Here’s a quick list of scares that we really ought to have a closer look at:
- Anti-biotic feeding to cattle creating ideal conditions for the development of anti-biotic immune bacteria. If it wasn’t for anti-biotics, every class of primary children would likely have more than one person dying before the end of primary. Everyone would fear the simplest infection — the luxury of living without that fear is something I would like my children to have.
- Influenza or anti-biotic immune bacterial based pandemic. Flu, whilst amazingly mild because it was a replay of an earlier virus, swine flu proved that 1) we can’t stop flu, 2) vaccines aren’t widely available until 12 months after the event, 3) flu can kill in huge numbers. Likewise a bacterial based infection where the bacteria become anti-biotic immune and where it is easily spread and deadly (after enough latency to infect others)
- World population. On its own world population isn’t (yet) a problem, but it would make many other problems far more serious if they occurred.
- Declining soil fertility. The longer a soil is used, the less fertile it becomes. Continue reading
