>> >>PEGGY: THE PROLIFERATION OF DISEASE CARRYING INSECTS.
AS MY GUEST STANLEY MALOY, DEAN OF SDSU'S COLLEGE OF SCIENCES EXPLAINS OUR WARMING WORLD
HAS BOTH SCIENTIFIC AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS.
STANLEY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
LET'S START WITH THE SCIENCE.
A REPORT BY WORLD BANK RECENTLY FOUND THAT THE EARTH WILL BE ABOUT FOUR DEGREES HOTTER
BY THE END OF THE CENTURY.
WALK THROUGH HOW THESE SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURE CHANGES ARE LINKED OR COULD CHANGE INFECTIOUS
DISEASE TRANSMISSION.
>> >>STANLEY MALOY: FOUR DEGREES IS BY THE END OF THE CENTURY F.YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED
SO FAR, JUST IN THE LAST FEW DECADES, IT'S ONE DEGREE.
SO NOW YOU ASK THE QUESTION, ONE DEGREE, HOW IMPORTANT CAN THAT BE?
WELL, THE ANSWER IS IT CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT.
LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
THERE'S THIS BACK TEAR BACTERIA M THAT CAUSES A PRETTY SERIOUS INTESTINAL ILLNESS, AND YOU
GET IT FROM EATING SHELL FISH.
WE SEE IT IN NEW ORLEANS, OTHER PLACES, WARM PLACES, WHERE YOU HAVE SHELL FISH.
NEVER, EVER, EVER SAW THIS IN ALASKA.
IF YOU LOOK ATÊ >> >>PEGGY: IT WAS TOO COLD.
>> >>STANLEY MALOY: IT WAS TOO COLD.
THE WATER TEMPERATURE WAS 13.8 DEGREES, 14.8 DEGREES AND THIS ORGANISM ALL OF A SUDDEN
CAN BEGIN GROWING HIGH ENOUGH LEVELS WHEN YOU HIT 15 DEGREES.
SO WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE WATER TEMPERATURE IN ALASKA, AND AS IT INCREASES, WHEN IT WENT
FROM AROUND 14 DEGREES TO JUST OVER 15 DEGREES, ALL OF A SUDDEN AN OUT BREAK, AND SINCE THEN
IN THE WARMER WATERS, IN IT'S A MAJOR PROBLEM IN ALASKA.
>> >>PEGGY: THERE'S ALSO EVIDENCE ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE RISING AND MOSQUITOES MIGRATING
NORTHWARD.
>> >>STANLEY MALOY: THAT'S RIGHT.
BOTH THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOSQUITOES AND PATHO JNS THAT LIVE PATHO JENS THAT LIVE INSIDE
OF THEM ARE BOTH DEPENDENT STRICTLY ON TEMPERATURE.
WHEN YOU MOVE FROM THE TROPICS UP NORTH, TYPICALLY THE TEMPERATURE'S COOLER.
AS THE TEMPERATURE IN THE NORTH WARMS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER, IT ALLOWS THESE MOSQUITOES
AND THEIR VECTORS TO BEGIN MOVING NORTHWARD, AND WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE A LOT MORE DISEASES
LIKE MALARIA MOVING TO HIGHER ELEVATION IN THE MOUNT BS AND TO HIGHER LATITUDES.
>> >>PEGGY: YOUR PARTICIPATING IN THE CENTER OF ETHICS FORUM HONORING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
OF SILENT SPRING AND THIS FOREFRONT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTÊ THE MODERN ENVIRONMENTAL
MOVEMENT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES Y.WANT TO SHOW SOME VIDEO OF WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE
BECAUSE BACK IN THE DAY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK IT WAS RATHER INSTRUMENTAL
ON THE BAN OF INSECT SD OR PESTACIDE DDT BECAUSE OF ITS AFFECTS ON BIRDS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS IT HAD A DOWN SIDE.
THE BOOK HELPED TO CREATE THE BAN, THEN THERE WAS A BACK LASH.
>> >>STANLEY MALOY: THE BAN TACK TOOK AFFECT BECAUSE THERE WERE BIRDS DYING, ANIMALS DYING,
ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF THIS INSECTSIDE.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT SOME OF THOSE INSECTS THAT WERE DYING WERE IN FACT HARMFUL PATHOGENS.
MALARIA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS.
THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO DIE DUE TO INFECTIONS WITH THOSE DISEASES.
>> >>PEGGY: COULD THERE BE A SIMILAR BACK LASH F WE TRY TO PREEMPT THIS EVOLUTIONARY
RESPONSE OF INSECTS TO THIS GLOBAL WARMING OR THESE PATHOGENS, COULD THERE BE SOME UNEXPECTED
BACK LASH LIKE RESISTENCE?
FIRKS WHENEVER YOU MESS WITH NATURE.
>> >>STANLEY MALOY: WHENEVER YOU MESS WITH NATURE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE EXPACT IMPACT
WILL ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE NOW THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE WHEN RACHEL CARSON WROTE SILENT
SPRING IS WE HAVE A LOT BETTEDDER WAYS OF MANIPULATING ORGANISMS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A VERY BIG TRIAL IN THE WORLD NOW LAZ TO DO WITH THE MOSQUITO THAT TRANSMIT
SAID DINKA VIRUSSISM PEOPLE ARE RELEASING THESE MOSQUITOES THAT CANNOT DIVIDE.
THEY CAN'T POPULATE.
>> >>PEGGY: I DO WANT TO GET TO THIS, CLIMATE CHANGE, IT'S PART OF THE CENTER FOR ETHICS,
HOW IS THIS A MORAL OR ETHICAL ISSUE?
>> >>STANLEY MALOY: WE'RE CAUSING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO OUR ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW, A FEW
COUNTRIES, LOT OF OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE SUFFERING THE DAMAGE THAT WE'RE CAUSING
AND FUTURE GENERATIONS SUFFER THAT DAMAGE TOO.
>> >>PEGGY: THEY HAVE NO SAY IN ITAL THANK YOU SE MUCH FOR YOUR INSIGHT.