Dr. Dickson Despommier

I am a parasitologist/ecologist that worked on the molecular biology of Trichinella sprialis for 27 years before retiring from the laboratory (see: Trichinella.org). Recently, I have become interested in several aspects of the ecology of infectious disease transmission (see: MedicalEcology.org). The first area is the ecotone as a zone of high transmission, and the second is the agricultural interface as a setting for the acquisition of parasitic diseases such as schistosomiasis, malaria, and a variety of helminths (ascaris, hookworm, trichuris). I also study the ecology of West Nile virus outbreaks in the United States as it relates to patterns of weather (see: West Nile Story, Apple Trees Productions, LLC, 2000). Finally, I have become aware of the need to insure our food crops from severe weather events (floods, droughts, etc.). Coupled with this study is the possibility for ecosystem restoration. My students and I have for the past 9 years explored the feasibility of raising crops indoors in multistory buildings within the urban landscape (see: The Vertical Farm Project). The advantages of this food production strategy are numerous, including the fact that if we could do so, many infectious diseases would be prevented by avoidance of contact with human feces (commonly used as fertilizer for crops raised in many parts of Africa, Asia, and South Asia). Raising domestic fowl indoors would eliminate their contact with wild birds, greatly reducing the chances of spreading avian influenza from domestic birds to humans. Raising food in urban centers spares the surrounding countryside, allowing it to return to its former ecological associations in the absence of farming.

http://www.eoearth.org/profile/Dickso...