raden wrote:
In message . com,
writes
Jason Judge wrote:

Africa is a continent with a meat-rich diet, very little in the way of
health and safety controls, almost no domestic fridges or freezers, and
a population desperate for food.

Which is different from other "third world" countries, how ?

thats relevant how?


On the other hand, how quickly does dried fruit in a dry
atmosphere go rotten enough to kill people?

That isnt whats going to get irradiated, because that isnt the problem.

IMO, you're ****ing in the wind

You are talking of a massive population

no, I wasnt. But you can.


How many machines, and at what cost are you expecting to have to produce
?

I was looking at one, finding out whether it was possible, afordable,
and if it would be worthwhile. Due to its size and the safety
complications, it isnt.


You need to be looking at cheap, low tech solutions, not expensive
hi-tech ones

youre confusing 2 things, cost and technology level. Obviusuly low cost
is necessary, but low tech is not. The need around technology is that
the unit work long term. This can be achieved in a number of possible
ways:
1. use low tech repairable locally
2. use high reliability high tech so it wont need repair
3. use multiple small devices so that the expected failure rate does
not kill the project

1 requires low etch, 2 and 3 can use low, high, medium or astronomic,
it makes no difference.


What on earth did Africa do before? Were they really all getting ill from
their traditional diet?

dying, in massive numbers. Why? Primarily because there isnt enough
food.

That's to a large extent a political problem, water being the main
culprit

sure its politically caused, but with respect Im not planning a coup
d'etat. I was looking to see what could be done within the system, not
to change the system. I'll leave the mass invasion to you.


Also infections from food to a lseser extent.

And inf4ections from AIDS to a larger extent

yep, been looking a bit at that too. Tough nut to crack though. Theres
no cure for aids. Kids are already educated on prevention, but behave
recklessly anyway.


Until the political situations are sorted, the problems with food will
continue to exist

that much is obvious. But like I said, Im not getting into a coup.


Do you really think that you're going to end up with a product which is
a) affordable

if anything goes ahead, it only does so if it were affordable. This
isnt difficult to work out.


and b) will get distributed to those who need it

I was looking at portable sterilisation for post distribution, not pre.

and c)
won't get used as a political weapon by those in power ?

The risk of that is acceptably low with a portable steriliser.


How does irradiated beefburgers help the millions dying of AIDs? What about
the millions displaced by war? Diseases spread by parasites and sewage and
floods? Does irradiated food help them?

No, it only helps people to get to eat.

You've never lived in a "third world" country have you

I'm talking about a country that is not at war, has not been at war for
some time, and does not suffer floods. You seem to be thinking of
something else.


Food shortage is one of the biggest problems, one of many of course.
Plenty die from lack of food there. Most people have to work more than
full time there just to eat.

But we're talking about staple foods like maize and rice - what good is
irradiation going to do ?

no we're not, or I'm not. Its primarily meat that needs irradiating.


Maybe you need to do some reading.

Maybe you need to get out there and discover the real problems.

Already have someone whos done that. I think the problem is youre
thinking about the messier countries like the congo, and Im talking
about the more stable ones.


NT