We have previously discussed how people often do not consider the real costs of pollution or the loss of rainforest in our debates over environmental protection. The destruction of these rainforests will contribute to global warming and accelerate the loss of species. Those species will not only reduce diversity in this world but many likely hold medical and scientific breakthroughs. We have found key treatments for diseases and illnesses in such rare species. We have another reminder of that potential this week after Brazilian researchers found that a molecule in the venom the jararacussu pit viper may combat COVID-19. The point is not that the viper is going extinct but it is another reminder that much of our “miracle” drugs still come from rare species. It is still not clear that this is a treatment as claimed. Many such earlier research does not pan out. However, if proven, this would not be the first such discovery of a beneficial drug for humans in the animal kingdom.
The viper study appeared in the scientific journal Molecules this month and found that the molecule inhibited the virus’s ability to multiply in monkey cells by 75%. This is specifically a a peptide, or chain of amino acids, that can connect to an enzyme of the coronavirus called PLPro, which is vital to reproduction of the virus.
We should, of course, not protect the environment just because it benefits us as humans, but (if sheer environmentalism does not motivate some) self-preservation should. The rapid loss of species in places like Brazil means the loss of possible new drugs and science associated with those species. I have been in the Amazon and I have seen the tremendous density of rare and often fantastic species on display. However, under the government of Jair Bolsonaro, deforestation is continuing as a disastrous rate. With his government, it has surged to a 12 year high.
I’m still working on contemplating the costs of gain of function research.
Let me guess— the snake oil is going to be a lot more pricey than ivermectin.
Perhaps they can replicate the snake oil in a lab like they do viruses.
But but but…. I thought all the science was “settled.”
The earth has lost 60 percent of it’s rainforest. The earth should be burned to a crisp by now. From a climactic standpoint there are other types of foliage that have replaced the rain Forrest. The replacement is known as the expansion of lumber producing trees. The snake venom may save lives and it’s continued existence should be considered. Can you get enough venom to inoculate the worlds population. When the good Professor extrapolated from a snake to global warming he lost me.
Expansion of lumber producing trees to replace precious Amazon (or other) rainforest is a travesty. Climate change is not the only worry. Biodiversity is a huge worry. Birds and other wildlife species depend on the native rainforest flora and ecology.
Temperate forests do not have the same productivity as equatorial rain forests. Trees slow down in fall and winter.
Lumber forests typically grow monoculture. It’s basically a big crop. Since there is usually one or two species of trees, pests can go bananas through these types of planting. In addition, these rely on saplings grown in nurseries, typically with snarled, circular roots. Those roots are not healthy, so the resulting tree is prone to infestation, storm damage, and has a shorter life span. However, I’m all for growing trees as a crop. If someone owns the land, a tree farm would have a greater environmental benefit than a corn field. This is a bit of an oversimplification, as corn fields and pinewood plantations grow in different areas.
Rain forests don’t have their equal in oxygen production or carbon sequestering. Plus, they transpire so much moisture that they significantly raise humidity. They house intense biodiversity. Some of those species have promise for medical advancements. Just the presence of such dense biodiversity should be enough to preserve these ecosystems. Once something is gone, it’s gone forever. If you conserve the rainforest, you won’t be left wondering what we’ve missed when it’s gone.
Temperate rainforests are also important to the planet, and they’re just plain good for humans. There is something about trees that appeals to our psyche. They are a different ecosystem, and no replacement for a rain forest, and vice versa.
I would immagine that this venom will receive rapid approval – because it fits into the eco narative of the left.
That type of sneak is all over Brazil, one should not worry about it disappearing. As a matter of fact, at this moment, they are trying to again kill president Bolsonaro.
<< The destruction of these rainforests will contribute to global warming and accelerate the loss of species. <<
You should cease with the prophecy. You're not Nostradamus. You have no idea how 8 billion people will act – either of their own volition of via corporate or government coercion – to change the planet. Let alone how all of the rest of the systems that support life on planet Earth will react.
Studies show net amounts of biomass are increasing at a huge rate. Jesse Ausubel estimates around 1 billion net tons of biomass are being added to the land-based portion of the biosphere EVERY year. One study claims that since 1980 the equivalent of a "green" continent twice the size of the US has been added.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/carbon-dioxide-fertilization-greening-earth
71% of the planet is ocean and increases in biomass may be happening there, too.
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In the US, every state is now experiencing an increase in forestation – in both stock and acreage. We have more forested acreage today than we did in 1900, despite the massive increase in population over the past 120 years.
If you want to lobby to end the loss of rain forest acreage, the best thing you can do is push for greater economic development and innovation. Managed timber plantations that employ state of the art farming techniques are far more productive than natural native growth. Something like twice as much timber per acre can be harvested from managed plantations – allowing for an opportunity to spare more of the natural rain forests.
Some of the new deforestation is done by illiterate, marginalized peoples who rely on subsistence farming for their livelihood. The so called "carbon footprint" for a subsistence farmer is estimated to be 100x that of the average member of the privileged, credential-class in the West. Increased economic development will allow enable more of them to get an education and move up the economic ladder away from subsistence farming – if they choose to.
https://www.rainforestsaver.org/news/no5-subsistence-farmers-who-polluter
@Troll,
You do realize that they are decimating the rain forest to increase land available for agriculture.
The bigger irony… much of the weather that is being blamed on ‘climate change’, is really effected by the deforesting of the rain forest.
-G
No, no, and NO. Unless you do not care about other species, which is apparently the case. It’s not about planting timber that can be harvested. It’s about preserving habitat so that other species can survive. We are in the midst of an extinction crisis. Climate change is just one part of the catastrophe.
Fast fashion, viscose, and the disappearing rain forest.
https://goodonyou.eco/material-guide-viscose-really-better-environment/
Interesting, but given the venom’s use as a ACE inhibitor, it is somewhat surprising it was not tried earlier. This was being tried last year – different drugs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32367746/
This sounds familiar. Did you watch “Medicine Man” with Sean Connery before writing this column lol
It’s completely understandable people like Prof Turley & millions of others are at a real lose as to what the actual reality of their surroundings are & where events are leading all too.
Please let me explain. Best I recall in another far off galaxy, on a planet a large group of Bureaucrats had a meeting & decided among themselves they would have to destroy the Earth Completely to make way for their New Hyperspace Express Route & thus they posted a Legal Public Notice there for all to see, in another galaxy, on the planet, in the basement of the Bureaucrats.
If you people of the planet Earth Failed to have legally responded to their Public Notice within the allotted time frame, well it’s hardly the Bureaucrats fault because of your negligence, now is it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehsoLV0TH48
Further, all will be commanded to bow down, kiss the ring of our new Sith Lord Klaus Schwab of the 1st Global Empire of Demonic Satan Worshipping Pedophiles & their Billionaires Devos working group, the World Economic Forum.
Klaus Schwab: In 10 years you V’ill Own Nothing & you V’ill like it. ( That’s sounds like a death threat to me doesn’t it.)
( By the way, nice robe. )
As always please pass this along.
https://www.banned.video/watch?id=60383d455d2c161c2bf85b7a
BTW: And always remember, Whatever you are doing or going always keep your towel with you!
Great movie, Oky!
Yes, always keep your towel with you, or, perhaps, your great kilt!
https://youtu.be/YbAKRffKsPs
LOL:)
Me wife reminds me constantly that being me being Scots/Irish & a bit of German I don’t need to raise my kilt to show the world I am part Arse, just opening my mouth most days does just fine most the the time.
Prairie Rose, Thanks for sharing that kilt clip. I saved it to pass along . I’m very unsure of the future at this time, but as everyone should, always be prepared.
No telling what those Commies will do this year. Last year, south here, Texas, Biden & his Goons caused the Electric to be shut off & at least a 100 people were reported to have died because of those creeps. I think the number was much larger.
They hate it knowing we are ready for their evil crap & are braced & prepared to defend ourselves.
Hell, they’re were trying to ban Vitamins a few month back, Again. I guess we’ll have to call back up Mel Gibson, Remember his ad years ago for pro vitamins last time the AMA/Globalist attacked vitamins. They Lost! lol
The rainforest are major lungs for the planet. While much of our oxygen comes from marine phytoplankton, rain forests with their year round activity and astronomic growth sequester carbon, increase moisture in the atmosphere through transpiration, filter the air, and give off oxygen as a result of photosynthesis.
While temperate forests are very important, they cannot match the productivity of rainforests.
We cannot affect other people’s decisions. But perhaps we can help by setting aside as many reserves as possible in the rain forest.
Caring about the environment is frankly a luxury of wealthy countries whose inhabitants have enough to eat. If you’re poor, all you care about is feeding your family, finding water, shelter, and safety. People poach, burn rainforest to grow massive palm oil plantations or biofuel, because they get an immediate benefit.
We developed countries tell third world countries not to develop. We don’t want them to lose their beautiful natural environment, while they resent interference with their dream of becoming an advanced first world country.
Lecturing poor people to preserve their environment is conceited and it won’t address their needs. A pristine or clean environment needs to be in their immediate best interests. Eco tourism can provide jobs. Photo safaris. Medicinal research. Urban planners can help identify which parts of a country would be most suitable for concentrated development, and which parts could generate income as a reserve.
Frankly, it might be in the planet’s best interests to create a fund to pay for the lost opportunity cost to a country of not developing certain square miles of pristine dense rainforest. There are very, very few old growth rain forests left on Earth. You can walk freely under the trees in old growth. It’s too shaded for a tangled understory. Almost all rain forest has been cut down or burned at one point or another, leading to snarled undergrowth. If you have to use a machete, it’s probably not an old growth rain forest.
One of the interesting aspects of therapeutics undergoing testing is how often good candidates are being identified that you really wouldn’t associate with having any antiviral or therapeutic benefit for Covid.
We really do have to keep an open mind and think outside the box.
The number 1 thing that can be done to stop stuff like this Covid 19 crap is still what Dr Francis Boyle, a subject matter expert in Bio-Weapons, said last year.
Call in a real Law Enforcement Agency, currently not the FBI, have them shut down immediately, ever Bio-Level 3 & 4 Labs, run crime scene tape around them, seize all the evidence & arrest Dr Fauci, Bill Gates & all others that were engaging in creating/cooking up Bio-Weapons like Covid 19 & their patented inoculation mRNA Gene Therapies, falsely called vaccines, that are violations of US & International Laws that punishment goes up to & includes the Death Penalty based off the Nuremberg Code.
As Boyle has repeatedly stated, Bio Level 3 & 4 Labs serve no useful propose to mankind or the world.
This latest video is short at about 6 minutes. It’s a report on the leaked docs this week from the FDA & the CDC about all the Harm & Death that is & will be done by their Inoculations called mRNA Gene Therapies.
https://banned.video/watch?id=613166e8bc8dbd043fe5ec55
Andreas Kalcker has researched chlorine dioxide (ClO2) for years, and developed protocols for its medical use. The gas can be used conveniently as chlorine dioxide solution (“CDS”). When Bolivia (population 12 M) was experiencing 100 covid-19 deaths per day, the most-affected city, Guayaquil (15,000 deaths), was chosen for a clinical trial of CDS in 104 patients, and 97% were cured in 4 days. The Bolivian police and military in particular, as patriots looking to protect their fellow countrymen, took the initiative to push for this trial, and the success encouraged them to promote acceptance for wider application. When some influential political leaders struck by covid-19 were also cured of the disease by CDS, they worked to pass a law mandating its usage throughout Bolivia. After adopting CDS, the deaths went from 100/day to practically zero in 2 months. The treatment is now used by over 4000 doctors in more than 22 countries. Chlorine dioxide solution can be produced from cheap materials even at home, and the solution remains stable when kept below 11-deg.C.
For details, visit this page: andreaskalcker.com/en/cds-clo2/protocolos-cds.html
After Kalcker reported this, he was predictably subjected to attacks in the media as allegedly recommending “bleach” as a quack cure. It seems that anything except the highly profitable genetic therapy “vaccines” (also welcomed by the “Great Reset” crowd) is instantly labeled quackery or worse by the “scientific authorities” and the bought-and-paid-for mainstream media.
So now we have HCQ (mainly effective at the outset of the disease), ivermectin (effective at basically any stage of the disease), chlorine dioxide solution, and fluvoxamine (early treatment, also for “long covid” mental symptoms) as proven treatments.
I recommend using DuckDuckGo.com instead of Google as search engine to discover much useful but suppressed information. Google censors searches severely but DuckDuckGo does not, nor does it track usage..
https://usawatchdog.com/climate-engineering-causing-drought-earthquakes-dane-wigington/
Put up a response awhile back that seems to have vaporized…
Agreed on the cautionary against rain forest devastation. Also agreed on the folly of preserving just for the benefit of mankind although it’s factual reality that the survival of the species depends on not obliterating it….
Many species of animal and vegetation have much to offer man from the rain forest. Venoms in particular have been used often in drugs to control blood pressure, for instance. So in regard to this particular pit viper, the type of sedative response that aids in blood pressure regulation would probably also help in the autoimmune cytokine storm that pushes people off the edge with out of control Covid response. That would be in addition to whatever Covid receptors it would bind to specifically.
Treatment of nature as something completely under man’s domain is literally the death knell for man’s existence on the planet. Man can’t re-create biochemically the conditions for optimum life. Man’s ability to survive and thrive has always come with being able to work in unison with that fact.
eb
Why this is so: Inside a mother’s womb all of the required Chromosomes and DNA programs limit the human being to perceive life through 5 limited senses. The difference can be shown via the ANS Autonomic Nervous System that runs our machines is above and beyond our ability to comprehend the incomprehensible.
“The destruction of these rainforests will contribute to global warming and accelerate the loss of species”
Global warming is a manufactured liberal cesspool of lies. Animal species come and go, it’s called nature.
Nature works slowly. What we see now is a loss of species at a rate orders of magnitude higher then what nature does.
Let suggest you research “The Cambrian Explosion” and “The Devonian Extinction.”
Well said Professor Turley.
I am in close contact with nature every day. I see as my responsibility to be a steward of the land to the best of my ability.
Please stop going on and on about the “Rain Forest.” We know from LIDAR that South America was civilized, terraced and not nearly as “foresty” as it is today. The rain forests took over due to the Spanish Invasion and the consequent loss of that civilization.
While I generally agree that we need to preserve Nature, so many people forget the Natural Selection side of evolution. In evolution, species become extinct when their gene mutations cannot adapt as fast as those of other species. If a void is left in the species pool, other species will arise to fill void. Unfortunately from our limited time spans on Earth, we don’t have the perspective that this natural process takes longer than many human lifetimes.
Human concern with the environment presents an interesting conundrum. If evolution is the true explanation of our existence then we are no different than other species – not special in an evolutionary sense therefore our preoccupation with the environment is a singularity not supported by evolutionary history.
What if our preoccupation with preserving other species is actually hindering adaptation of other species and the path of Nature.
If mankind is special in the cosmic sense then we need to define our concern with the environment in supernatural concepts. If we are just another accident of nature we must ask ourselves why we, in the evolutionary sense, indulge our hubris in concern for the environment when no other species does.
Let’s test the venom of Lefty posters like Natacha; perhaps there is some use to her.
Avoid Anonymous eb’s venom; it will put us to sleep and make us stupid.
Agreed !! , But science may yet not be able to filter out the stupid from their leftist venom which may in turn cause more damage than good. Much like the toxic blue jab the elite push for the scamdemic !.