What the World Needs Now Is DDT

Julian Sanchez is amused that the NYT Magazine [RSS] has discovered cost-benefit analysis, albeit a few decades late:

As malaria surges once again in Africa, victories are few. But South Africa is beating the disease with a simple remedy: spraying the inside walls of houses in affected regions once a year. Several insecticides can be used, but South Africa has chosen the most effective one. It lasts twice as long as the alternatives. It repels mosquitoes in addition to killing them, which delays the onset of pesticide-resistance. It costs a quarter as much as the next cheapest insecticide. It is DDT.

Next thing they’ll tell me is that there is a need for parking lots in paradise.

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