cDean Hoffman wrote:
HeyBub wrote:

But why was DDT banned? As I recall, laboratory rats, when force-fed
five pounds of DDT per day, developed distended bellies and became
lethargic. There was some evidence that the Star-faced mole (who
doesn't REALLY have a face) developed teats when DDT was used in its
environment. Pic of Star-faced mole:
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/973/s...le1360x673.jpg

It was banned largely because of a book written by Rachel Carson
called Silent Spring. This might be a good example of PR
overwhelming science. Some commentary here from Junk Science:

http://tinyurl.com/2xzquc

DDT was banned because it was effective at reducing malaria-related deaths.
In the part of the world where people die from malaria, it is more humane to
let nature run its course than to get in the way and have all of those
people breed uncontrollably and end up starving themselves to death (which
they do anyway).

Jon