle soaring across the sky, so be it.

A buddy of mine studied under one of America's leading falconry artists, in fact the guy who released the perigrines in Baltimore, and claims that guy said the whole thing about DDT and birds was a bunch of BS.

[Mark Bahner]

"It is a well established fact that DDT destroyed the egg shells of a wide range of birds including the bald eagle, our nation's symbol of freedom."

That's actually a matter of some scientific debate. Counts of bald eagles from 1941 to 1960, the period from DDT introduction to large-scale use, apparently showed bald eagle populations actually increased:

"A comparison of the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Counts between 1941 (pre-DDT) and 1960 (after DDT’s use had waned) reveals that at least 26 different kinds of birds became more numerous during those decades, the period of greatest DDT usage. The Audubon counts document an overall increase in birds seen per observer from 1941 to 1960, and statistical analyses of the Audubon data confirm the perceived increases. For example, only 197 bald eagles were documented in 194111; the number had increased to 891 in 1960.12"

http://www.altgreen.com.au/che micals/ddt.html

"Not all chemical compounds are safe. That's why DDT was banned."

That's definitely incorrect! DDT was banned by William Ruckelshaus, the first administrator of the EPA. He banned DDT, despite the fact that DDT had been ruled by a federal judge to be safe, when used appropriately:

"In April 1972, after seven months of testimony, Judge Edmund Sweeney stated that “DDT is not a carcinogenic hazard to man. . . . The uses of DDT under the regulations involved here do not have a deleterious effect on freshwater fish, estuarine organisms, wild birds, or other wildlife. . . . The evidence in this proceeding supports the conclusion that there is a present need for the essential uses of DDT.”31"

"Wake up and smell the coffee and let's move on to some real issues."

Perhaps it's not a "real issue" to YOU that over 1 million people die every year of malaria, and that DDT could save 10s of thousands, or even 100s of thousands of those lives. It IS an issue to those of us who care about thousands and thousands of people dying needlessly, every year.

DDT has probably saved more lives than any man-made compound ever developed. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences stated, in 1970: “In little more than two decades, DDT has prevented 500 million human deaths due to malaria, that would otherwise have been inevitable.”

The people who are actually on the front lines in fighting malaria in the third world are solidly in favor of the continued use of DDT. It's truly a shame that their opinions get so little support.

Mark Bahner (environmental engineer)

[Rodney King]

It is a well established fact that DDT destroyed the egg shells of a wide range of birds including the bald eagle, our nation's symbol of freedom.

That's just not true. All the government agencies that studied the issue in the early 70's said that it was not true. It was the politicians that banned it.

[chemainus]

EAGLENINJA is so full of misinformation....I have read the papers on egg shell thinning and not a single one of them produces ANY notion of eggshell thinning due to DDT....quite the contrary, the decline was due to poor nutrition and loss of habitat due to large numbers of "family farms" denuding millions of acres because the people were starving !!! Large agribusiness...some may hate it...is responsible for the resurgence of bird, deer and predator populations.... not a damned thing done by the environmentalists or the Rachel Carson socialist liars brought these populations back!!!!

[netmilsmom]

>>It is a well established fact that DDT destroyed the egg shells of a wide range of birds including the bald eagle, our nation’s symbol of freedom. <<

No it isn’t. Read the links here

>>If I have to swat a few bugs in order for my kids to be able to see an eagle soaring across the sky, so be it. <<

Yeah, tell that to the mother holding her DEAD child that could have been prevented by the use of DDT.

What an unbelievably selfish statement you just made. It’s all about your kids, isn’t it?