News & Politics

Georgetowner • May 3, 2012

James Cole: Look at them. They’re just asking for it. Maybe the human race deserves to be wiped out.

Jeffrey Goines: Wiping out the human race? That’s a great idea. That’s great. But more of a long-term thing. I mean, first we have to focus on more immediate goals.

– “Twelve Monkeys”

If you’re ever looking for an intelligent science fiction movie that has a timeless and cogent– if terrifying– message, “Twelve Monkeys” is a classic. Replete with great actors like Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt, “Twelve Monkeys” was produced in 1995 about a convict (James Cole, played by Bruce Willis) living in a post-apocalyptic future who’s sent back in time to stop a deadly plague released by a terrorist organization known as “The Army of the Twelve Monkeys.”

If a remake of the movie were made today, the opening scene might have Bruce Willis’s character returning to alert a governmental committee about a laboratory-constructed virus that kills 60 percent of all its victims. The scene would have him warning of a plan to openly publish the recipe for the pathogen—a virus with all the virulence of the seasonal flu, and vastly more lethal than the 1918 pandemic that killed more than 40 million people. In his testimony, Willis would warn (in colorful language) that open publication of the study would be tantamount to providing Al Qaida with the operational blueprints for a nuclear weapon. Ultimately, though, his concerns would be dismissed “in the interest of scientific research,” and the recipe for the deadly pathogen would be published openly for all to see.

As entertaining as such a remake would be, the story would likely now be dismissed by studio executives for requiring little suspension of disbelief—because all of the story elements are now actually transpiring.

The virus? Avian Flu, or H5N1–a pathogen that the United Nations Coordinator for Influenza warned could cause a pandemic with the potential to kill 150 million people.

The government committee is also real: The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB)—a panel of experts formed after the 2001 anthrax attacks that advises the government about “dual use” research with legitimate public health purposes, but also potentially used as a bio-terror threat. Paul Keim, current NSABB head, and a world renowned authority on anthrax, recently said of H5N1, “I can’t think of another pathogenic
organism that is as scary as this one. I don’t think anthrax is scary at all compared to this.”

The World Health Organization recently reported that of the 566 confirmed human cases of H5N1 to date; 332 have died. That number has been kept low up to now only because H5N1 does not spread easily between humans. And yet, the possibility that it could mutate to a more virulent form continues to keep government leaders awake at night. Yi Guan, the virologist at Hong Kong University, recently stated what he would do if the highly infectious H1N1 virus combined with the extremely deadly H5N1 virus: “If that happens, I will retire immediately and lock myself in the P3 lab. H5N1 kills half the people it infects.”

In November, Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam reinforced that a combined H5N1-H1N1 strain of flu is “probably one of the most dangerous viruses you can make.”

He made it anyway.

In an effort that went largely unnoticed until recently, and using very simple steps, Fouchier successfully mutated the H5N1 bird flu virus in his laboratory, creating an airborne form of the virus that spread swiftly among laboratory ferrets–the standard animal model for human influenza research.

Fouchier sent his research paper to the NSABB and the journal, Science. The NSABB quickly branded it too dangerous to publish, demanding entire sections of the report redacted to prevent the recipe for the virus falling into the wrong hands. Keim explained the rationale as a buying-time maneuver, to “slow down the release of the specific information that would enable somebody to reconstruct this virus and do something nefarious.”

But soon, the scientific community mobilized and scuttled the NSABB’s best-laid plans, crying foul over government censorship of science. “It is essential for public health that the full details of any scientific analysis of flu viruses be available to researchers,” said Philip Campbell, editor-in-chief of Nature.

Late last month, after a two-day meeting, the NSABB reversed its decision and supported open publication of the research once the report clarified that not all of the laboratory ferrets died from Fouchier’s H5N1 strain. Still, one- third of the panel members refused to endorse full publication.

“Rational Man” theory has generally been cited to discount the potential for bio-terrorism. With a pathogen’s inability to be precisely employed or controlled as a weapon, viruses have traditionally been viewed as unlikely
weapons of choice. Since the 9-11 attacks, however, lone wolfs like Bruce Ivins, and terror groups like Aum Shinrikyo and Al Qaida have forever shattered those assumptions. With HHS approval secured last week, the
editors-in-chief of Nature and Science plan to publish the research and mutated H5N1 recipe without redaction.

Georgetowner •

This week, I want to focus on the arts, which is timely both because it is a budget priority of mine and because I recently presented a resolution recognizing theatre: Washington’s “Theater Week” at the Helen Hayes Awards. I am proud to celebrate the legacy, excellence and cultural contribution of theatre in the District of Columbia, and Theater Week provides a great opportunity to do that.

Everyone knows that the District of Columbia is a center for tourism. We as a city must build on this strength by attracting visitors as well as residents into our world-class arts venues. There are 44 professional theater companies operating in the District of Columbia, making us the second most prolific theatre town in the United States based on the number of productions per year. While the theater landscape has grown, I am concerned that dwindling funding could have an adverse impact on potential future growth.

Neighborhoods throughout D.C. have been transformed by establishing and promoting theaters within their communities. From the Arena Stage in Southwest, to the Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights, to the Shakespeare Theatre in Penn Quarter, to the renovation of the Atlas on H Street, N.E., and the Studio Theatre in Logan Circle, it is clear that the arts are not simply relevant from an aesthetic or cultural standpoint. The arts provides economic engines for the community, capable of revitalizing entire neighborhoods. I am proud that the District was also the major donor to Arena Stage, the Shakespeare Theatre, Ford’s Theatre and many other performing arts groups like the Washington Ballet and the Washington Performing Arts Society.

The theater industry supports more than 11,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the District, and arts and culture organizations spend over $600 million annually throughout the region. The nearly 2 million audience members that attend theaters in the District annually also generate more than $100 million into the District’s economy — demonstrating that theater is a critical part of the economic engine with benefits
flowing directly back to area businesses.

I am committed to advocating for the arts and reminding my colleagues that the arts are integral to the fabric of our neighborhoods and city. Their importance cannot be overstated, and I will keep working to ensure that our arts community continues to grow and thrive. I have had conversations with the mayor, the chairman and my council colleagues and will be promoting amendments to the budget to move us in the direction of a quantity of funding that will more adequately sustain this important facet of our city.

Georgetowner •

Robert Groves, director of the U.S. Census Bureau, will become Georgetown University’s new executive vice president and provost August 20, the university announced. He will serve as the chief academic officer for its main campus. 

Before serving as census director, Groves served as a professor at the University of Michigan and director of its Survey Research Center as well as a research professor in the Joint Program in Survey Methodology.

 “I am honored by the opportunity to be the next provost of Georgetown University,” Groves said. “I look forward to working with Georgetown’s world-class faculty and students to build the Georgetown of the future, one that fulfills all their aspirations.”

Georgetowner •

A free author lecture series in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of George Peabody’s arrival in Georgetown and the return of his fully restored portrait that was damaged in the 2007 Georgetown Branch Library fire.??

This May marks the 200th anniversary of 17-year-old George Peabody’s arrival in Georgetown in 1812 with his older uncle and their establishment of a dry goods store on Bridge Street, today’s M Street. Decades later, Peabody was a multi-millionaire and in 1867 he donated $15,000 to establish a library in Georgetown. Mr. Peabody believed that the only way to elevate oneself was through education. That was why he funded a library in Georgetown among dozens of other educational and cultural organizations throughout the United States. The Georgetown Branch Library’s Peabody Room was named in his honor in 1935 with the purpose to serve as a repository of Georgetown’s neighborhood history.

??The lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. each Thursday in May at the Peabody Room, located on the third floor of the Georgetown Branch Library, 3260 R Street, N.W. (corner of Wisconsin Avenue), Washington, D.C. For additional information contact Jerry A. McCoy, (202) 727-0233 or email jerry.mccoy@dc.gov.

??The line-up in May of Thursday, 6:30 p.m. author talks are:

??May 3, Garrett Peck, The Potomac River: A History and Guide

??May 10, John DeFerrari, Lost Washington, D.C.

??May 17, Michael Lee Pope, Hidden History of Alexandria, D.C.??

May 24, James H. Johnston, From Slave Ship to Harvard: Yarrow Mamout and the History of an African American Family

??May 31, David Mould, Remembering Georgetown: A History of the Lost Port City

Georgetowner •

The D.C. Taxicab Commission approved a fare hike of 44 percent, effective for most cabs in the city. The per-mile fare will go from $1.50 to $2.16, and the cost for idling will go from $15 to $25 per hour. The purpose of the increase is to bring cab revenues more in line with past fares, when a zone system was used as opposed to the present meter system.

Taxicab commission chairman Ron Linton told the Washington Post that the fare hike will take effect April 21, “but not all cabs will begin charging the new fares right away. Some will need to get their meters recalibrated.”

Georgetowner •

The D.C. Zoning Commission approved a 60-day extension for comments for Georgetown University’s 2010-2020 Campus Plan.

Now in private discussions, local residents with university representatives asked for the extension, which now allows for testimony on the plan to be filed in the middle of June.

“We hope to come to some compromises on what the community needs and what the university needs,” Jennifer Altemus, president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown, told the campus newspaper, the Hoya. “I think both of our sides are very clear on what we’ve been wanting out of the process, and hopefully if we work together we can make that happen. [Private meetings] haven’t been successful in the past, but we haven’t given up trying.”

Georgetowner •

But, wait, there’s more . . . to see besides Georgetowners’ homes . . . like their gardens. The annual Georgetown Garden Tour of eight private gardens is set for Saturday, May 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each garden presents a unique perspective on designing precious outdoor space in this historic neighborhood. The 2012 tour includes the magnificent gardens of the Bowie-Sevier house on Q Street as well as several other gardens, both intimate and grand.

Tickets are $30 before April 28 at www.georgetowngardentour.com. Tickets may also be purchased by mail: Georgetown Garden Tour 2012, 3313 P Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007 or by phone: 202-965-1950. Tour tickets are available at $35 the day of the event at any of the gardens or at Keith Hall, Christ Church, 3116 O Street, N.W.. A tea for ticket holders takes place from 2 to 4 p.m. at Keith Hall.

The Garden Tour is sponsored by the Georgetown Garden Club to benefit local organizations, with emphasis on the preservation of gardens, parks and green spaces. Past beneficiaries have included Book Hill Park, the Student Conservation Association at Montrose Park, Trees for Georgetown, Tudor Place gardens, the rose garden at Montrose Park, Rose Park and the Volta Park Habitat Garden.