Re: 21st century plague

August 19, 2007

On 8/19/07, Sinkey <westoo@...> wrote:

>

> >As the world becomes frighteningly overpopulated, nature always comes up with

a way to restore the balance.

beth, I am sure you mean well but I have to take serious

exception to this statement which seems to imply that maintainance of

buildings in a safe state is somehow impossible and that the

proliferation of mold in the world is somehow preordained to occur by

an angry God. (or Gaia or whatever)

That simply isn't true. Mold has been around for a very long time. It

isn't getting stronger, we aren't headed for an apocalyptic doom of

overpopulation either. Climates may be changing and weather is getting

less predictable but THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.. its a completely

solvable problem. We (as a culture) are just lazy and greedy and

stupid for not making our buildings safe. Its a bad sign that implies

that people's health matters less than small differences in costs and

profits.

You also imply that disease when it hits poor nations and communities

is Gods will. It isn't, its often simply a matter of a dollar or two

medicine being unaffordable for a poor family that lives on pennies a

day, or the like.

Poor people aren't any less worthy than people in countries that rich

people live in. the world is also not really threatened with

overpopulation as you described. In fact, many developed countries

with falling birthrates, like Japan and South Korea, for example, have

problems with (rural) DE-population. Many simulations of population

growth show global population leveling off around 2050 and then

heading down as the developed nations get the same access to birth

control that the developed world has enjoyed for several decades now.

>

> Like the black plague that once wiped out two thirds of Europe's population,

it appears that toxic mold is the " black plague " of our century.

> I don't agree with you at all on this, although I personally have had my life

devastated by mold illness too. First thing, 'our century' is still a very young

one, and who is to say what it's 'plague' will be. I think we would all be very

lucky if mold is the worst pestilence we face during it, to tell you the truth.

I fear things like global flu pandemics, atomic war, man made biological warfare

or global toxic overload far more.

>My husband died in our severely moldy apartment and I got extremely

debilitated. By the time the appropriate authorities start to wake

up and take this seriously, it will be too late.

I have my dark days too but I think there is hope. Public agencies and

politicians are beginning to know much more about this issue. They ARE

embarassed that it has taken so long. They are STARTING to open their

eyes. Canada has new laws saying that NO toxic mold will be tolerated

in living and work spaces. That is what we need here. Because any

wiggle room will be abused and become loopholes big enough to drive a

truck through as we all know.

This isn't rocket science. What it takes is their being forced to see

this for what it is, another in a long string of public health issues

that respond to common sense and basic science.

I am totally with you in your frustration but I think we need to stop

playing the victims and start telling our stories to others and

putting our energy into getting real un-mold-impacted people involved.

(because many/MOST of us are too sick to make this happen ourselves..)

In ten years this will be history and mechanisms will be in place that

ensure that housing and workplaces will be free of mold or mycotoxins.

> Best wishes to all......Betsy

>

Betsy, I'm sorry if that sounded like a rant. Please try to

understand what I was getting at and not see it superficially as I am

sure some will.

August 20, 2007

Whoa......I never meant to imply anything about an angry God. Yes, the earth is

suffering from a population explosion.

In agreement with you, I hit the send button as I realized I went a little

overboard on some statements. The bubonic plague as best I remember was the

outcome of years of poor sanitation practices and people crowding into cities

with no regard for decent sewage, trash disposal, etc.

I believe our toxic mold dilemma may be a product of too many man made

chemicals in the building materials coupled with shoddy workmanship and who

knows, many other foibles of our own doing. No angry God here. Molds have been

around way longer than humans but it looks like something is causing them to

mutate into a form that is far more toxic than we are able to deal with......or

recognize fully as a serious problem.......at this time.

Greed.......YES......money....YES.

No rant here. You have made some valid arguments. This is one of those " sit

down over a cup of coffee and stay up talking 'til 3 in the morning " issues.

Maybe we are all just a little angry that our health has been compromised in

this way. Do you really believe that in our lifetime, somebody will solve the

toxic mold problem?

Thanks for your response........Betsy

August 20, 2007

Live, I don't think she ment it in this way but I do see how it could

be interpreted this way. I understand both points of view and believe

you both are equally right. Nature does have it's way of balancing

itself and we, as humans, have a way of balancing ourselves as well

but we do a bad job at it some times by not building buildings so

mold, which, is natural with the exception of stachy, won't over take

us and run us away or kill us. Nature, our environment, has to

protect itdelf and so do humans.

hope this makes sense,

Dana

> >

> > >As the world becomes frighteningly overpopulated, nature always

comes up with a way to restore the balance.

>

> beth, I am sure you mean well but I have to take serious

> exception to this statement which seems to imply that maintainance

of

> buildings in a safe state is somehow impossible and that the

> proliferation of mold in the world is somehow preordained to occur

by

> an angry God. (or Gaia or whatever)

>

> That simply isn't true. Mold has been around for a very long time.

It

> isn't getting stronger, we aren't headed for an apocalyptic doom of

> overpopulation either. Climates may be changing and weather is

getting

> less predictable but THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.. its a completely

> solvable problem. We (as a culture) are just lazy and greedy and

> stupid for not making our buildings safe. Its a bad sign that

implies

> that people's health matters less than small differences in costs

and

> profits.

>

> You also imply that disease when it hits poor nations and

communities

> is Gods will. It isn't, its often simply a matter of a dollar or two

> medicine being unaffordable for a poor family that lives on pennies

a

> day, or the like.

>

> Poor people aren't any less worthy than people in countries that

rich

> people live in. the world is also not really threatened with

> overpopulation as you described. In fact, many developed countries

> with falling birthrates, like Japan and South Korea, for example,

have

> problems with (rural) DE-population. Many simulations of population

> growth show global population leveling off around 2050 and then

> heading down as the developed nations get the same access to birth

> control that the developed world has enjoyed for several decades

now.

>

> >

> > Like the black plague that once wiped out two thirds of Europe's

population, it appears that toxic mold is the " black plague " of our

century.

>

> > I don't agree with you at all on this, although I personally have

had my life devastated by mold illness too. First thing, 'our

century' is still a very young one, and who is to say what

it's 'plague' will be. I think we would all be very lucky if mold is

the worst pestilence we face during it, to tell you the truth. I fear

things like global flu pandemics, atomic war, man made biological

warfare or global toxic overload far more.

>

> >My husband died in our severely moldy apartment and I got extremely

> debilitated. By the time the appropriate authorities start to wake

> up and take this seriously, it will be too late.

>

> I have my dark days too but I think there is hope. Public agencies

and

> politicians are beginning to know much more about this issue. They

ARE

> embarassed that it has taken so long. They are STARTING to open

their

> eyes. Canada has new laws saying that NO toxic mold will be

tolerated

> in living and work spaces. That is what we need here. Because any

> wiggle room will be abused and become loopholes big enough to drive

a

> truck through as we all know.

>

> This isn't rocket science. What it takes is their being forced to

see

> this for what it is, another in a long string of public health

issues

> that respond to common sense and basic science.

>

> I am totally with you in your frustration but I think we need to

stop

> playing the victims and start telling our stories to others and

> putting our energy into getting real un-mold-impacted people

involved.

> (because many/MOST of us are too sick to make this happen

ourselves..)

>

> In ten years this will be history and mechanisms will be in place

that

> ensure that housing and workplaces will be free of mold or

mycotoxins.

>

> > Best wishes to all......Betsy

> >

> Betsy, I'm sorry if that sounded like a rant. Please try to

> understand what I was getting at and not see it superficially as I

am

> sure some will.

>

August 20, 2007

Every society has faced problems like this. The Roman Empire with clay pipes

that contained lead, and no one knows what happened to the Mayans.

We come up with great idea's, but we don't foresee the problems these idea's

will create down the road. Asbestos was another great idea, but who knew?

Either that or, AlQuida invented paper lined dry wall and hollow wall

construction and have been plotting our demise since the turn of the 20th

century, LOL... just kidding of course..

Dan

Dan & Carmella

August 22, 2007

Dan, I know you are kidding but I've thought the same thing. The way our

country is falling apart,bridges, homes, roads, buidlings,etc. I don't think

the terrioists will have to do much. They can just sit back watch TV and wait.

If we don't take care of what we have, very soon, I think we will continue to

see things get much worse. Most people just don't see the big picture like

all of us. Ther're just having a good time, driving their big cars, making

big bucks, going on vacations and only thinking about themselves!!!!

Lots of problems and all such a shame. Most of the mold nightmare could be

avoided and fixed if only others would wake up and listen!

Sue

Every society has faced problems like this. The Roman Empire with clay pipes

that contained lead, and no one knows what happened to the Mayans.

We come up with great idea's, but we don't foresee the problems these idea's

will create down the road. Asbestos was another great idea, but who knew?

Either that or, AlQuida invented paper lined dry wall and hollow wall

construction and have been plotting our demise since the turn of the 20th

century,

LOL... just kidding of course..

Dan

Dan & Carmella

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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August 22, 2007

This is so un-believeably true it puts a lump in my throat. Or is that acid

reflux? Ok thats my joke but really. I have some srong opinions as to where this

country is going and this statement pretty much sums it up. I have heard this so

many places before but we are our own demise. Not to mention the old definition

of insanity. Nothing has changed. Sad...

ssr3351@... wrote: