Gloom Doom and Avian Flu

From the July 6 Arkansas Times Observer column. (Drop down to the second bullet)

"last week, we went to see Dr. Michael T. Osterholm, who was speaking at the Clinton School of Public Policy. His bona fides: He’s the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, a professor at the University of Minnesota and an associate director within Homeland Security of the nation’s food protection program. He painted a picture of what a flu pandemic will look like. Not would, will."

I happened to be at that lecture. (Being a media geek has it's rewards.)
When Dr. Osterholm bemoaned the lack of any leadership in pursuit of means to lessen the impact of this calamity, noting that instead we had just seen the senate burn two days in support of anti-flag burning legislation, he received a spontaneous ovation from this group of 200 and more. Many of those present were substantial members of the Little Rock medical community, and it was apparent that his message was thoughtfully received, if not happily.

"What the country needs is a leader, Osterholm said. Fairly thin ice he skates on there.

About that thin ice. We asked Osterholm after his talk if he had factored global warming into the economic picture. “Don’t even go there,” he said."

Here is the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota Avian Flu Site. Poke around on the entire site... If you have a strong stomach.

- Clyde