The "Black Death" of the mid-14th century wiped out anywhere from 30%-60% of Europe's inhabitants depending on what source you choose to cite. The Plague of Justinian at its height killed perhaps 40% of the population of Constantinople. The "Spanish Flu" of 1918-19 led to the deaths of perhaps 50 million world-wide. In 2003, the SARS epidemic, according to the World Health Organization, took the lives of 774 people globally. During the 2008 listeriosis outbreak, there were 57 confirmed cases and 21 deaths. Swine Flu.....8 confirmed deaths to date.
I really wish the media circus would add a little perspective to things.
AND...since I'm on a rant of sorts, I find it funny that our enlightened animal rights friends love to dictate to subsistence hunters about how awful hunting and trapping are. I would humbly submit that the domesticated animal industry is much more unsafe and unhealthy. Perhaps these people would be better off protesting the pork industry. Interesting how we have Swine Flu, Mad Cow Disease yet no Seal Disease or Caribou Flu.
Arctic Shipwreck Conference in BC
2 hours ago
7 comments:
seals : "seal finger"
walrus : trichinosis
char: dangerously high levels of mercury
polar bear liver: lethal amount of VitD
Wow! I didn't realize that these were global pandemics too!
"During the last outbreak of Phocine Distemper Virus (PDV) in 1988, half the seal population of northern Europe was killed."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2250583.stm
Thank goodness we aren't seals then, huh? Thank you for helping prove my point - throughout history, humans have contracted disease much more frequently from domesticated animal sources than wild animal sources. How many cases were there of this disease being passed from seals to humans? None. Thank you.
Darcy,
You're all over the place here. Animal rights protesters are not usually concerned with human health issues. Rather, they are concerned with the inhumane treatment of aninmals. And, with the exception of a few nuts like Paul Watson, they are generally in favour of(or at least have no issue with)subsistance hunting. Animal defenders have done a lot of good on the planet while respecting native cultures. I don't understand your continued vehement attack on these people based on the actions of a vocal few. Best wishes,
Deborah
I agree that a majority favor subsistence hunting unfortunately it is the lunatic fringe that can and has doen a lot of damage to Northern economies in the past. I realize the lunatic fringe isn't much interested in human welfare. Perhaps if they woke up from their comfortable urban existance and experienced life here though they would realize the consequences of their protests. Will this happen? Not likely. Always good to hope though.
I would also add in response to the first commenter that the contaminants the posters cites as existing in the meat were introduced by who? ........yeah, non-Inuit.
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