Thesis: In Silent Spring Rachel Carson starts an environmental movement by informing the public of the dangers of pesticides, which causes a shift in views towards pesticides and the harm they do to the environment. DDT is WW II insecticide designed to rid the troops of disease carrying insects such as lice and mosquitoes (Graham 56). Paul Hermann Muller, the chemist who invented DDT, was even awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology Medicine. However no research was done on the environmental impact of the chemicals. DDT soon became the miracle pesticide used everywhere until concerns began to surface as animals began dying off. The problem with DDT is that it does not break down into harmless chemicals, so the dangerous compounds are passed through the food chain (Graham 15). Because DDT is fat soluble, it is ingested by an animal and then stored in its fat. As DDT passes through …show more content…
The National Environmental Policy Act was enacted in 1969 focused on assessing the environmental impact of any governmental project. Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the first Earth Day which occurred on April 22, 1970. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act were all passed by 1976, all with the intention of protecting the environment (Harlan 118). Rachel Carson's call to protect the environment is still being heard today by our politicians. In 1996 President Clinton enacted The Food Quality Act which requires the EPA to again review the effects of pesticides (Milestones). Vice President AL Gore cites Rachel Carson as an inspiration in his book An inconvenient Truth. When Gore was a child his mother read Silent Spring to him and his sister Gore 10). Gore writes, “The book's lessons made a huge impression on us. The way we thought about nature and the earth was never the same (10).” Now AL Gore is one of the main spokespersons of a new environmental war, global
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT is a notorious organochlorine pesticide that is created by the reaction of chloral with chlorobenzene in combination with sulfuric acid(Britannica p.1). It was first used as an insecticide in 1939 by Hermann Muller in Switzerland. DDT works as an insecticideby acting on the nervous system to generate the same neural impulse over and over causing body tremors and eventually death. DDT is an extremely stable chemical compound containing C14H9Cl5 which leads to some significant resistance issues when used as a pesticide. The most problematic property of DDT is its high fat solubility and extremely low water solubility meaning that it has a tendency to stick around in the environment for longer than we want since it is readily taken up in the bodies of nearby mammals.
DDT has been used since WW2 as an insecticide to control the outbreak of malaria and typhus among troops and civilians. This is because malaria is spread by mosquitos and DDT was considered to be a powerful in eliminating these populations, thus decreasing the infection rate for malaria. Since it was first discovered as an insecticide, worldwide it was used in very large amounts because nobody knew any better and it was considered to be revolutionary. It wasn’t until 1962, when biologist Rachel Carson first outlined the potential harm DDT has on the environment, believing it caused cancer in humans and harmed bird wildlife. This led to the United Stated ban of DDT use in 1972, and later, a worldwide ban under the Stockholm
DDT and other chlorinated hydrocarbons are very fat soluble so when these chemicals are sprayed on plants and these plants get eaten by animal the chlorinated hydrocarbon gets in the animal's fat. Then that animal get eaten by another animal and now that has the chlorinated
This book was focused on the concern of pesticides that industries, along with us as individuals, have been dumping (both knowingly and unknowingly) into water. Carson was concerned that the chemicals which the farmers spread on their fields, and even the chemicals we use in our homes (among others), in the end, might come back around and harm us. The beginning of the book tells a story of a place, that was once so beautiful, turned dead and ugly due to a “strange blight that crept over the area” and destroyed everything. Later in the book, she goes on to explain that chemicals, particularly one known as DDT, are the major cause of environmental damage and the near extinction of
Carson’s other books, Under the Sea Wind, The Sea Around Us (which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 86 weeks), and The Edge of The Sea all focus on nature’s strength and the inter-connectedness of nature and all living things. But DDT exposed the vulnerability of nature and I think this influenced the writing of Silent Spring. DDT was the most powerful pesticide in the world at the time of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Unlike most pesticides, whose effectiveness is limited to destroying one or two types of insects, DDT was capable of killing hundreds of different kinds at once. Developed in 1939, it first distinguished itself during World War II, clearing South Pacific islands of malaria-causing insects for U.S. troops, while in Europe being used as an effective de-lousing powder. Its inventor was awarded the Nobel Prize.
In the article, “DDT Ban: Is DDT Dangerous or Beneficial” written by Lillian Forman, looks at a chemical used to fight off insects that carried disease after World War II. The chemical compound that was used to kill the unwanted pest is called dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or DDT. The chemical was used to fight insects that carried diseases to soldiers in camps, people in refugee camps, tourists in tropical areas, and people in bombed out cities. Because the chemical was used in Europe and Asia, and save millions of lives many believed it was a miracle chemical. Though some insects like lady bugs, bees, praying mantises are useful, humans have a good reason to fear other insects. Some of the feared insects include mosquitoes, ticks, body lice, cockroaches, and flies. Mosquitos carry malaria and contagious illnesses such as West Nile virus. Ticks carry Lyme disease and body lice infect their victims with typhus. Whereas cockroaches carry germs that can cause severe gastrointestinal problems. Flies carry even more dangerous pathogens, some of which cause deadly meningitis. Insects are harmful to more than just human health, locusts periodically destroy crops, termites eat away wooden structures, and moths ruin cloth.
DDT is a colorless, crystalline, tasteless and almost odorless organochlorine known for its insecticidal properties and environmental impacts. PCB (Polychlorinated biphenyls) are a group of manufactured organic
In New Brunswick, Nova Scotia; they had an outstanding number of budworms eating always the trees of all ages in their great forests that are near the Miramichi River river. For having such an insect problem, the perfect chemical for this solution would be DDT from aircrafts. The pilots covered more than 11 million acres in DDT, well over ten million dollars. The pilots were very careless while spraying the forests, leaving the nozzle on while flying over the Miramichi
This eventually led to the ban of the chemical DDT, which was supposed to “kill insects”. Because it was colorless and tasteless, many animals and plants ingested this
DDT, also known as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. It is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, and see through. DDT is an organochlorine that was created in 1874. DDT was commonly used in the second World War to control various diseases. DDT was used because it was cheap, reliable and lasted for an extended period of time in the environment.The effects of DDT. There are many effects related to DDT, though some benefits over rule these effects, they can not be ignored since they have a major effect on our eco-system. DDT is a very persistent chemical, it gets into and stays inside the fats of living organisms. Though it does not kill by disturbing the cells of an organism, they do open up the cell’s membrane so it can enter. Most of the time DDT opens up the membrane too much therefore leaving the cell to leak and allow the entrance of other harmful things such as sodium ions and potassium ions.
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or “DDT” is an organochlorine insecticide that was first created in 1874. DDT was mostly used as a pesticide for insect control in the US until it was canceled in 1972 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA). DDT was also used in WWII to control diseases such as malaria, typhus, and bubonic plague. DDT has since been outlawed because of its adverse health effects on humans and wildlife.
The mosquito is a murderous insect which cause many diseases especially malaria. Malaria is a debilitating disease didn’t which is prevalent in underdeveloped countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa. It claims millions of lives worldwide and affect children under the age of 5 more than any other group. Over the years, scientists have discovered and development several solutions to this problem. One of those solution is DDT short for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, this substance is an insecticide use to kill pest such as mosquitoes. Scientists figure that the pesticide should prevent dangerous mosquitoes from infecting human with diseases. Many people believe that this pesticide is the best solution to reducing malaria. They back up their claims by using research results with conducted that DDT save many lives globally. They are outrage at the fact that DDT is ban in many countries. DDT advocate clearly do not see any problem with the use of DDT despite its many negative side effect associated with it. DDT, like many pesticide is known to negatively impact human health and the environment. There are many reasons why governmental around the global have decide to protect their people and environment by banding the pesticide. DDT should not be used by anyone because it causes more harm and good, it is unethical, and there are safer alternative available.
In conclusion, DDT is a harmful chemical to all organisms around the world. DDT has caused disasters to humans, plants, birds, and ocean life. Thankfully, the U.S. has banned the use of DDT and has no longer put humans at risk. This chemical has done plenty of damage to our world during its time of use.
This brings me to my next point, the proper usage of DDT in the modern age is to use very small amounts indoors instead of massive amounts everywhere, as is the American way. We managed to make malaria one of the most difficult things to catch in the western hemisphere with DDT and responsible usage can do it again with less dramatic side-effects. With both cost and efficiency being the most important factors in most large quantity buyouts there are very few reasons not to accept it as a solution to an endemic disease that affects seemingly exclusively
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, DDT, is an insecticide that acts as soon as extensively used on agricultural vegetation to tackle bugs