NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.aol.com/article/caterpillar-infestation-in-liberia/317187

MONROVIA, Liberia (Jan. 27) — Liberia's president declared a state of emergency over an invasion of crop-eating caterpillars that has affected 350,000 people in the West African country.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told lawmakers Monday night that the pests "have invaded our country with the potential to set back our progress in the production of food and export crops."
"This is indeed a crisis and I hereby declare a state of national emergency with particular emphasis on the existing and potentially affected counties," she said.
The inch-long pests, which have been identified as army worms — the caterpillar stage of a moth — are clogging wells and waterways with excrement and devouring vital crops including banana, plantain, coffee and cocoa.
The outbreak in Liberia, which is still recovering from years of civil war, has been blamed on last year's unusually long rainy season. The pests have also entered neighboring Guinea, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
Sirleaf said the government has set up a task force to deal with the situation and has started spraying in the affected areas. She also said water and food were being supplied to people displaced by the pest invasion.
But she warned that more effort and more resources are required "if we are to be successful in containing this problem." She ordered the Minister of Finance to identify budgetary resources "from any source possible that can be used to meet the needs that are required."
An Agriculture Ministry-led command post, manned by fewer than 100 pest control workers, has been set up near the central provincial town of Gbarnga in a bid to contain the invading caterpillars that number in the tens of millions.
The last time Liberia experienced such an invasion of pests was 30 years ago, but officials then were able to prevent its spread.

Africa, no matter what, seems to be the eternally jinxed region on Earth. War, famine, corruption, genocide, class clashes, apartheid. These seem to be the rule and the normality on this continent. And now, we have pests. What do you think, NSG?

Oh, you're from Oviedo? Like, the Oviedo featured in "Vicky Christina Barcelona"? That's cool.

They need ladybugs. *stuffs some into a box and considers postage*

Oh, you're from Oviedo? Like, the Oviedo featured in "Vicky Christina Barcelona"? That's cool.

Yup. Awesome city, but I'm currently living in Madrid.:)

Maybe we could send them some Raid or something?


I never thought I'd see "progress" and "Liberia" in the same paragraph. O.o

I must agree. The North American continent has large countries, South America has the jungle, Europe has culture and history, Asia has lots of people, Australia has the kangaroo, koala, and platypus, Antarctica has the cold, and Africa has well all around bad luck.

You would think that for somewhere where man was supposed to have evolved from they would have worked all their problems out a LONG time ago...or just left. Hell!! I don't want to sound like a white supremacist but the most stable countries have a large white population(except for Egypt who is also stable.)

I must agree. The North American continent has large countries, South America has the jungle, Europe has culture and history, Asia has lots of people, Australia has the kangaroo, koala, and platypus, Antarctica has the cold, and Africa has well all around bad luck.

You would think that for somewhere where man was supposed to have evolved from they would have worked all their problems out a LONG time ago...or just left. Hell!! I don't want to sound like a white supremacist but the most stable countries have a large white population(except for Egypt who is also stable.)

I blame tribal ju-ju and the heat.

Perhaps we should civilize them with cities and snow?

Perhaps we should civilize them with cities and snow?

That's the answer... Snow makes people less violent!

Soon, they will have the caterpillars roasting on spits and will sell them as a delicacy to stupid foreigners.

I don't want to sound like a white supremacist but the most stable countries have a large white population(except for Egypt who is also stable.)

Well, you are, and what about Japan, South Korea, Ghana etc? They're all non-white and stable. There are plenty of white countries (eg Belarussia, Albania, Bosnia) that aren't stable.

Well, you are, and what about Japan, South Korea, Ghana etc? They're all non-white and stable.

Well to be fair, arguably Japan and South Korea are both stable because of whites. A white navy protects Japan and a white army protects South Korea

Perhaps I wasn't clear on the white > black part?

And Japan was stable afte we rebuilt them. And south korea because we prevented them from going commie.

That's the answer... Snow makes people less violent!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit

Well, you are, and what about Japan, South Korea, Ghana etc? They're all non-white and stable. There are plenty of white countries (eg Belarussia, Albania, Bosnia) that aren't stable.

I've always wanted to visit Ghana. And Ivory Coast before they went to crap in '03.

and ivory coast before they went to crap in '03.

1603?

Perhaps I wasn't clear on the white > black part?

And Japan was stable afte we rebuilt them. And south korea because we prevented them from going commie.

Ghana then? China? India?

1603?

They were doing relatively well for a couple of years (well enough I'd consider visiting) until the attempted coup (which I guess started in '02 but didn't get resolved until '03).

I've always wanted to visit Ghana.

Great place, well worth the diarrhoea..

Ladybirds, pls.

An invasion of crop-eating caterpillars (http://www.etb-bm.nl/Cat-320-CL-DV-5.jpg)?:eek: That's a scary thought!

Great place, well worth the diarrhoea..

Can't be worse than Mexico.

I must agree. The North American continent has large countries, South America has the jungle, Europe has culture and history, Asia has lots of people, Australia has the kangaroo, koala, and platypus, Antarctica has the cold, and Africa has well all around bad luck.
Africa has gold, diamonds, oil, fertile land, etc.
It also has corrupt despots, meddling from abusive foreign powers, populist morons who come into power by promising the sky and then proceed to ride the country into the ground because there is no existing way to get rid of them and the people just won't fucking learn.

We rebuilt Japan and left 50 years ago. We haven't been wriggling our fingers and directing their politicians. The Chrysanthemum Throne is the longest-lived dynasty on the planet. Japan is stable because of the Japanese people.

They can blame this one on the west. A good early catch with DDT and no problem. Same with malaria and other insect transmitted contagions. I'm not saying flood the place, but controlled use would probably have stopped this in its tracks. Don't come on about the environmental problems; they are at best debatable and this is a real problem right now.

We rebuilt Japan and left 50 years ago. We haven't been wriggling our fingers and directing their politicians. The Chrysanthemum Throne is the longest-lived dynasty on the planet. Japan is stable because of the Japanese people.

Which is why we still have multiple military bases in Japan...

Which is why we still have multiple military bases in Japan...

What, do you think the commanders of those bases give instructions to the Japanese government as to how to behave, or that they're there as a threat in case they don't do what we want? Seriously now. Those bases are there to allow the US power projection into the Far East. That's really about it, these days.

What, do you think the commanders of those bases give instructions to the Japanese government as to how to behave, or that they're there as a threat in case they don't do what we want? Seriously now. Those bases are there to allow the US power projection into the Far East. That's really about it, these days.

that and to reassure Japan we will protect them from China.

I must agree. The North American continent has large countries, South America has the jungle, Europe has culture and history, Asia has lots of people, Australia has the kangaroo, koala, and platypus, Antarctica has the cold, and Africa has well all around bad luck.

You would think that for somewhere where man was supposed to have evolved from they would have worked all their problems out a LONG time ago...or just left. Hell!! I don't want to sound like a white supremacist but the most stable countries have a large white population(except for Egypt who is also stable.)

Many people did and moved into Europe, Asia and the Americas

I must agree. The North American continent has large countries, South America has the jungle, Europe has culture and history, Asia has lots of people, Australia has the kangaroo, koala, and platypus, Antarctica has the cold, and Africa has well all around bad luck.

You would think that for somewhere where man was supposed to have evolved from they would have worked all their problems out a LONG time ago...or just left. Hell!! I don't want to sound like a white supremacist but the most stable countries have a large white population(except for Egypt who is also stable.)

Asia has some pretty stable countries.

Also there have been large migrations out of Africa, and many more who would love to leave. jsut seems Europe, the Americas and Asia wont take any more.

Which is why we still have multiple military bases in Japan...Wow.

G-d almightly I'm not saying that countries without white people are unstable. I'm saying countries in Africa without white people are unstable.

If you can read in between the lines I'm saying that African blacksare mostly uncivilized militants who spend their time squabbling and commiting genocide and that when white people are in control everything becomes better....somehow. Look at Europes colonization of Africa, probably one of the most stable times in African history. Then after independence bing bang boom civil war, genocide, and all around strife.

And yes I blame HIV on Black people eating uncooked monkeys with SIVs. DAMN. Now that I read this I feel so racist but what must be said to make it clear must be said.

I know he's of fairly significant note, but Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond actually talks about this, how Africa's tropical climate, poor access to navigable rivers, North-South orientation and diseases that inhibit the development of large urban centers have resulted in that continent getting a particularly bad case of the shaft. Geography is the ultimate culprit.

Perhaps we should civilize them with cities and snow?

Well, IDk about snow, but the rest I believe was tried on occasion...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_Africa


I think they consistently said, nay, lol...

If you can read in between the lines I'm saying that African blacksare mostly uncivilized militants who spend their time squabbling and commiting genocide and that when white people are in control everything becomes better....somehow.

Are you acquainted with how the Belgians ruled their colonies? They were pretty brutal, stable, but brutal.

Or, perhaps, Belloc's little poem:

Whatever happens, we have got
The Maxim gun, and they have not.

Whatever happens, we have got
The Maxim gun, and they have not.

I think the real scare came when they got AKs I dont think sub-saharan Africa has been stable since...

Im sorry, but when you Prosecute a Goat...there's something wrong...Its not racial, we have plenty of African-Americans that are just as intelligent as any white guy....

But, their Tribal society is just lacking...

Look at Europes colonization of Africa, probably one of the most stable times in African history.

Sure, a stable decline in population due to slave trade and imported diseases, a stable increase in hunger and poverty due to denial of access to resources, and a stable flow of everything worth anything from Africa to Europe.

Yay for stability European style. :tongue:

We're talking about a continent where shapeshifted goats are held for armed robbery (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7846822.stm)


Really, is it any wonder few slugs are a disaster?


;)

we rebuilt japan and left 50 years ago. We haven't been wriggling our fingers and directing their politicians. The chrysanthemum throne is the longest-lived dynasty on the planet. Japan is stable because of the japanese people.

qft.

Eric Carle predicted this would happen, maybe now people will take his books seriously.

Im sorry, but when you Prosecute a Goat...there's something wrong...Its not racial, we have plenty of African-Americans that are just as intelligent as any white guy....

But, their Tribal society is just lacking...

And why wouldn't you have??

Every time you say your not a racist you make a little comment like that

Do you think it's because they had to leave their 'stupitiy genes' in the old country:confused:

This caterpillar part reminds me of Chinese Ghost Story the second, where they had to fight a giant evil Buddha transformed into a gargantuan caterpillar. It ate people, not crops, though. Too bad - crops can't disembody themselves and kill the caterpillar from within with hail of self-propelled swords.

we have plenty of African-Americans that are just as intelligent as any white guy...

So, what do you in good ole' Dixie do with them? Surely you don't let them waste on cotton fields, do they become manservants?

:D

So, what do you in good ole' Dixie do with them? Surely you don't let them waste on cotton fields, do they become manservants?

:D

They become President. :D

*All the republicans in the room cry*

And why wouldn't you have??

Every time you say your not a racist you make a little comment like that

Do you think it's because they had to leave their 'stupitiy genes' in the old country:confused:

No, Im saying that we have a significantly lower poverty rate, and better educational systems than Africa, duh...

The point is that if Africa had those things, things would be able to progress just as well as Western Nations...

But, because the Tribal Leaders are the ones with the Guns and the Money and the Food, that isnt happening...

If the same were to be happening in America, Id imagine we'd cope with it a lot worse than them in fact, because of our opulent(comparatively speaking) lifestyles...

Im actually a bit offended you would read it that way at all...

EDIT: and for clarification, the reason its offensive, is it suggests you read my Location and prejudged my implications based solely upon that fact...

So, what do you in good ole' Dixie do with them? Surely you don't let them waste on cotton fields, do they become manservants?

:D

Psh, at the lowest GDP in the Country, we couldnt afford Manservants if we wanted to, lol...

We're talking about a continent where shapeshifted goats are held for armed robbery (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7846822.stm)


Really, is it any wonder few slugs are a disaster?


;)

I wonder how much it would cost to buy that goat? That little guy earned his place in a zoo somewhere. Great story!

There is not a single continent we have not messed up. It will take many centuries to repair all the damage. I am thinking some type of bird should do the trick. Anything that eat caterpillars.


http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_eats_a_caterpillar

Caterpillars are large, nutritious and (more importantly) very slow. This makes them ideal food for such animals as Birds, Hedgehogs, various Rodents and even come other Bugs like ants will be pleased to eat a caterpillar. I am told that when hungry a fox or a badger will resort to eating bugs, this would probably include caterpillars.


How about some New York City rats. We have a ton of them. Mean little suckers too. Flip you off and everything.