My mate recently argued that the world is grossly overpopulated, and that the Ebola outbreak could be a saving grace to halt global warming by killing off a large chunk of the earth's population.
OT - Ebola
- Thread starter Dr.Stanley O'Google, HCFC
- Start date
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My mate recently argued that the world is grossly overpopulated, and that the Ebola outbreak could be a saving grace to halt global warming by killing off a large chunk of the earth's population.
Maybe the Chinese? They seem to be investing in/developing in almost every other field.
What - sorta like the Spanish Influenza did in 1919 (or the 'Black Death' in the Middle Ages?
Britain's foreign aid policy does not need to be dragged into a thread about Ebola, you continue to push your luck with political posts, you won't be warned again.
NorthFerribyTiger
Well-Known Member
Even the Chinese are wanting to make profits, there is a difference between producing cheap electronics & drugs.
Global patents on new drugs are worth billions where there is someone willing pay, but patents on drugs (however effective) when the target group cannot afford them are worthless.
You need to remember in many of the countries affected by Ebola there isn't even the most basic health service, poor road links, poor sanitation & poor nutrition, fear of western medicines, hence the infection taking hold. Some tribal leaders still deny Ebola exists
I am aware of these things. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^6
It looks like profit will have to be foregone, to some degree.
Erm, no. Me and Stan were/are having a conversation about how foreign aid in Africa can prevent Ebola outbreaks in the future. I noticed how you didn't warn Stan.
Keep making your empty threats though.
NorthFerribyTiger
Well-Known Member
The purpose of foreign aid is to improve the infrastructure such as clean water, better roads, education, food production.
Without these things diseases like Ebola will continue to thrive in these countries.
While the death rate from this Ebola outbreak is bad, diseases (preventable & treatable) like Malaria kill many more each year
I know, but the intense political discussion is too much for OLM to handle...
It's interesting that the Black Death that appeared in Europe around 1347/8 did so after a period of increasing population.
And what caused that increase ? The climate. A sustained period of warming for a couple of centuries lead to bumper crops which then gave rise to a better diet and lower mortality rate amongst new born. It was only when a period of very cold weather hit Europe in the 1320/30's that things changed. Crops failed and people had less food which meant less resistance to disease. The Black Death wiped out anything between a quarter and a half of the populace.
When it eventually passed, labour was at a premium which meant better pay and conditions for workers. The Landowners attempted to reverse this trend but that prompted Watt Tyler and his followers to revolt in the Peasants Uprising of 1381. After a brief period of anarchy in the south-east, King Richard II restored peace by reneging on a promise made to Tyler.
I'm waffling now and I'm not quite sure how this post has moved from Ebola to Richard II.
Oh yes, I remember now. Climate drives the population trend but it's not just people that thrive in warm periods - it's viruses and disease as well.
It's also 'interesting' that the female health worker in Texas who has been diagnosed as infected is now the second case of infection outside Africa (The Spanish nurse being the first).
The Texan nurse was protected as per the CDC guidelines.
The Texan nurse was protected as per the CDC guidelines.
There's no stopping what carn't be stopped,no killing what carn't be killed.
This is dred man..truly dred.
NorthFerribyTiger
Well-Known Member
To put Ebola & the problems facing the nations of Africa into perspective
Just been reading the World Health Organisation website & it raised an interesting point....in the current outbreak of Ebola how many have died so far ?
Malaria is both preventable & treatable...with prevention not being very expensive (in Western terms) yet in 2012 over 600000 people died of Malaria, so even if a treatment or vaccine can be found then just how much use would it be to the nations of Africa
Just been reading the World Health Organisation website & it raised an interesting point....in the current outbreak of Ebola how many have died so far ?
Malaria is both preventable & treatable...with prevention not being very expensive (in Western terms) yet in 2012 over 600000 people died of Malaria, so even if a treatment or vaccine can be found then just how much use would it be to the nations of Africa
Somewhere over 4,000 dead at last count I heard.
Many of those killed by Malaria are young children; any medical development could quite likely be of MASSIVE use to African nations.
Oh - and the same for Ebola, which could well be on the way to becoming a pandemic. If it does, several million could die.
WHO have said today there are signs that the amount of people being infected is slowing down, so they are hoping this is a sign that they are over the worse.