Ecology And Plague Essay, Research Paper

Ecology is a branch of science concerned with the interrelationships of

organisms and their environment. An ecosystem is a community, together with its

nonliving factors existing together. Scientifically, a community consists of a

collection of creatures that live in a particular place together. The Coming

Plague was a novel that outlined how each epidemic has been a direct result of

each step of human progression. The diseases covered in layman?s terms were

Machupo, Marburg, Yellow Fever, Meningitis, Lassa Fever, Ebola, Swine, Flu,

Legionaire?s Disease, HIV/AIDS, Toxic Shock Syndrome, Hantavirus, Malaria,

Seal Plague, Tuberculosis and Cholera. Humans have not been exempt from the

catastrophic results of a disruption in atmosphere nor disruption of the food

chain. By humans viewing themselves master, their methodology in progression has

resulted in devastation. The discovery that most epidemics were bacterial or

parasitic came only after a campaign in 1955. Dr. Jonus Salkis established the

Polio Vaccine and Americans felt as though nothing could go wrong in terms of

health. By 1963 everything fell apart; developing countries such as India

contributed as much as 1/3 of their budgets towards Malaria control. Also during

that period of ?Health Transition? diverse plant life yielded effects of

pesticides and the long term results were overwhelmed with destructive insects.

Consequently, resistance amongst insects increased significantly. By the

1970?s society acknowledged that there was a direct effect of pollutants on

human existence. At that point it was recognized that environmental destruction

could not be corrected within a time frame that contemporary humans would

witness at their rate of progression, the analogy used for human survival was

the Cretaceous period dinosaur die-off. The time had come to look at ecology

beginning at the macro-level in order to allow nature to run its course and

avoid any further destruction for the sake of progress. Even still the issues

were even greater than global awareness and cleaning. In 1981 the emergence of

the human immunodeficiency virus was seen as an indication of things to come.

Humans had learned little from prior diseases; response and reaction to new

microbes that attack the defensive weapons used to protect human beings, was no

greater than thirty years before. The initial responses being that ignoring the

severity of the new microbe would have made it go away. The author provided a

chronological summary of the emergence of new microbes and the research methods

implemented in order to isolate the source as well as the support or lack of

from society. The book was informative and easy reading, while heightening

awareness about the ecosystem and the human role. The author was successful in

capturing attention and maintaining interest through simple accounting of

events. The emotions of those involved were given as the events were presented

and the actual research was detailed and well incorporated. Surprisingly, The

Coming Plague was enjoyable and intense. At each new search for the source of an

epidemic there was anticipation of what the cause was that particular time. The

only aversion with the book was the paranoia that I have developed. The book

struck an interest to learn more about the ecosystem and made me aware that

learning need not be agonizing.