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Headlines : EnvironmentDeforestation threatens to close the door on potential cures
Another reason that deforestation for the sake of economic growth is not only ecocidal, but suicidally short-sighted from a humanistic perspective. Along with the destruction of ecosystems, and the potential for extinctions, there is evidence that logging is eliminating potential sources of life-saving medications.
[Posted By sisyphus]Republished from New Zealand Herald
Plants thought to help treat or cure cancer, Aids and malaria have been found in the rainforests of Borneo, says a report from the Swiss-based global conservation group WWF.
But the rapid destruction of trees – much of it by illegal logging to meet growing world demand for timber – could wreck any chance of using these discoveries in the fight against disease, the WWF has declared.
A promising anti-cancer substance has been found in a Borneo shrub by researchers for an Australian pharmaceutical firm, and a chemical found in latex produced by a tree appears to be effective against the replication of HIV, the report said.
In the bark of another species of tree, researchers discovered a previously unknown substance which in laboratory tests appeared to kill the human malaria parasite, it added.
In all, it said, 422 new plant species had been discovered in Borneo – shared by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – in the past 25 years and many others were believed to be there which could have medicinal applications.
But, “all these promising discoveries could eventually be lost if the disappearing rainforests of the heart of Borneo are not adequately protected,” the WWF said.
“More forest destruction could well deny science the…
Posted by sisyphus
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Posted by harmony on Thursday, December 29th 2005
Maybe I’m getting jaded, but it serves us right to lose possibly valuable cures. No body likes to talk about it but most all of our problems stem from overpopulation. I’m thinking the less cures the better for us all.
It’s been a while since I’ve taken an ecology class but I remember learning that diseases are one of natures ways of controlling populations…keeping things in balance. Ours is definitely in need of control. The last thing we need is a cure for aids or cancer. As unpopular a statement as this is it is still true. I hear lots of talk about controlling animal populations because they are negatively affecting certain environments where is the talk about controlling the animal population that does the most damage?
i disagree Brujo, while overpopulation is the mantra we white wealthy nations are taught, it is quite simply not the root problem… Although dont get me wrong it is a major problem, major major major.
I would say that the root of the problem is that the affluent nations use so much of the resources of the world to live. Meanwhile companies and individuals seeking to get rich fast are stripping the world of vast amounts of natural capital to insure that they get their share of the wealth. It is the lie of capitalism, and economics taught by capitalism that everything is infinite, and based in money value.
Trust me, if they (whoever they are, aussies?) find a cure for cancer/aids/malaria the people who need it most are probably going to be the last to get it, if at all… dont worry about overpopulation problems getting worse because a cure comes along.
There will still be starving people in Africa with HIV long after the Brazilians cut the last tree, long after the Japanese kill the last whale, long after the entire globe experiences 2 seasons found in tropics, long after we run out of oil. Disease being nature’s way of culling the population is just as easy as excuse as saying storms are, or global warming is… Nature isnt some evil and intelligent mad scientist concocting disease because Humans fucked up.
That is God’s job, credit where credit due.