Mr. Bonsignore
APES 2015-2016
Silent Spring:
Chapter 1: A Fable for Tomorrow
Nameless Town
Chapter 2: The Obligation to Endure
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Chemicals spayed on crops and forests also stay in the soil and enter living organisms
Move into underground streams and then emerge into air where kill vegetation and poison animals
The balance of nature, which balances good and bad happens over long period of time (we interrupt)
No time for Earth to adjust to every synthetic chemical introduced into the world
Pesticides kill both good and bad insects (not selective)
Should be called “biocides” instead because they kill all living things
“Flareback” insect resistance to pesticides cause population to explode, leads to new stronger ones
being used
Elms trees- only kind of tree planted – no diversity
Worldwide migrations of plants and insects because of humans, new territories have not natural
predators/controls
Carson ISN’T against use of chemicals at all, chemicals controlled by people who don’t know what
they’re doing
Chapter 3: The Elixirs of Death
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Everyone is contaminated with dangerous chemicals to certain degree
Used by private industry after WWII (not as regulated in private industry)
Human made chemicals differ greatly from naturally occurring chemicals – synthetic chemicals
Poison body, destroy enzymes, block oxidation, organ malfunction, and cancer
Arsenic – organic chemical still used in pesticides and herbicides – bees died
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Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
o Chemicals built on basis of Carbon, infinite capacity to unite atoms of other substances
o Used methane to substitute one or more H atoms to make other things
o DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane)
o Assumed harmless to people
o Can inhibit enzymes in heart, breaks down liver cells
o Insecticides in human milk, freely move across placenta
o Chlordane: (Chlorinated Hydrocarbon) 1950 declared one of most toxic insecticides,
used on lawns still
o Heptachlor: ingredient of chlordane, can change into more toxic form, Heptachlor
epode
o Dieldrin: 5x as toxic as DDT, one of most widely used insecticides
o Substituted for DDT to kill resistant malarial mosquitos
o Aldrin: insecticide that can change to Dieldrin, can damage liver and kidneys
o Has been sprayed from airplanes over suburbs and farmlands
o Endrin: most toxic of this group
o Benzene Hexachloride
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Organic Phosphates:
o Destroy enzymes
o Target nervous system
 Chemical transmitter for nerve impulses, transmitter naturals disappears after
impulse (destroyed by enzyme)
 Organic phosphates destroy this enzyme, high amount of transmitter builds up
and interrupts nervous system
o Parathion: one of most used, kills bees, has been used on orchards
o Malathion: used widely by gardeners and in households as insecticide
 FDA found that Malation combined with other chemicals has sever poisoning
Chapter 4: Surface Waters and Underground Seas
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Water purification plants can’t easily detect chemicals in water
Most synthetic chemicals can’t be broken down or even identified
Chemicals mix and scientists struggle to analyze what combinations have been created
USFW issue report in 1960 showing pesticides are carried in fatty tissue of fish
Nature isn’t a closed system
o Rains falls into soil and in groundwater
o Groundwater moves to other areas
o Poisons wells and drinking water – livestock and human poisoning
o Clear Lake, CA: DDD (relative of DDT) used to kill gnats, gnats actually increased, more
spraying of DDD, favorite bird (western grebe) began dying off drastically
o DDD effected adrenal glands
Chapter 5: Realms of Soil
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Soil is created from many different life forms, new matter added to soil and matter is taken
away by living organisms
Bacteria, fungi, and algae abundant in soil (Bacteria most abundant) – Control decay process
Some microorganism are nitrogen fixing, others make carbon dioxide, others perform
oxidation and reduction so iron, manganese and sulfur can be used by plants
Small insects in soil work to break down plant litter and transform it into new soil
Earthworm – Important in aerating and circulating the soil through burrowing action
Some herbicides (2, 4-D) and insecticides interrupt nitrification making it difficult for plants
to grow
Pesticides interrupt balance in soil and can create pests out of formally harmless organisms
Concentrations of pesticides such as DDT found in much higher concentrations in soil as what
was applied originally (builds up over time)
Arsenic sprayed on tobacco plants leads to drastic increase in arsenic in cigarettes
Plants absorb insecticides in soil
o Sometimes insecticides can actually kill crops
Chapter 6: Earth’s Green Mantle:
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Plant beneficial, people grow it in EXCESS, plant viewed as harmful (or just in the way) people
seek to DESTROY it
Complicated interconnections between all plants and the Earth
Sagebrush of Western US:
o Ranchers wanted to kill sagebrush to plant more grass for livestock
o Sage is evergreen so is a food supply for animals all year long
o Essential to sage grouse and antelope
Grass can’t survive during winter, so livestock wouldn’t even have food then
Killed willow trees, moose disappeared, beavers disappeared, lakes disappeared,
waterfowl disappeared
Many plants labeled as “weeds”, provide home and food sourced for wildlife
Bees as pollinators of our food crops
Selective spraying would work much better to clear problem areas
Animals are often attracted to plants sprayed be herbicides, plants metabolize more sugar,
animals then poisoned
Selective spraying creates more long term solutions, as does biologic control
o St. John’s Wort in CA – beetles imported to control spread of plant
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Chapter 7: Needless Havoc
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Conservationists and wildlife biologists warn of sever losses, control agencies deny that
insecticides hurt anything else BUT the target insect
Entomologists tend to be very specialized, they sometimes don’t fully understand side effects
on other creatures and ecosystems
o Insect control people tend to be ones in charge
USDA attack on Japanese beetle
o Had been around for 30 years and had not been increasing, targeted for extermination
anyways
o Eastern US used natural controls to stabilize beetle population
o Midwest states began campaign to exterminate with insecticides
o Used Aldrin (insecticide) because it was the cheapest
o Planes dumped Aldrin over cities such as Detroit MI
o Huge bird die off, no live birds to be found
o City claimed birds must have dies from another cause
o People had severe symptoms of vomiting, nausea, chills and fever
o There were 34 species of predatory or parasitic insects that could be introduced to
control beetle
o Milky disease could have been introduced, officials said it was too expensive
Sheldon, Illonois:
o USFW never consulted about spaying pesticides
o Agencies testified in congress that they shouldn’t have to consult before spraying
o Dieldrin applied in large amounts
 Sunk into soil
 Grubs, beetles, and other insects absorbed it, came out of soil to be eaten by
birds and other organisms
 Domestic cats and livestock loss
o 1955-1960 – funds to study affects on insecticides almost completely CUT OFF
Chapter 8: And No Birds Sing
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Case or Robin:
o Survival linked to American Elm tree
o 1930 Dutch Elm disease
o Spread among trees by elm bark beetles
o People concentrated on killing carrier and not disease itself
o Elms sprayed in spring, following spring robins retuned, died from eating
contaminated worms
o Birds that didn’t die became sterile – other organisms affected by loss of food sources
NYC – officials cleared away dead and diseased tree limbs, more effective and cheaper
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Solution – plant a variety of trees instead of one species
Chapter 9: Rivers of Death
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Northwest Miaramichi, Canada
o Spruce budworm control – spaying campaign
o Rivers were sprayed, severe damage to aquatic insects and fish
o Large number of salmon wiped out
o Northwest Miaramichi survived only because massive spaying was done only ONCE
o Insect populations take a long time to rebuild (even after 2 years still very low)
o Fish are extremely sensitive to chlorinated hydrocarbons
Colorado River (below Austin, TX 1961)
o Pesticides traveled far downstream, 100-200 miles causing massive fish kills
Chapter 10: Indiscriminately From the Skies
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Use of airplanes to spray insecticides increases dramatically
Society being more comfortable handling poisons even in their own home
Gypsy Moth:
o 13 parasites imported to help combat gypsy moth spread by natural means
o Methods were widely successful in containing moths
o Just 1 year after announcing success, Agricultural Department announced plan to
eradicate gypsy moth
o Densely populated areas sprayed even though gypsy moth is forest dweller
o Death rates among wildlife and livestock very high
o Citizens group tried to bring court injunction, denied preliminary injunction
 Decided since spraying already happened, injunction was not valid
o Milk samples on farms contained high levels of DDT
 County Health Department never addressed milk issue
 Growers couldn’t sell crops, lost business
 Massive bee die off
o Government agencies hired private contractors to spray
 Paid by gallon, so often over sprayed to make more money
 People tried to sue but couldn’t pin point private agencies
Fire ant:
o Considered nuisance because large mounds get in the way to farm machinery
o US Department of Agriculture launched huge propaganda campaign against fire ant,
gaining public support
o Insecticide companies set to make millions of dollars
o Fire ants truly not a serious threat to agriculture, people or livestock
 Fire ants actually help to aerate soil and prey on damaging bollweavils
o Dieldrin and Heptachlor used against fire ant (more toxic than DDT)
o States conservation, ecologists, and entomologists department issued protests, none
were taken seriously
o Massive loss of livestock, domestic pets and birds
o Agricultural Department dismissed all reports on this
o Some reports actually showed MORE fire ants after spraying
o Selective spraying of mounds more effective and CHEAPER than widespread spaying
Chapter 11: Beyond the Dreams of the Borgias:
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Chemicals used often in households, gardening, lawn care
Chemicals residue on many food items that we consume – a lot in meat products derived from
animal fats
FDA has little control over dealing with contaminated food, jurisdiction only covers food
crossing state lines
o Reports on peoples “tolerance” of chemicals
Famous Borgia family of Renaissance Italy, said to have poisoned their dinner guests
Chapter 12: The Human Price
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Used to be fearful of disease outbreaks, no diseases caused by pollution of air, water and food
Not a single large exposure to chemical but repeated small exposures
People are under stress (or sick) their bodies metabolize fatty tissue, chemicals stored there
can have sever effects
First knowledge of DDT poisoning humans was found by British scientists who intestinally
exposed themselves
We are part of nature, war on nature entails war on humanity
Chapter 13: Through a Narrow Window
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Mitochondria interrupted on cellular level (enzymes essential for oxidation interrupted)
Oxidation process occurs, ATP is used, but noting is produced
Human embryos deprived of oxygen, congenital defects, diminished reproductions
Determination of genetic material (similar to that of exposure to radiation)
o Mitosis of damaged cells
Chapter 14: One in Every Four
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1990 – 4% of deaths were cause by cancer
1959 – 15% deaths cause by cancer
Cancer in children unheard of in early to mid part of century – much more common now
In time period in which pesticide use increased, so did cases of leukemia (children susceptible
of leukemia because their rapidly growing tissues)
Cells are not killed, but damaged
People exposed to cancer-causing chemicals in uncontrolled and repeated instances
Chapter 15: Nature Fights Back:
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Supporters of pesticide use say that nature has long since been upset so it doesn’t really
matter if we upset it more
o Balance of nature is in a constant state of adjustment
70-80% of earths species are insects – play an very important role in the ecosystem
Most insect populations held in check by natural predators, problems arise when we aren’t
aware of these natural controls and interrupt them
Predator and parasitic insects are our allies in controlling harmful pests- pesticides kill them
as well
Virginia (Apples):
o Red-banded leaf roller became dominant after spraying DDT
o Killed 50% of crop in one year
o Farmers often trade one insect for an often more damaging one through the use of
pesticides
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Florida (Citrus):
o Introduced a beneficial insect, Vedalia (biologic control)
o Great success in only 2 years
o In 1940’s for no reason, millions of dollars spent to spray pesticides which wipes out
beneficial Vidalia insect
o Huge number of citrus trees lost
Chapter 16: The Rumbling Avalanche
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Repeated use of chemical spraying have weeded out weaker species of insects and reinforce
stronger ones
Insects becoming more resistant to pesticides
Relation between disease and insects
Use on insecticides produce short term success and long term imbalances
Increasing pesticide resistances in ticks, flies, mosquitos and cockroaches
Chapter 17: The Other Road
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Chemical controls proven to be costly, ineffective, and dangerous
Biological controls have proven to be cheaper, more effective and safer for people
Shortsighted and unconsidered goal was to make an insect-free world
o No realization how much nature relies on insects
Insect sterilization:
o Release sterilized males into population to compete with fertile males, less offspring
o Rhodesia – Tsetse fly threat to human health and livestock
o Sterilization using radiation and chemicals
o What effect will these sterilizing chemicals have?
o Some sterilizing chemicals interfere with metabolism of cells and other effect genes
causing chromosome break down
Entomologists using imitating scents to confuse male gypsy moths
Killing targeted insects by bacterial infections and parasites
Natural predators: such as spiders, birds and small mammals