Pubdate: Sun, 24 Jun 2001
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2001 News World Communications, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.washtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Note: Rensselaer Lee consults in international security issues and is
co-author with Patrick Clawson of "The Andean Cocaine Industry."

DRUG CROP ERADICATION IS ACCELERATING ENVIRONMENTAL DECAY

Commentary columnists F. Andy Messing and Patrick J. Oswald are correct in 
stating that cultivating and processing drug crops cause extensive damage 
to forests, soils, rivers and air quality ("Greening of the drug war," June 
20). The authors, however, mistakenly argue that the crop eradication 
strategy pursued in Colombia will "reverse this negative process."

Eradication is accelerating environmental decay. In the past five years, 
Colombia's farmers have planted more than 1 hectare of coca for each of the 
115,000-odd hectares destroyed in aerial spraying campaigns, indicating 
that the coca frontier and the pollution associated with it are expanding 
ever farther into the Amazonian jungle.

This unfortunate cycle is likely to continue unless farmers find 
economically attractive alternatives to coca or until world demand for 
cocaine - now estimated at 500 tons or more annually - is reduced 
substantially.

RENSSELAER LEE
McLean
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart