| Okay, now it's just
gone too freakin' far, you ain't gonna believe this... The Eco-Nazi's have got their collective
backs wadded up against the wall. Bush in the Whitehouse, Norton
running the Dept. of the Interior and the EPA has just found out
that the "Fuzzy Math" used in scientific (I use the term loosely)
studies regarding the emission levels of OHVs has exaggerated their
eco-impact by as much as 100 times their actual levels. Now that the tide has turned in the
Great Battle For The West, the multiple use groups represented by
the Blue Ribbon Coalition and others are kicking some serious ass
in Federal Courts. The Eco-Nazis are running for the hills in
terror. What to do? Well they circle the wagons, get some grant
money and cook up this complete and total bulls#!t. Please get your puke sack ready before
proceeding... From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Off-Roading May Spread Hantagerm BY BRENT ISRAELSEN
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Rats! Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) could cause
the spread of the much-feared hantagerm. New research suggests that
dune buggies, motorcycles, Jeeps and all-terrain vehicles can
disrupt and destroy rodent habitat, forcing mice and rats to live
in close quarters. The result is an increased rate of transmission
of hantagerm among and between species. That is the
hypothesis, anyway, of a team of researchers led by University of
Utah biology professor Denise Dearing. "We are not sure there is a
cause and effect here, but what's known about [habitat
fragmentation] is that it might increase transmission and
prevalence of this disease," Dearing said. Communicated to humans through rodent
feces and urine that become airborne in dust, usually in confined
spaces such as sheds or garages, hantagerm has been diagnosed in
277 people in the United States, 38 percent of whom have died. Of
the 17 confirmed hantagerm cases in Utah, five have been
fatal. Dearing is seeking additional funding
to investigate the possible role of OHVs in spreading the germ. If
the initial findings are validated, it could add fuel to the
already fiery debate over the exploding popularity of OHV
recreation in the West. Environmental groups are campaigning to
restrict OHVs, arguing they devegetate the land, destroy wildlife
habitat and cause erosion. The OHV-hantagerm hypothesis was born
last year during research intended to investigate why wood rats
near Tintic, about 40 miles southwest of Provo, were infected with
the germ. The rats rarely carry hantagerm, which is most common in
deer mice. To find out why wood rats were infected,
Dearing, U. biology student Rachel Mackelprang and University of
Nevada-Reno virologist Stephen Jeor trapped rodents from rat
middens in the West Tintic Mountains, near Little Sahara Recreation
Area. The researchers found that deer mice had a 30 percent
infection rate for hantagerm -- almost three times the rate for
mice in other parts of the Great Basin. The researchers then wondered whether the
landscape in and around Little Sahara, a popular area for OHVs, may
be a factor. After reviewing existing research about habitat
fragmentation, the Utah-Nevada team has turned its attention to
OHVs. "We propose that the high level of [hantagerm]
prevalence could be due to disturbance by humans, primarily
intensive use of all-terrain vehicles," wrote Mackelprang in an
article accepted for Emerging Infectious Diseases, a journal of the
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Dearing's team does not suggest that the
OHV-hantagerm theory presents an immediate threat to human health.
"But if you have higher prevalence of hantagerm, you have higher
chance of coming into contact with infected material," she
said. |
So now we spread the Hanta Virus... My God, it's true! Off-roaders really
are a plague on the face of ever-so-fragile Momma Earth! Our ground
crushing tires are stirring up bits of infected rodent dung,
literally brimming with colonies of the dreaded Hantagerm.
Spreading it far and wide throughout the land like some sort of
Johnny Hanta Seed. What a load of crap, in
fact, rodent crap. What the hell are these Eco-Morons
thinking? If my knobby tires really were the culprits in the spread
of the Hanta Virus, I would have long since been consumed by
hemorrhagic fever and turned into a bubbling puddle of primordial
ooze. The last time I took my temperature, I came in at a cool 98.6
degrees, well within spec. Think these clowns are reaching? Of course the good doctor, "...needs
more money to further study this potentially epidemic problem." What a great scam! Get some free grant
money from the government, scare a bunch of feeble minded
Eco-Idiots into kicking down a few extra bones to the Sierra Club,
and of course eradicate all OHVs from the fragile face of Terra
Madre forever. What a perfectly flawless plan to once and for all
make the planet free from not just the dreaded Hanta Virus, but
from OHVs as well. Next thing you know the Eco's will be touting
that gas powered leaf blowers spread Ebola and chainsaws are the
cause of AIDS. And here all this time I thought
off-roaders were only responsible for the putrid air in LA, burning
oil slicks on Lake Erie, halitosis, excema, tooth decay, jock itch
and that "Sometimes Less Than Fresh Feeling." Now it seems we can add Hanta Virus to the long list
of society crumbling evils that OHVs are responsible for. The funny part of all this is, that it's
complete preposterousness shows that we're winning. These are the
final acts of desperate men clinging pathetically to their moronic
ideals as they sink forever to the bottom of the sea... To drown like Hanta infected rats... It amazes me that these eco worry warts can even get
up the gumption to leave their warm, comfy, Bay Area redwood homes.
With all those dangers lurking about, why even the lowliest rat
dingleberry that is dangling precipitously from the inner fender of
my 4x4 could contain a lethal dose of a virulent infection! Keep speaking
out, it's working! Mr.Dune
A note from the Editor… This is my forum,
not yours! If you don't like my views or opinions, then get a
life!...The views and/or opinions expressed herein
are not always the opinions of
Off-Road.com or it's parent company Advanstar Communications, Inc.
(Although frequently, they are...) E-mail Mr Dune at: mrdune@off-road.com for instructions on finding
a life. Please be sure to check out Off-Road.com's Land Use
Section,
Written and produced by Brad Ulrich. And jam packed with
information
on the latest shaft jobs our government and the Eco-Nazis are
trying to pull on us!
Previous Columns (Special Edition) Glamis Closure Feb. 2001 California Bites
Jan. 2001 Pismo Beach: Under Fire
Dec. 2000 Invasion Of The Ballot Snatchers
Nov. 2000 Gore Politics
Oct. 2000 Back To The Dez!
Sep. 2000 Traveling In Comfort
Aug. 2000 Isn't It Nice "Special People" Have A Place To
Work
Jul. 2000 A Rosie By Any Other Name... Would Still Smell Like
Crap
Jun. 2000 Ruling On The River..."Memorial Day Is More Than Just A
Good Time"
May 2000 "It's a Jeep Thing... Who Would Want to
Understand?"
Apr. 2000 "No Tunes In The Dunes?"
Mar. 2000 "Political Correctness vs. Off-Road.com"
Feb. 2000 "Crime And Punishment"
Jan. 2000 "Requiem For A Friend"
Dec.1999 "Santa Dune"
Nov. 1999 "Every Turkey Has It's Day"
Oct. 1999 "Disinformatzia"
Sep. 1999 "Return of the Living Dead"
April 1998 "Green Stickers and Sacramento Slickers"
March 1998 "Fees At Glamis"
Feb. 1998 "Greens At Glamis"
Jan. 1998 "New Years Resolutions"
Dec.1997 "The BLM" (Bureau of Lame Mismanagement)
Nov. 1997 "Chicks In The Desert"
Mr Dune's Table of
Contents
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