1 Reading Response A FABLE FOR TOMMOROW Guntash Kaur ACAD100: Academic Discourse Lori Walker September 10, 2023 2 A Fable for Tomorrow The article ‘A Fable for Tomorrow’ by Rachel Carson is a piece of writing from her book Silent Spring. The focus of the writer is to draw attention of the readers towards the damage that can be caused to the ecosystem if the pesticides are overused. Rachel Carson is an environmentalist whose most of the writings were considered as controversial but now is famous as one of the most important environmentalists. ‘A Fable for Tomorrow’ is a warning that beautiful landscapes and creatures can be destroyed with time if we continue the activities we are doing now for our own benefit. The article tells the tale of a stunning town in which everybody used to live in harmony with the surroundings. She describes the chattering of birds and other wildlife, verdant fields, orchards, and the blossoming of oaks and maples in the first perspective. The entry of toxic chemicals, however, caused everything to shift, turning all the joy into sadness. There was sudden death of many creatures. No one was aware of the cause of the deaths of the animals and birds, which were occurring. The birds' attempts to sing were unsuccessful because they were on the verge of passing away. Pesticides not only killed insects, weeds, rodents, and fungi but it also risked the life of the other creatures in the ecosystem who consume the crop produced using chemicals. “Mysterious maladies swept the flocks of the chicken, the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families. In the town, the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing among their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults but even among children, who would be stricken suddenly while at play and die within a few hours” these lines by Carson explains how pesticides affect living things. The effect of pesticides can also be observed on children. “Hand-to-mouth behavior adds to children's pesticide exposure by the oral route. Children, being low to the ground, may have greater exposure to volatile pesticide vapors, particularly those pesticides that, in the gas phase, have a density greater than air” (Garry and Lyubimov, 2001). Carson described a few spots of a white granular powder that had previously fallen like snow everywhere could still be seen (Carson, 1962). It is stated by Jan Dich, Shelia Hoar Zahm, Annika Hanberg and Hans-Olov-Adami in the article ‘Cancer Causes and Control’: Epidemiologic evidence on the relationship between 3 chemical pesticides and cancer is reviewed. In animal studies, many pesticides are carcinogenic, (e.g., organochlorines, creosote, and sulfallate) while others (notably, the organochlorines DDT, chlordane, and lindane) are tumor promoters. Some contaminants in commercial pesticide formulations also may pose a carcinogenic risk. In humans, arsenic compounds and insecticides used occupationally have been classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Pesticides have effects on things other than just animals and living things. Additionally, it contaminated other bodies of water, including streams and groundwater. “Streams are more vulnerable to pesticide con-tamination than groundwater and have more fre-quent occurrences of more compounds, as well as higher concentrations” (Gilliom,2007,p.2.). Because many locals utilize wells, pumps, and tap water to obtain their water, groundwater contamination is less concentrated but more dangerous. Once contamination has occurred, it is difficult to undo. To conclude, Rachel Carson aims to create awareness regarding exploitative use of pesticides and its usage in agriculture has very dangerous repercussions, and many lifethreatening diseases are appearing as a result of these chemicals' negative side effects. Governments must take adequate action by passing rules governing the sorts of pesticides that may be used and in what quantities, as adverse effects are not only the fault of individuals. Additionally, they want to promote organic farming. 4 References Dich, J., Zahm, S.H., Hanberg, A. et al. Pesticides and cancer. Cancer Causes Control 8, (1997). Retrieved on September 10, 2023 from https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018413522959 Gilliam Robert. “Pesticides in U.S. Streams and Groundwater”. Retrieved on September 10, 2023 from https://doi.org/10.1021/es072531u Vincent F Garry, Pesticides and children, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Volume 198. Retrieved on September 10,2023 from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2003.11.027.
