Africa to nuke mosquitos! no worries about destabilising ecosystems in Africa!

Ethiopia: Africa to benefit from nuclear science research on mosquito

….Introducing genetically engineered mosquitoes into the environment could destabilize ecosystems, harm human health and scare away tourists, endangering the Florida Keys economy…..

Image and quote source ; http://ecowatch.com/2012/01/04/controversial-release-of-genetically-engineered-mosquitoes-delayed/

1st June 2014

http://www.panapress.com/Ethiopia–Africa-to-benefit-from-nuclear-science-research-on-mosquito—15-913422-29-lang2-index.html

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – African countries stand to benefit from the ongoing research to sterilize the mosquito using nuclear science technology, experts say.

South African envoy, Abdul Samad Minty, who is the Chairman of the African Union’s Nuclear Energy Commission (AFCONE), said plans to “irridiate” the mosquito to stop its reproduction are continuing.

“There is need for further studies on whether the nuclear technology can stop the reproduction of the mosquito. The plan is to make the irradiated ones less attractive,” Ambassador Minty told journalists here Friday.

African diplomats met for two days in Ethiopia to discuss the development of the peaceful nuclear programmes.

“We have concluded there is no nuclear proliferation. Africa is safe from nuclear development. The big area is to see how we can use it for agriculture, water and health wherever the technology is available,” Ambassador Minty said.

South Africa, Egypt and Algeria are the only African countries with some forms of advanced nuclear programmes.

Ambassador Minty said if the research on how to use nuclear technology to stop the reproduction of the mosquito succeeds, a major threat to public health would have been eliminated.

Scientists managed to curb the tse tse fly, the sleeping sickness-causing vector by irridiating it.

“It used to kill animals in Africa. We have wiped it out of Africa,” Minty said.

The Scientists and diplomats are calling on the African leaders to urgently set up regional centres of excellence to spread the use of nuclear technology.

Minty insists that vector control and the development of entirely new industrial sectors that could boost Africa export capacities exist.

“At the political level, the leaders of Africa do not know that these opportunities exist. We must work across universities,” Minty said.

At least 38 African countries have adopted the Pelindaba Treaty, the nuclear ban treaty which bars any testing of any nuclear weapons within Africa.

In the mosquito research, the technology is still not there to entirely ensure the mosquito is sterilised.

“The problem is mosquitoes fly everywhere and there is still no channel to get the technology to people,” Ambassador Minty said.

While insisting that African countries should not spend over US$5 billion to build nuclear powered plants, AFCONE wants Nuclear programmes that accelerate development.

Nuclear technology is currently being used in the treatment of cancer.

South Africa remains one of the select few with such technology.

Minty, who is the South African ambassador to Geneva, said nuclear radiated fruits and other products could boost African exports.

He said the technology would also help to reduce the amount of salt in oceans and allow the use of flood waters to boost agriculture.
-0- PANA AO/VAO 1June2014

01 june 2014 07:46:11