Her exemplary case is that of DDT, a chemical that was widely used for decades to eliminate insect "pests," and touted as completely safe -- safe, that is, if one ignored the growing body of evidence that it was poisoning the environment worldwide. Particularly with birds, DDT let to a thinning of the eggshells, and the loss of many a chick before it was ever hatched. Still worse, DDT became ubiquitous in its environs, and persisted in soil and water years after it had initially been "applied." It was even added to interior paint and wallpaper, specifically marketed for children's rooms and nurseries (see above).
Carson's campaign led to its banning in the United States, but it is still employed in many third-world countries where the concern over the threat of insect-borne diseases eclipses other environmental concerns. And, despite her warnings about synthetic pesticides, newer-generation chemicals -- among them Monsanto corporations's "Roundup" -- continue to poison the globe. And, like her book, Carson's discourse about pollution and chemicals has proven persistent -- when we use words like "toxic," "chemicals," "natural," and "organic" we're building on these foundational terms. There'a another sort of hazard there, too, in that we may assume that "natural" is essentially better than artificial, that "organic" is necessarily good, and that human life exists in a constant battle against toxicity (as with "detox" regimens sold in natural foods stores). Carson, for her part, sees all of us, and all of nature, as porous and interconnected; the idea of one person taking vitamins to get rid of unspecified toxins would make little sense to her.
I found this book to be extremely interesting and also a little bit scary to think about. In the book Carson states “ for the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to Contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death”. I found this to be really scary because when you think about it, we are dangerously exposed to harmful chemicals our whole lives and we definitely reap the negative sides from that. Another part talks about toxins being passed on from mother to offspring which I think is really sad to think about and also very scary because everyone wants their baby or their offspring to be safe in the womb or in an egg and as soon as you’re conceived, you’re exposed to all of these things and you’re no longer completely safe. It kind of brings up the idea of nobody ever being completely safe in their environment especially now in 2023 . If we connect it to what’s happening right now, we are seeing harmful side effects from pollution and chemicals and global warming. It’s also insane to think that people are bringing children into this world and that is so dangerous in and of itself. The younger generation is not really going to understand what life was like before the earth was completely polluted, even I don’t, at nearly 22. Who knows what’s going to happen in twenty years in terms of global warming, even five years
ReplyDeleteIsabella Santoro
DeleteCelia Suraski
DeleteI really agree with you about how scary our world is right now. We are constantly being exposed to dangerous chemicals, especially in our food because the USA has very loose regulations on food and ingredients. The side effects from pollution are overwhelming. I grew up in China and lived there for five years and I barely saw any clear days because of how bad the pollution is.
Thank you for sharing that! It is so interesting how you are able to see these differences in China and here in the U.S
DeleteCarson describes the various ways that human chemical interventions have caused destruction in their different ecosystems and environments, and to other humans. An interesting association that she makes along with this assessment is to invite a comparison between nuclear activity spreading radiation over large areas in the same way that she describes chemical treatments permeating into every surface of the earth. To create this particular association is to invite further assessment of the approaches that lead to the creation of these devices. Nuclear arms have very limited practical applications, one of them being mass destruction related to warfare. In a similar conceptual mode, many of the chemicals that Carson highlights as being particularly problematic are referred to by their target of destruction, notably “insecticides” and “herbicides”. The comparisons in language and stance reflects a combative stance against the natural world, which Carson refers to often, noting that, “nature has introduced great variety into the landscape, but man has displayed a passion for simplifying it” (10).
ReplyDelete-Daniel Grothaus
This book was definitely eye-opening. Until now, I had no idea how quickly chemicals can travel from organism to organism. It makes me worry a little thinking about how many chemicals I've ingested from eating meat, drinking milk, or just walking around in previously sprayed areas. It also makes me realize how many repercussions can come about to the natural world and to us simply because we want to get rid of a few pests. Long before I read this book, I knew that pesticides were bad for the environment, and have always thought that there were other more natural ways to repel insects. Instead of using pesticides, I read that peppermint oil is more effective. Most bugs, rodents, and birds hate peppermint, so putting that in and around your house could effectively make your house pest proof, as well as improve the smell. Personally, I also feel that even though there are plenty of more natural solutions, people go for pesticides anyway. I think that most people/corporations view pesticides as a way of controlling the natural world and making humans the dominant species. Similar to Carson's view, I think that people need to return to the mindset of living alongside nature, rather than living above it.
ReplyDelete- Elliot Varone
DeleteCarson’s book opened my eyes to pollutants in the world. In my experience, education on pollution mostly centers on air pollution. I have definitely been educated on factory emissions and the harmful burning of trash and waste, but very little on other forms of pollutants. To think that there is pollution in our safe spaces as well as in the outside world is really disheartening. Carson’s discussion of DDT, especially in the case of wall paint, is horrifying. To think that people in positions of power and wealth are allowed to sell products that contain harmful chemicals without any effort to educate the public is a disgrace. These pollutants like the paints being marketed towards children’s rooms (which arguably is the spot where children spend most of their time in) has now led to generational pollution. I am grateful to be informed by Carson, but it definitely leaves a feeling of hopelessness when thinking about cleaning up our world for us and future generations.
ReplyDeleteK Ferragamo
While reading of the easy spread of chemical toxicity, I was reminded of several major incidents of a similar sort throughout history - The Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and most recently the East Palestine trail derailment. Of course there have been many more than just these few, but as Carson attests the fallout from these sorts of events will likely have longstanding effects for decades, if not centuries. And of course this isn't to account for all of the passive chemical waste we drain into the world on a daily basis. This is all to say that we've painted quite a bleak picture of the future - And one which I really would refrain from touching bare-handedly.
ReplyDeleteSilent Spring has become a favorite of mine. I love nature and I'm so passionate about how destructive humans are to nature with even the simplest things, like littering. Reading through the book brought me back to so many memories of infestations and curiosity of how they were really handled. The most recent instance that I can think of is the infestation of the spotted lantern fly in New Jersey. Along with comments from classmates I wanted to mention the train accident that happened today actually in Anacortes, dumping 2,500 gallons of diesel in and around the Swinomish Reservation in Anacortes. As humans we have a natural knack to continuously provide havoc to the one thing that's shown us as much consistency as we allow.
ReplyDelete- Hannah
Carson easily describes the effect that chemicals have on wildlife as well as the amount of damage it causes to nature and animals. The first thing I thought of was the train derailment that occurred on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community reservation and how they discovered contaminated water. Carson discusses how she believes that the federal government was part of the problem. I honestly am not surprised that she would make this comment, the federal government only operates on an economic self-interest. Carson emphasizes the change that we need to make in order to reverse the pollution that has contaminated the Earth.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the reading for this week because this is truly something so relatable to many of us in America. There's a big trend in natural and clean products and this book is s helpful and eye opening to the many ways chemicals harm our environment and overall, humans and animals. I found it interesting how she speaks on the effects pesticides have on our world and on the animals. Carson also discusses how the government refuses to make these changes or acknowledge the risks they have on us. “A Who's Who of pesticides is therefore of concern to us all. If we are going to live so intimately with these chemicals eating and drinking them, taking them into the very marrow of our bones - we had better know something about their nature and their power.” It's very true what she says, that if we are going to have a society where we live side my side with harmful chemicals, we should educate ourselves of the harm that comes with it. This is so relevant in today's world because you see so many people introducing natural cleaning products and getting rid of chemicals in their home. People are also growing their own fruits and veggies and limiting the chemicals we may have in processed food.
- Mirna Soto Razo
This book definitely made me think differently about the chemicals we use. It's amazing how quickly these chemicals can jump from creature to creature. Before reading this book, I knew that most pesticides are pretty much ineffective, partly because bugs develop resistance to the chemicals over time, but mostly because nothing controls pests better than natural predators. I find it interesting that even though these chemicals are clearly hurting the environment, the government still encourages our use of them and doesn't pay much attention to people's concerns. Also, I find it somewhat amusing that when these concerns do arise, rather than taking on a more natural approach, corporations just make another chemical. Clearly these people never learn from their mistakes. I hope that one day people will come up with a simpler and more natural solution to pest control that doesn't involve innocent plants and animals dying.
ReplyDelete- Elliot Varone