Henry Carson Silent Spring Analysis

Superior Essays
In the first chapter, Carson highlights the impact of the use of insecticides as used by several government agencies and individuals in killing and eradicating pests. In the first chapter, Carson explains the fable of tomorrow in which she describes the use of chemicals has affected a silent world that was undisturbed. With chemicals such as Strontium 90 to kill insects, these chemicals have got into the food chains. They are consumed by humans and are causing considerable harm to the users. On the other hand, the insects that are targeted to be killed have mutated flare back and resurged into different forms. The need to continuously eradicate the pests has pushed manufacturers to produce chemicals that are more dangerous and harmful to the human race. …show more content…
Humans have to choose between two roads; the first one is through the continued use of chemicals without taking into consideration their harmful effects and the second one is the non-chemical control methods in controlling unwanted pests and plants. Carson further stresses that is only by biological control methods that humans can ensure the planet’s survival and sustainability. In Silent Spring, Carson suggested that studies on long-term effects of pesticides needed to be conducted. She revealed documented evidence that showed a pattern of increasing concentrations of pesticides in higher animals. She conservatively combined the results of more than a thousand technical reports to form an unassailable foundation of documentation to support her alarming conclusions. At the same time, she skillfully encourages love and respect for life in all of its forms. This feature of Silent Spring, together with her constructive suggestions for alleviating the damage already done, turned what could have been a mere publication into a helpful guide to the other

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