OXFORD laboratories seem to be at the forefront in the search for cures for some of the major diseases, including Ebola, and it’s said that, in time, we may be able to find cures for all of them.
This sounds very commendable, but I have this gut feeling that there will be a down-side.
Life forms have evolved to reproduce at a rate that should ensure survival, but when the population in any area exceeds what is sustainable, diseases usually appear to bring things back to sustainable levels.
Up to about 200 years ago the world’s human population was fairly stable, but with knowledge of how bacteria and viruses operate, every effort has been made to ensure the survival of every human being, irrespective of the cost in money and in other life forms.
It will not be long before humans will be classed as a pest, some might say that they already are. I can see a time when we will not have the money or resources to combat new diseases and nature will again take over.
Derrick Holt, Fortnam Close, Headington, Oxford
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