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Re: China and Food (was Re: Ecological Economics and Entropy)



On Thu, 28 Nov 1996 11:35:10 -0800, Dale Wagner
<dwagner@mail.coos.or.us> wrote:

>Wasn't it just a few years ago that AIDS was supposed to devastate the 
>population of Africa because 60 or 90% had it?  Hollering wolf too often 
>makes it much harder to get attention-pretty soon the envoirementilists 
>will have to bring in the pelt to keep from being laughed at.  Which is 
>too bad because they have some valid points that need to be examimed.
>Dale Wagner

Dale,
 
I think you're right about the environuts: there is a very great
danger that they are creating cynicism and disbelief which will make
support for rational policies difficult to get.
 
On AIDS in Africa, however, the horror stories are true.  I think the
90% figure is your mind playing tricks on you, but 25% HIV positive
for some groups of adult males in Uganda seems to be generally
accepted, and the number of AIDS deaths is still on the accelerating
part of the curve in Africa.
 
The disease is called "slim" in English speaking Africa, because the
victims get thinner and thinner, and die as wraiths.  It will come
under control in due course: an African friend tells me this is "the
generation of the condom", but it will come under control at an
equilibrium point where huge numbers will have died.
 
                                                 -dlj.




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