This essay was referenced by an article that Wayne had linked to. Interesting stuff.

I also noticed a reference to Michael Crichton's latest book, State of Fear, in which he apparently makes similar allegations about the effects of the DDT ban. This essay, an excerpt from the book, does not mention DDT, but it does discuss the dangers of popularizing and acting on junk science. (I have read a few of the speeches on Crichton's site, and they tend to revolve around this topic. I like what he has to say in general, but he seems to have a blind spot regarding evolution.)

It's not related to DDT, but I wanted to comment on another "unintended consequence" stemming from the environmental lobby, this time regarding the shuttle program. It seems clear that the Columbia disaster was caused, at least in part, by a new type of foam used to cover the main fuel tank. The new foam is more environmentally friendly than the old foam. Apparently, it is also more susceptible to disintegration. This article discusses this aspect of the Columbia tragedy.

Of course, they used the same foam for the latest mission, and they observed a large chunk coming off. Thankfully, it did not strike the shuttle. Now all flights are grounded until they can solve this problem. But are they considering going back to the old foam? Not that I've heard....