Ban on DDT isnít the reason eagles have made comeback
In your May 16 cover story on eagles, Dean Naujoks states, ěbald eagle populations are recovering because we banned DDT back in the late í70s.î
Well, Dean, I appreciate your work with the eagles, but you need to do more research on DDT.
Rachel Carsonís ěSilent Springî played a large role in the banning of DDT. Unfortunately, her book is filled with untruths and junk science. She cited studies which claimed DDT was producing weakened egg shells. What she failed to mention was the study was flawed. The test birds were fed a diet which contained one-fifth of the normal amount of calcium. Gosh, I wonder why the shells were thin.
Carson charged that DDT was bringing bald eagles and robins to the ěverge of extinctionî ó while noted ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson was reporting that the robin was the most abundant bird in North America.
Bald eagles between 1941 and 1960 migrating over Hawk Mountain, Penn., doubled during the first six years of DDT-use. Their numbers increased from 9,291 in 1946 ó before much DDT was used ó to 16,163 in 1963 and 19,765 in 1968.
Scientists tested the popular shell-thinning hypothesis. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists fed birds for 112 days on a diet with 100 times as much DDT as they were getting from the environment. No thinning of egg shells was found. The DDT had no effect on the birds.
The banning of DDT has no effect on bird populations. However, it has resulted in millions of deaths in Third World countries from malaria. To get the full story, visit http://spectator.org/archives/2005/02/25/ddt-fraud-and-tragedy/
ó Rick Johnson
Salisbury
The GOP and abortion
There is one of the worldís religions, Iíve heard, where every man, first thing in the morning, thanks providence that he wasnít born a woman.
That is facing the facts ó women have tougher lives than men. One of the personal questions that only women have is how to respond to pregnancy. According to the May 12 Post, Republicans in the state legislature are eager to help by requiring abortion ě… to be more time consuming and difficult.î
ěPoor little women,î they imply, ě… canít be trusted to make adult decisions, so we have to do it for them.î
Ah, the Republicans ó all heart!
ó Dick Taber
Salisbury
Barber should resign
County commissioners need to see that they have backed themselves into a corner with rules in place that do not allow the removal of Jon Barber.
People need to see he is a very selfish person. Is this the kind of person we want serving as our commissioner? I, for one, do not! Barberís statement that ěI plan to continue serving the citizens of Rowan Countyî shows his self-interest. If, as he says, he cares about the citizens, he would resign.
I ask other Rowan County citizens to speak out and demand his resignation so that other commissioners can do their jobs and find a way to best serve all of us.
ó Maxine Dvoracek
Salisbury