People do not often think about the consequences of their actions. The world we live in is the only one that we have, so we must preserve it in the best way possible. However, in their desire to rule over the laws and will of nature, humans have introduced substances into the environment that threaten all lifeforms, from the smallest insect and the tallest tree to the most unsuspecting person. The opening chapter of Silent Spring sets the scene of a beautiful American farm town that seemed to be full of life with healthy crops and livestock. However, this beautiful land was quickly corrupted by some mysterious and evil force that brought death to a previously prosperous land. This death affected all lifeforms, moving from insects to animals
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As Chapter 7 mentions, nothing can “get in the way of the man with the spray gun,” as evidenced by the recent slaughter of buffalo on the Great Plains or the even more recent crusade of pesticides. However, not all humans are willing to watch this happen, as evidenced by conservationists and environmental experts that condemn unnecessary losses. These supporters of the environment and the government are often at war trying to prove or disprove the destruction of our Earth through pesticides. The chapter goes on to cite specific examples of the destructive nature of pesticides, such as the suffering of Sheldon, Illinois and its battle against the Japanese Beetle. By 1961, about 131,000 acres of land had been chemically treated with dieldrin. Directly resulting from this, domestic and wild animals faced heavy losses within the first few years of this program, which had begun in 1954. As more and more species were dying out or becoming infertile because of their food and water sources being contaminated by dieldrin, including the robin, which was “almost annihilated”, the question of morality comes into play. Innocent lifeforms die in mass numbers because of human intervention, and why is this considered to be any different to genocide? No pesticide is a selective poison, and it instead brings unintended and unnecessary
As Chapter 7 mentions, nothing can “get in the way of the man with the spray gun,” as evidenced by the recent slaughter of buffalo on the Great Plains or the even more recent crusade of pesticides. However, not all humans are willing to watch this happen, as evidenced by conservationists and environmental experts that condemn unnecessary losses. These supporters of the environment and the government are often at war trying to prove or disprove the destruction of our Earth through pesticides. The chapter goes on to cite specific examples of the destructive nature of pesticides, such as the suffering of Sheldon, Illinois and its battle against the Japanese Beetle. By 1961, about 131,000 acres of land had been chemically treated with dieldrin. Directly resulting from this, domestic and wild animals faced heavy losses within the first few years of this program, which had begun in 1954. As more and more species were dying out or becoming infertile because of their food and water sources being contaminated by dieldrin, including the robin, which was “almost annihilated”, the question of morality comes into play. Innocent lifeforms die in mass numbers because of human intervention, and why is this considered to be any different to genocide? No pesticide is a selective poison, and it instead brings unintended and unnecessary