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The sixties were a time of radical reassessments of basic American institutions. One
of several social movements that emerged from the “sixties experience” was the
Ecology/Environmental movement. This movement focused on the use of pesticides,
specifically DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). Chemical industries were affected
the most by this movement because of their production of pesticides which effected the
environment, animals, insects, human health, and the economy. Pesticides were overused
in the sixties because people were unaware of the effects; the beginning of the
Environmental movement led to the start of public controversy, some thought pesticides
were necessary and helpful while others argued that they were unnecessary and did more
bad than good.
It is now 2011, even after centuries of knowing the negative effects of pesticides they
are still being produced and overused. Pesticides may help in the short-run by making the
plants look prettier and kill some bugs, but in the end, just like all shortcuts taken in the
environment (like bottom trawling), there will be negative long term effects. The overuse
of pesticides over time leads to the creation of not only more but stronger pesticides.
Rachel Carson, a famous writer and conservationist wrote the book “Silent Springs”
which focused on the environmental problems caused by pesticides. It is believed that
Carson’s book was the reason the Ecology/Environmental movement “was born”
(Ganzel). It was because of this book that the public began to notice the harmful effects
of pesticides (specifically DDT) which were very popular in the sixties, it was the reason
for the nationwide ban on pesticides. Carson was and still is one of the most influential
conservationists for the Environmental movement. She believed that the chemical
“industries that were mass producing the pesticides had no place in the world and that it
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was not only dangerous to living creatures but the environment as a whole as well”
(Silent Spring). Carson wrote, “Pesticides have done more harm than good in eradicating
the pests they were designed to destroy” (Silent Spring).
Carson’s initiative in the movement affected the chemical industries the most.
Though they fought back Carson won and pesticides became banned. The usage of
pesticide has gone down substantially because of Carson’s works however, about
“200,000 people are still dying from pesticide poisoning every year” (PBT). According to
the FAO of 2010 “pesticide sales are valued at about $35 billion US dollars a year and
there is still 220 million pounds of DDT being produced each year”, however unlike
Carson’s time the “pesticides must register with the Department of Agriculture before
they are allowed to be sold through interstate commerce and in the United States
pesticides must be registered with the federal government” (PBT). It wasn’t until the late
1970’s that the US stopped manufacturing DDT.
One of the main things negatively affected by the use of pesticides was the
environment. A pesticide is a substance used to kill nuisance organisms. There are four
types of pesticides: Insecticide which is used to kill insects, Herbicide which is used to
kill plants (weeds), Fungicide which is used to kill fungus, and Avicide which is used to
kill birds, “Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination
other than their target species, including non-target species, air, water and soil” (National
Research Council). Pesticides are one of the causes of water pollution, and some
pesticides contribute to soil contamination. Pesticides contribute to air pollution through
“pesticide drift”. This is a process where wind carries pesticides that are in the air
towards non-target areas. Back in the 1960’s there was a technique known as “Crop
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Dusters” which was to spread pesticides through the air. This was done because it was
thought to help in growth and quality of plants.
Plants are affected indirectly by pesticides. When pollinators such as butterflies die or
move away because of the insecticides it affects the pollination of the plant, “pesticides in
soil interfere with the process of nitrogen turning into ammonia” (Headley), because of
this there are fewer crops than normal. Pesticides have also been proven to cause poor
root development, affecting the overall growth of plants.
Methods such as Crop dusters not only polluted the air with pesticides but also water
sources, “Pesticides have polluted over 90% of wells in the U.S” (Headley). Over time
pesticides have spread to both rain and groundwater, “pesticide residue is carried to
ponds, streams, or rivers by surface runoff causing pollution to the water. These water
sources have thus become undrinkable because of the amount of pesticide in them. In
addition, pesticide use reduces biodiversity, reduces nitrogen fixation, contributes to
pollinator decline, and destroys habitats” (Headley). Destroying habitats, this is one of the
problems pesticides present to animals and insects.
One of the most commonly used pesticides is DDT for agriculture which is used to
kill insects that affect both the quality and quantity of crops. However, because of natural
selection these pests are able to build up resistance towards DDT. Pests are the problem;
to rid of these pests pesticide is used. Overtime, because of natural selection these pests
build up resistance towards DDT which leads to the creation of new pesticides. New
pesticides would mean more usage of chemicals for newer and stronger pesticides to kill
the stronger pests. This continuous process is known as the Pesticide Treadmill.
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In “Silent Spring”, Rachel Carson brings up the negative affect of pesticides on the
health of animals. While working for the U.S. Bureau of fisheries Carson became aware
of the effects of chemical pesticides on the environment. She focused mainly on the use
of DDT : “which not only effected crops by caused not only birth defects but even killed
some animals by interfering with the plasma membrane which controls the passage of
ions in the cell such as calcium” (Joern). Birds especially are affected by DDT. DDT
causes the thinning of eggs which negatively affect protection, the amount of nutrients,
and maybe even cause death. What was made to be a solution has now become a
problem. There is no such thing as a pesticide that only kills what it was meant to kill.
Pesticides kill all bugs, not just the ones considered nuisances. A decrease in bugs
would be a problem because bugs are the main food source for many animals. The bugs
that can tolerate the DDT then retain it in their body; this process is known as
bioaccumulation meaning the toxic substances stay in the fatty tissue of the organism.
This then harms any predators that eat these bugs. The amount of DDT increases because
the toxins are concentrated ten times higher up in the food chain.
These plants and animals are being sprayed down with pesticides by humans most
of the time for humans, “the livestock and plants taking in these substances have a high
chance of being sold and eaten by humans” (Ghandi). The primary form of pesticide
exposure for humans is through the food they eat and drink. There are regulations by the
EPA and FDA to prevent harmful amounts of imported and domestic foods to enter the
market. Pesticides having somewhat of an impact on the economy is one of the very few
reasons pesticides can be positive.
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Pesticides are used to protect cash crops from pests. Cash crops are grown using
pesticides, “if cash crops were to fail, a population would not make money and an even
larger population would be left without that particular crop. If a crop were to fail, the
economy would be damaged because of demand for food” (Zerbe). With a growing
population the demand for food would be very high. To provide for this population there
needs to be larger crops and with larger crops there is a higher chance of mold and pests
damaging the crops. An example of a cash crop failure is Hurricane Katrina in New
Orleans which led to mass riots, violence, theft and mortality from lack of food.
However, pesticides cause health issues which raise annual medical cost, modern cultures
have become dependent on imported crops (meaning less agricultural related jobs
provided locally), and natural pesticides are beginning to develop.
Pesticides do more bad than good. Rachel Carson explains in “Silent Springs”
“that pesticides indiscriminately killed “good” and “bad” insects, and “good” and “bad”
plants. “They should not be called ‘insecticides,’ but ‘biocides.’” Pesticides are like
bombs, in the process of killing what is dangerous there is killing of the good as well. Not
only are the pests killed but bugs that are good for plants, the environment, animals,
human health, and the economy are affected. In the long run a nice and fresh looking
piece of vegetable that was kept from a pest is not worth the cost of all that are negatively
affected.
Carson,