Pesticides In Silent Spring
Silent Spring Busy people trying to get from one place to another not realizing the beauty of our planet just don’t take the extra steps to take care of it. Departments of public works and landscapers build beautiful gardens and work to grow grass in areas, not for it to be ruined by mass pollution. The use of pesticide can be helpful, however taking a toll on our health. The Toxics Action Center (2015), pesticides are used almost everywhere— not only in agriculture fields, but also in buildings, forests, roads, homes, parks and schools. Each different pesticide serve a different purpose, for example, herbicides are used to kill weed & plants, insecticides are used to kill insects, fungicides, are used to killed fungus, rodenticides are used to kill rodents. Not realizing the harmful effects, pesticides can be found in our air, water and food. Throughout the book “Silent Spring,” we
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can see the awareness Rachel Carson shed light on public health and the use of pesticides. Silent Spring was first published in 1962 and made an impact is still making the future of environmental health. Threw research she explains the use of pesticides and how they would continue to kill off all living things; humans, animals and plants. Dichloro- diphenyl- trichloroethane is what we know as DDT.
Throughout Silent Spring, Carson describes how DDT entered the food chain and built up inside animals causing cancer and other damage. The Center for Disease Control (2009) states people are most likely exposed to DDT from foods, including meat fish, and dairy products. Once entered the body, the Center for Disease Control (2009) explains, DDT is converted into several breakdown products called metabolites, including the metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (DDE). Carson wanted to make the point of, if we’re going to be consuming the product, whether it be through food, drinking, or breathing it in, we should at least understand the risk factor.
In the first chapter of Silent Spring, Carson paints a picture of the effects of pesticides on small town. She explains a town buzzing with families, different animals, trees, and wildflowers. But due to careless use of pesticides everything died. She painted this picture in our head to educate us of what could easily happen with the ongoing use of pesticides and our
health.
In chapter four, Carson raises awareness about water, Our Earth is made up of more water than land, making it easier to become polluted and not only effect humans by marine life. Ships are sent into waters to dump garbage that is not properly recycled. Pollution also comes from radioactive waste, nuclear fallout, and pesticide run off.
Carson goes on to explain society’s need for control. She talks about what happen in Michigan and they use of Aldrin. Persistent Organic Pollutants Toolkit states Aldrin is a pesticide used to control soil insects such as termites, corn rootworm, wireworms, rice water weevil, and grasshoppers. The Center for Disease Control (2011), states that Aldrin and dieldrin are discussed together because Aldrin quickly breaks down to dieldrin in the body and in the environment. In Detroit, there was an attempt to control the Japanese beetle. Carson (1962), explains (suburbs of Detroit), were heavily dusted from the air with pellets of Aldrin, one of the most dangerous of all the chlorinated hydrocarbons. Later, it would be concluded that the Japanese beetle had been present in small numbers for many years. Carson went on to state how there was not enough evidence and research done for the distribution of Aldrin, the use of aldrin caused disruption to wildlife and put society’s health at risk. Aldrin was chosen to be used because now it was the cheapest product to use. After the spraying on the Detroit area many people reported to have seen no birds flying, Cats and dogs were said to be effected too. In my opinion and what I believe Rachel Carson was putting an emphasis on is we cannot, without purpose, spray pesticides into the air and put our population at risk and animal’s health at harm.
Carson wants people to make a connection between the current changes in health that is going on compared to how our health used to be. Pollution is all around and this is something people must take into consideration; from the foods, they eat, drinks they drink, air they breathe. The Hasting Center (n.d.), a nonpartisan research institution dedicated to the bioethics and the public interest, states the interaction between the environment and human health raise complex ethical questions related to environmental regulations and health policy decisions. The Natural Resources Defense Council (n.d.), states the most important legacy of Silent Spring, was a new public awareness that nature was vulnerable to human intervention. Humans can change, it takes thirty days to change a habit consistency is key and determination. We cannot go back and change what has already happen, but use that as motivation for what is happening today and change. I think Carson did a good job at raising awareness on public health and the environment. I think these issues are something that need to be talked about. Silent spring was written before but today we can still find ourselves still struggling with some of the same issues.
In conclusion, Rachel Carson raised awareness to a major issue our society is facing. Minor changes in our daily routines can better the environment. We also need to hold major companies and corporations accountable for what is being put into products we are consuming. They also need to be held accountable for the way we dispose of their garbage. The two ideas of society and big companies making changes will help avoid the world becoming silent.
References
Aldrin and Dieldrin- ToxFAQs [PF]. (2002, September). Center for Disease Control.
DDT - A Brief History and Status. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) [PDF]. (2009, November). Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/pdf/DDT_FactSheet.pdf Framing the Issue. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2170
The Lies of Rachel Carson. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/summ02/Carson.html
The Problem with Pesticides. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from http://www.toxicsaction.org/problems-and-solutions/pesticides
can see the awareness Rachel Carson shed light on public health and the use of pesticides. Silent Spring was first published in 1962 and made an impact is still making the future of environmental health. Threw research she explains the use of pesticides and how they would continue to kill off all living things; humans, animals and plants. Dichloro- diphenyl- trichloroethane is what we know as DDT.
Throughout Silent Spring, Carson describes how DDT entered the food chain and built up inside animals causing cancer and other damage. The Center for Disease Control (2009) states people are most likely exposed to DDT from foods, including meat fish, and dairy products. Once entered the body, the Center for Disease Control (2009) explains, DDT is converted into several breakdown products called metabolites, including the metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene (DDE). Carson wanted to make the point of, if we’re going to be consuming the product, whether it be through food, drinking, or breathing it in, we should at least understand the risk factor.
In the first chapter of Silent Spring, Carson paints a picture of the effects of pesticides on small town. She explains a town buzzing with families, different animals, trees, and wildflowers. But due to careless use of pesticides everything died. She painted this picture in our head to educate us of what could easily happen with the ongoing use of pesticides and our
health.
In chapter four, Carson raises awareness about water, Our Earth is made up of more water than land, making it easier to become polluted and not only effect humans by marine life. Ships are sent into waters to dump garbage that is not properly recycled. Pollution also comes from radioactive waste, nuclear fallout, and pesticide run off.
Carson goes on to explain society’s need for control. She talks about what happen in Michigan and they use of Aldrin. Persistent Organic Pollutants Toolkit states Aldrin is a pesticide used to control soil insects such as termites, corn rootworm, wireworms, rice water weevil, and grasshoppers. The Center for Disease Control (2011), states that Aldrin and dieldrin are discussed together because Aldrin quickly breaks down to dieldrin in the body and in the environment. In Detroit, there was an attempt to control the Japanese beetle. Carson (1962), explains (suburbs of Detroit), were heavily dusted from the air with pellets of Aldrin, one of the most dangerous of all the chlorinated hydrocarbons. Later, it would be concluded that the Japanese beetle had been present in small numbers for many years. Carson went on to state how there was not enough evidence and research done for the distribution of Aldrin, the use of aldrin caused disruption to wildlife and put society’s health at risk. Aldrin was chosen to be used because now it was the cheapest product to use. After the spraying on the Detroit area many people reported to have seen no birds flying, Cats and dogs were said to be effected too. In my opinion and what I believe Rachel Carson was putting an emphasis on is we cannot, without purpose, spray pesticides into the air and put our population at risk and animal’s health at harm.
Carson wants people to make a connection between the current changes in health that is going on compared to how our health used to be. Pollution is all around and this is something people must take into consideration; from the foods, they eat, drinks they drink, air they breathe. The Hasting Center (n.d.), a nonpartisan research institution dedicated to the bioethics and the public interest, states the interaction between the environment and human health raise complex ethical questions related to environmental regulations and health policy decisions. The Natural Resources Defense Council (n.d.), states the most important legacy of Silent Spring, was a new public awareness that nature was vulnerable to human intervention. Humans can change, it takes thirty days to change a habit consistency is key and determination. We cannot go back and change what has already happen, but use that as motivation for what is happening today and change. I think Carson did a good job at raising awareness on public health and the environment. I think these issues are something that need to be talked about. Silent spring was written before but today we can still find ourselves still struggling with some of the same issues.
In conclusion, Rachel Carson raised awareness to a major issue our society is facing. Minor changes in our daily routines can better the environment. We also need to hold major companies and corporations accountable for what is being put into products we are consuming. They also need to be held accountable for the way we dispose of their garbage. The two ideas of society and big companies making changes will help avoid the world becoming silent.
References
Aldrin and Dieldrin- ToxFAQs [PF]. (2002, September). Center for Disease Control.
DDT - A Brief History and Status. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) [PDF]. (2009, November). Center for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/pdf/DDT_FactSheet.pdf Framing the Issue. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2170
The Lies of Rachel Carson. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/summ02/Carson.html
The Problem with Pesticides. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2016, from http://www.toxicsaction.org/problems-and-solutions/pesticides