Silent Spring Research Paper

Natalie Jones
APES, 4th period
8/8/15
Silent Spring Work

1. Carson’s first chapter explains the title of her book. Why is it called “Silent Spring”? It’s called Silent Spring because the season of spring, usually filled with singing birds and playing children, has become still and quiet because the people of the town have somehow killed the wildlife and poisoned their environment. She’s warning her readers what could happen if the issues she explains in her book are not addressed.

2. Why does she suggest that chemical insecticides and herbicides be called “biocides”? What idea is she expressing by using this word? Is Carson opposed to the use of all toxins?
Carson suggests the term ‘“biocides” because the pesticides used for insects and
The ones used in pesticides or herbicides often amplify the chemicals already entering the water from the wastes of hospitals, cities, factories, and laboratories.

5. What alternatives does Carson propose to the use of chemicals to control unwanted pests and plants? Do you think these alternatives make sense in the context of agribusiness? Later in the book, Carson proposes primarily biological alternatives to the chemical pesticides currently in use. However, introducing a foreign species or biological component may be impractical for the agricultural industry. I suspect it’s more expensive than chemical sprays, and businesses, even food ones, generally care more about money than their environment.

6. Her description of chemical spraying suggests that moral dilemmas are involved in the use of toxins as well as technical problems of environmental management. What moral dilemma worries Carson? Do you share her view? Carson’s primary reason for her opposition to spraying chemicals seems to be the environmental threats they pose. However, one problem she has with chemical sprays is that she sees them as a simple solution to a complex problem. She thinks that humans, with our higher intelligence, should not be lazy and find the right solution that will preserve the environment for our future generations. Carson says humans of the future will be astounded by our small-minded decisions to fix one problem by destroying the good all around
Carson says that toxins in water can persist through purifying plants, and in one instance were in two streams that supplied humans with water. Also, one dangerous aspect of runoff is how widespread it is. Rain falls on crops sprayed with harmful chemicals and can spread to streams, wells, and even groundwater, which threatens all water on the planet. When water is compromised, it hurts all life, because all life depends on water or a chain of other living things that rely on water.

9. What lessons does Carson extract from the stories about spraying for the gypsy moth and the fire ant? What was the role of local activists? Of government officials? Of the chemical industry?

10. To what is Carson referring when she writes that there is a “human price” for the use of toxins? Why is it so crucial that human beings begin to see themselves as an essential part of the natural world? Why did she believe that people resisted thinking about themselves in those terms?

11. Carson describes the possibility of genetic damage by environmental hazards as something new. She also discusses cellular damage caused by environmental carcinogens, an especially poignant example because Carson herself died of breast cancer. Do you think of these as novel, even controversial issues? Why or why