Greetings.... I wanted to ask a couple questions of the list regarding DDT. 
It was blamed for a lot of the problems effecting birds in the 50s through 
the 70s or thereabouts. The banning of DDT in North America is often 
credited with allowing the comeback of Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and 
other raptors.

DDT is also an excellent malaria fighter, and today malaria remains a deadly 
problem in large portions of the world.

My understanding is that DDT is still used throughout the world, but not as 
much as some say it should be. I've read various op-ed pieces which claim 
that DDT effects upon birds are exaggerated if not untrue, and they claim 
that research proves this. I'm not aware of what studies they are citing, 
though, and op-eds that claim Rachel Carson is responsible for more deaths 
than Hitler and Stalin combined make me a bit suspicious of both the angle 
of the writer and the source material. I've also heard people who work with 
raptors argue that egg shell thinning problems, which they attribute to DDT, 
remains a problem for birds such as Bald Eagles and Osprey. I remember an 
ODOW supervisor commenting in Cincinnati a few years back that egg shell 
thinning problems still occur in a number of Bald Eagle nests around Lake 
Erie.

So I was wondering if anyone on the list has read through any of the new 
literature about DDT, which supposedly supports the argument that it is not 
harmful to birds and wildlife. Where are the various researchers coming down 
on the effects--both positive and negative--of DDT? Is the pro-DDT research 
by reputable sources; has it been peer reviewed, tested, etc.?

Take care,
---Mike Busam
West Chester, OH