Comments on: Postscript on Kenya, climate change and malaria http://www.carboncommentary.com/2010/01/19/1281 A critical appraisal of issues in the move to a low-carbon economy Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:30:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alistair http://www.carboncommentary.com/2010/01/19/1281/comment-page-1#comment-3020 Alistair Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:31:57 +0000 http://www.carboncommentary.com/?p=1281#comment-3020 I understand that previous intervention involving release of sterilised male mosquitos has helped to reduce mosquito populations in northern Africa to the extent that cattle were healthier .... leading to over grazing, and faster desertification... The balance of life is complicated, and the role mosquitoes and malaria play maybe more complex than we realise in areas of very marginal productivity due to low rainfall. Reforestation and improved land management is likely the way forwards in very many areas, which can lead to more reliable rainfall, more nutrient availability, better crops, stabilised sand/soils, and so on. As ever we see in British governance, the small steps that are known to make a difference to everything, in a big way, get little attention when there are big pharma dollars to be spent on clever scientific intervention with man playing god even where this spend is not of proven value. I understand that previous intervention involving release of sterilised male mosquitos has helped to reduce mosquito populations in northern Africa to the extent that cattle were healthier …. leading to over grazing, and faster desertification…
The balance of life is complicated, and the role mosquitoes and malaria play maybe more complex than we realise in areas of very marginal productivity due to low rainfall.

Reforestation and improved land management is likely the way forwards in very many areas, which can lead to more reliable rainfall, more nutrient availability, better crops, stabilised sand/soils, and so on.
As ever we see in British governance, the small steps that are known to make a difference to everything, in a big way, get little attention when there are big pharma dollars to be spent on clever scientific intervention with man playing god even where this spend is not of proven value.

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