Will spraying for Zika bring about a silent spring?

Already dwindling populations, are we irreparably
harming our butterflies and bees?

While watching the news this morning, I was alarmed by the reports of almost frenzied aerial spraying of insecticides in Florida in hopes of eradicating the Zika virus.

Is it wise to douse every living thing with poison?

While I understand that this illness must be eradicated, I can't help but worry about the long-and- short term effects. Is this overkill?

The Zika virus has been around for a long time, discovered in monkeys in the Zika Forest in Uganda in 1947 with the first human case five years later. Cases were reported in Africa and Asia, but not until 2015 was it discovered in South America. There are now reports of cases in southern Florida and more widespread instances of Zika-carrying mosquitoes throughout the southern United States and beyond. The disease is spread by mosquito bites, and as recently discovered, through sexual contact, and possibly by blood transfusion. Despite its long history, more than 60 years, there remains no vaccine.

While I understand the need to control the spread of this disease, which can cause microcephaly, a severe fetal brain defect, in infants. There are also increased reports of Guilllain-Barre syndrome, a disease where "a person's own immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC). But I can't help but worry about the effects of widespread use of insecticide.

Will we see a Silent Spring in seven months from now?

Zika is an "international health emergency," say the CDC, as new countries affected are added almost daily. According to a timeline published by Reuters, the first baby born with microcephaly in the U.S. was in Florida June 28 of this year. Today, it says the CDC reports 400 pregnant women in the U.S. with evidence of the infection, up from 346 a week before. Three more babies have been born in the U.S. with birth defects, bringing the total to 12. Infected babies were also born in New York City, Spain, and Honduras.

Cases are declining in Brazil where the Olympic games are about to begin. Numbers are falling--from 3,710 to 3,741--a week ago.

The first Zika death has been reported in Puerto Rico in April where there are also 683 suspected cases, including 65 pregnant women and five suspected instances of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Spain reported its first case of a brain-defect related to Zika in May.

Surely widespread spraying of insecticide cannot be done worldwide. Wouldn't it be more prudent to encourage individuals to protect themselves from being bitten by infected mosquitoes?

There are scientific solutions on the horizon, such as the controversial genetically-modified mosquitoes, but for a myriad reasons, not the least of which are funding and uncooperative public agencies, that is not happening.

We find ourselves in a potentially deadly situation at present, but what about the solutions causing irreversible damage to the environment? 

The most commonly used fogging agents used in Florida to kill adult mosquitoes are pyrethroids.

This man-made chemical is similar to the natural occurring compound in the chrysanthemum flower. Large amounts of this chemical can cause dizziness, headache, and nausea that can last for several hours. Larger amounts might cause muscle twitching, reduced energy, and changes in awareness. In larger amounts, it could cause convulsions and loss of consciousness. Exposure might be capable of causing cancer, according to the Toxic substances portal of the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry of the CDC. 

We have already seen a decline in the number of bees and butterflies, as well as other pollinators essential to the production of food and essential plants. According to Nature World News, "Now new research has determined that sprays commonly used to control mosquito populations in the United States may also be having an adverse effect on common butterfly populations." The publication cites journals: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Science of the Total Environment, and Chemosphere.

This 2015 article, published prior to the massive spraying due to Zika, sounded alarms to the use of insecticides.

"It was already known that these chemicals were toxic to many species past a certain concentration," according to the report. It adds that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) already lists insecticides as toxic to aquatic organisms and honeybees.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz under fire, rightly or wrongly

Debbie Wasserman Schultz,
former head of the Democratic
National Committee (DNC)

Apparently the hubbub about Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, now the former head of the Democratic National Committee, has passed. The news died down in short order once the first night of the Democratic Convention commenced.

Unity may never truly occur between the Sen. Bernie Sanders' supporters, which Wasserman Schultz is accused of slighting over support for the party's ultimate nominee, Hillary Clinton. Aside from the voters that flat out dislike Clinton, many of the Sanders' voters are young. They are feisty and want to dig in their heels. It appears that most of the Bernie or Bust folks are prepared to follow the lead of their mentor who suggested they switch their support to Hillary Clinton. The alternative, a Donald Trump administration is undesirable to most and a third party vote could dangerously result in a Trump victory.

None of the imperfections in the political system happened overnight. None of them will be solved overnight either.

What really ails the Democratic Party is years of apathy and inattention to politics. This lack of interest is partly responsible for the chaos that guides political parties today. The idea that new voters have awakened is a good thing, but political experience and/or knowledge of history is helpful when guiding decision making. It is helpful to fully understanding how things have been done and how they need to be done. There is never a need to reinvent the wheel.

Many of the young people excited by the notion of a political revolution, led by Sanders, are also members of the instant gratification generation. That kind of comfort just doesn’t bode well in the political arena where long, measured actions and reactions are the norm. Politics is about getting all the ducks in a row; it is about dealing with people, a difficult task because the Democratic Party consists of so many people from different backgrounds and cultures, with differing ideas, and independent thoughts. A political party deals not with just the candidates, but everyone else associated with elections, from the staff, volunteers, and voters. It takes finesse to get everyone on the same page.

There is little to indicate that Democratic Party Chairman Debbie

Wasserman Schultz did anything to require more than an apology to Bernie Sanders and his supporters. Granted, her actions were an embarrassment, but that is only because Sanders was so once-in-a-lifetime successful. Had he been just another candidate, nothing would have come of this.

Wasserman Schultz was already ruffling feathers when just before the convention her emails were released by Wikileaks. They provided embarrassing evidence.

Who expects a personal email to fall into the wrong hands? Who expects their words to be read beyond the intended recipient? Anyone would be embarrassed. Who is to say how, and more importantly why, and by whom this information was leaked. That is another story for another time.

The DNC is being accused of slighting Sanders’ campaign. That may be, but they why is also important.

Consider the fact that Sanders has been an Independent candidate and only chose to run as a Democrat for this Presidential election. That proves a stark contrast with Clinton, who has been a staunch Democrat for most of her political career, spanning decades.

When she lost the Primary to Barack Obama in 2008, it was evident that she would seek the Presidency again. It was almost inevitable that she would run and win this time. Following the first black President, Hillary Clinton could become the first female President. It would be historic. The Democratic Party wanted that to happen, long before convention planning had commenced.

By contrast, Sanders campaign began when he announced his intentions. It was almost out of the blue. Few took him seriously at first.

It seemed early on that the primary would be just going through the motions. By the time Bernie and Martin O’Malley entered the race, Wasserman Schultz and the DNC were already geared up for a Clinton Presidency. In hindsight, a Clinton win was premature, but by then, the ducks were already lined up. There is probably not a single person, including Bernie himself that could have predicted the dynamics of this primary battle. Everyone was surprised at the country’s apparent distaste for politics as usual.

So, if Wasserman Schultz and the DNC are guilty of anything, it is bad timing, premature judgement, and the inability to stop a runaway train. They were ill-equipped to predict the success of the Sanders campaign. Once it was finally realized that Sanders was a real threat to Clinton's candidacy, the train was already barreling down the track and it was too late to flip the switch.

Politics is not a spontaneous sport. An election is a huge undertaking that requires cooperation, understanding, and generally being on top of every little detail. And there are lots and lots of details. It also requires people skills since there are so many individuals involved in races, staff, and volunteers all across the country.

As the DNC Chairman, Wasserman Schultz was charged with doing what was best for the Democratic Party, not just the presidential race, but the entire party, which includes a whole host of governors, state officials, as well as U.S. Congressional candidates. How could she have known early on that Bernie Sanders was going to “knock it out of the park” in terms of fundraising, support, and visual turn-out for rallies? Such a phenomenon is unprecedented!

Much of Sanders’ support came from young and enthusiastic first-time voters. Others are from the far left, progressive fringe of the Democratic party. Then there are the natural Hillary haters that have bought into the quarter-century of lies and innuendos told by Republicans in hope that something will stick.

Together, all those voices made up a pretty strong force.

Admittedly, Wasserman Schultz and the DNC should not have been biased against Sanders in favoring Clinton. But then when Trump became the GOP nominee, it became urgent to boost the candidacy of whomever Democratic Party presumed to be their best candidate. They had been burned before.

The DNC experienced a heated primary in 2000 when Ralph Nader took votes that could have boosted Al Gore's candidacy. Instead George W. Bush invariably won the tight race through the back-door with help from brother Jeb and his political cronies in Florida coupled with a GOP-laden Supreme Court. The justices took control of the election and handed it to Bush. In the back of their minds—the DNC—burnt badly in 2000, would guard against that ever happening again.

So on the eve of the convention of what might be the most important Presidential Election after all she has put into it, Debbie Wasserman Schultz has announced her resignation

Hillary Clinton has offered Wasserman Schultz an honorary position in her campaign, as chair of Clinton's 50-state strategy. This is not, as some are charging, a Quid-Pro-Quo. Instead it is an opportunity for Clinton to utilize the best and brightest talent for a job that needs doing. Wasserman Schultz has experience in politics and her help will likely be invaluable.

Like many, I’m personally disappointed in how this entire Bernie Sanders campaign issue has been handled. But it is time to learn from mistakes, get stronger, and move forward. I would like to see Sanders continue his efforts to coalesce like-minded folks, who one day can continue a real political revolution. That will take very hard work and long hours however, since nothing in politics or for that matter, anything of substance, happens overnight. I’m enthused to see this political movement grow. I’m excited to see Hillary Clinton prove to her adversaries that they have been wrong about her. I believe she can be a great President. And, I’m excited to finally see a woman occupy the White House.