🚀 go-pugleaf

in article <1527@ac.dal.ca>, bthill@ac.dal.ca says:
> 2.  Malathion should not be used as a pesticide until it is determined to be
> safe for humans and non-target animals.  The economic cost of loss of citrus
> crop to fruit flies should not have priority over a healthy community.

How safe is safe?  Malathion has been proved safe to the extent that it
won't kill humans immediately; in fact, previous usage has proved that
any harmful effects it may have are small enough to get lost in the
statistical noise of everyday mortality.  It's certainly much safer than
many other accepted activities such as driving or smoking.

Furthermore, not to combat the med fly now while the infestation is small
probably means letting the infestation grow to a point that it can never
be wiped out.  This would mean billions of dollars in economic losses.
Those dollars will have to come from somewhere, ultimately making health
care, sanitation, education, and other life-enhancing portions of the
economy more expensive, thus less accessible, thus increasing mortality.
I realize that this can't be quantified, but keep it in mind anyway when
people talk of spending huge quantities of money for inconsequential
albeit laudable goals.
-- 
Mark Isaak    {decwrl,sun}!imagen!isaak  or  imagen!isaak@decwrl.dec.com
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies." - Nietzsche