Germs, Genes, & Civilization: How Epidemics Shaped Who We Are Today by David P. Clark

Author:David P. Clark [Clark, David P.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: FT Press
Published: 2010-01-08T05:00:00+00:00

Germ warfare is unreliable

Perhaps one reason the major nations so readily agreed to outlaw germ warfare is that it is ineffective. In practice, bullets and bombs are easier to produce and handle than biological weapons. Another issue is that even the fastest diseases, such as pneumonic plague, take at least 24 hours to kill. And 24 hours is plenty of time for a retaliatory nuclear exchange. Another drawback is the problem of delivery. Spraying is the standard method of distributing germs. Unfortunately, this relies on the weather. First, a breeze is needed—and second, the wind must blow in the right direction!

During the 1950s, the British government field-tested harmless bacteria. When the wind blew the germs over “healthy” farmland, most airborne bacteria survived and landed alive and well. In contrast, when the bacteria were blown over industrial areas, especially oil refineries, the airborne bacteria were wiped out. Many airborne industrial pollutants are lethal to bacteria and viruses. Even if the wind is favorable, most of the population of an industrial nation is found in cities, protected from airborne germs by air pollution!

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