POSTCARDS FROM THE FRINGES


Tim Lambert reckons the lunatic fringe propagated the "myth" that Rachel Carson is responsible for the deaths of millions. Two posts later he quotes from and links to the lunatic fringers at Raw Story who have caught corporate interests supporting the fight against malaria.

The revelations are truly startling:

A Republican Senator who successfully prevented the US Senate from honoring the centennial of the birth of environmentalist and Silent Spring author Rachel Carson received campaign donations from a member of the board of directors of a group that sponsors pro-DDT advocacy, RAW STORY has found.

William Dunn, President of Dunn Capital Management in Stuart, Florida, gave $4,000 to the campaign of Senator Tom Coburn in 2004, according to Federal Election Commission records. Dunn sits on the board of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a group that promotes the use of DDT to fight malaria, and has sponsored a website called "Rachel Was Wrong," which condemns the environmental scientist and activist for her famous book. ...

CEI has been accused of serving as a pro-industry advocacy group against various environmental causes. A 20th Anniversary Report on the CEI website showed that 31% of its 2003 income came from corporations.

But that's not all:

Additionally, a CEI staff member told the Inter Press Service in 2004 that the group received funding from Monsanto, the agribusiness corporation that originally manufactured DDT, although it no longer produces the pesticide.

Monsanto also supports the work of the Congress of Racial Equality, another pro-DDT group that contributes content to the 'Rachel Was Wrong' website, according to the Pesticide Action Network of North America.

A spokeswoman from PANNA, Stephenie Hendricks, argued to RAW STORY that although Monsanto was no longer manufacturing DDT itself, it was sponsoring efforts to promote the pesticide's use in anti-malaria campaigns to "create a more broadly permissive environment for agricultural chemicals."

Apparently computer scientist Lambert is opposed to corporate money saving the lives of black Africans.

Update: The Congress of Racial Equality, founded in 1942, is quite a bit more than a "pro-DDT" group:

The Congress of Racial Equality is officially classified as a philanthropic omnibus human rights organization. The parent organization, Congress of Racial Equality, Inc. (CORE, Inc.) is a not-for-profit corporation in good standing with the State of New York. Its flagship chapter--NY CORE--serves as host for the national organization and enjoys a 501(C)3 status with the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions to CORE are tax deductible as allowed by law. CORE, Inc. is a 501(C)4 organization under the guidelines of the Federal Government.

In addition to the traditional classifications shared by most philanthropic groups, CORE was the first civil rights organization in this country to have been awarded a special non-governmental consultative status (NGO) at the United Nations. CORE's is currently assign to two of the United Nations' most prestigious departments-- the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESCO).

I'm no big supporter of NGOs but lefty Lambert should love them. It makes no difference, he'll attack anyone who doesn't buy the DDT rubbish he cranks out.