Silent Spring is not a typical literature book written for bedside-entertainment, but for a purpose of not only informing the public about the hazardous effects of pesticides and herbicides, but to change the mentality of the average American, and for new bills in the senate to be considered. It started as her personal war in a magazine, to a full-blown bestseller book that took more than 4 years of research to make.
At first glance it might sound like the author has a personal vendetta against pesticides by her harsh language, as she may seem biased writing from a subjective perspective, but I personally think it was her only option to attract attention from the public and to be heard.
The author seems to be ahead of her time, warning the public about excessive use of chemicals like pesticides and herbicides harming not only the surrounding nature and animals, but every living thing, including us humans. It took several years to prove that these chemicals cause severe health effect like birth defects, fetal death, neurological disorders, and lately proven to be very carcinogenic.
Nowadays there are many alternative manners of pest control. It surely wasn’t the author who produced these less harmful methods; nonetheless, I believe we should be thankful to her alerting the public about the ugly truth of pesticides and the consequences of their excessive and irresponsible use.
A.K
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture31/r_31-3.html
Monday, 21 February 2011
Monday, 14 February 2011
Silent Spring and the effects of insecticides
The Silent Spring
in 1962, acclaimed author, Rachel Carson wrote the book "silent spring." the book tackled the controversial issues of the proliferated use of insecticides and especially DDT.
In "Silent Springs" Rachel, explores the history of insecticides and how a connection has been made to its negative effects on the environment, from birds, animals and even to humans.
she comes to explain the discovery of insecticides which she claims is a "child of the second world war." when testing certain chemical agents in the creating of chemical weapons leading to the point of world war 2, some of these chemicals were found to be fatal to insects. insecticides are not a new invention, they existed before in the forms of naturally occurring chemicals, what makes these new synthetic insecticides particularly harmful is the fact that they are designed with one aim in mind and are extremely biologically potent. of these modern insecticides, they are divided into 2 major groups, DDT and "chlorinated hydrocarbons".
the reason why it was thought that DDT was not harmful to humans was because during world war 2, the drug was used to clear out areas in the pacific theatre of war to clear out mosquito s carrying malaria and also to spray thousands of soldiers and prisoners of war to rid them of lice. because DDT in powder form is not readily absorbed by the skin, the effects caused by it were delayed and as a result it was thought that the harmful effects of DDT on humans was negligible.
she continues to explain that DDT is fat soluble and as a result it is stored in the fats of humans and animals, and is continually stored in the body as it is not easily excreted by the body. because of this, the drug continues to accumulate in the body until it reaches a dangerous level.
as early as 1958, Rachel Carson was interested in writing an essay concerning the harmful effects of DDT, but as her opinion on the matter was seen as near blasphemous to her contemporary's line of thought that she was refused to be given an article space on a magazine to write her research paper. As time went on and she accumulated more research and information on the drug, she was finally able to tackle the issue in her own book in 1962.
it seems that Rachel Carson was decades ahead of her time in her research and line of thought. and even though she makes a good case against pesticides that are poisoning our environment, I don't think use of insecticides such as DDT will come to an end as there are no real alternatives to these pesticides and because the demand for food is growing, the only way for farmers to be sure of a good harvest is to use these chemicals. our only hope is that some time in the near future scientists will discover a less harmful way of protecting our crops from insects without harming the consumers of those crops.
K.K.
http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp
in 1962, acclaimed author, Rachel Carson wrote the book "silent spring." the book tackled the controversial issues of the proliferated use of insecticides and especially DDT.
In "Silent Springs" Rachel, explores the history of insecticides and how a connection has been made to its negative effects on the environment, from birds, animals and even to humans.
she comes to explain the discovery of insecticides which she claims is a "child of the second world war." when testing certain chemical agents in the creating of chemical weapons leading to the point of world war 2, some of these chemicals were found to be fatal to insects. insecticides are not a new invention, they existed before in the forms of naturally occurring chemicals, what makes these new synthetic insecticides particularly harmful is the fact that they are designed with one aim in mind and are extremely biologically potent. of these modern insecticides, they are divided into 2 major groups, DDT and "chlorinated hydrocarbons".
the reason why it was thought that DDT was not harmful to humans was because during world war 2, the drug was used to clear out areas in the pacific theatre of war to clear out mosquito s carrying malaria and also to spray thousands of soldiers and prisoners of war to rid them of lice. because DDT in powder form is not readily absorbed by the skin, the effects caused by it were delayed and as a result it was thought that the harmful effects of DDT on humans was negligible.
she continues to explain that DDT is fat soluble and as a result it is stored in the fats of humans and animals, and is continually stored in the body as it is not easily excreted by the body. because of this, the drug continues to accumulate in the body until it reaches a dangerous level.
as early as 1958, Rachel Carson was interested in writing an essay concerning the harmful effects of DDT, but as her opinion on the matter was seen as near blasphemous to her contemporary's line of thought that she was refused to be given an article space on a magazine to write her research paper. As time went on and she accumulated more research and information on the drug, she was finally able to tackle the issue in her own book in 1962.
it seems that Rachel Carson was decades ahead of her time in her research and line of thought. and even though she makes a good case against pesticides that are poisoning our environment, I don't think use of insecticides such as DDT will come to an end as there are no real alternatives to these pesticides and because the demand for food is growing, the only way for farmers to be sure of a good harvest is to use these chemicals. our only hope is that some time in the near future scientists will discover a less harmful way of protecting our crops from insects without harming the consumers of those crops.
K.K.
http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
The third chapter of Rachel Carson's book mainly shows us the technological background of pesticides and herbicides. I personally agree with her in that pesticides and herbicides are harmful to us and our surroundings, since they are poisons, but also there is no other effective way to protect our crops and plants and houses from pests such as insects and for example, rats. The happenings that occured (deaths of children and pets) linked to these substances are certainly true, but one would think that if these herbicides and pesticides can be utilized without anyone or anything dying but pests, something must have gone seriously wring in the cases cited by the author. The link below shows that even the Natural Resource Defense Council agrees with the common opinion of newpaper editors, that Rachel carson's claims were often controversial. After having read only one chapter of her book, I cannot state that her claims are untrue or controversial, what I see is an attempt to start a war on pesticides and herbicides. While one half of me agrees with her entirely, the other half cries for more background on the death cases (did these people have for example a user's manual that told them exactly how to use the herbicide and what to be careful about; did they even read it?)
http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp
VT
http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp
VT
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Friends of the Earth
This organization is a network of environmental organizations with a mission in key areas as climate change, environmental justice, green economy, and natural resources.
It provides legal support and political voice for environmental advocacy, proffer innovative and energy efficient alternatives for recycling and deforestation, and campaigns for healthy living and foods. Friends of the Earth gets to the root causes of environmental problems and suggests possible solutions to policy makers.
I.S
It provides legal support and political voice for environmental advocacy, proffer innovative and energy efficient alternatives for recycling and deforestation, and campaigns for healthy living and foods. Friends of the Earth gets to the root causes of environmental problems and suggests possible solutions to policy makers.
I.S
The Rain Forest Action Network
The Rainforest Action Network
The rainforest action network or RAN was founded in 1985 and since then it has worked to protect rain forests and preserve them and also to protect the right of the people living in and around the protected area. the main aim of the RAN was to bring public attention to the destruction of rain forests around the world through education programs and communication. The RAN use media to bring attention to the destruction of the rain forests to the public, which leads to market changes and pressures on banks, logging companies etc. the head quarters of the RAN is in San Fransisco.
The organisation also uses direct action to protect the rainforest, for example the RAN led a boycott of burger king because the fast food chain was importing cheap beef which was fed by clearing rain forests to provide cattle pasture. This boycott worked effectively, after a loss of 12 percent in sales, burger king has stopped importing rainforest beef from south America.
The RAN also works with grass roots movements in different areas, these movements help educate and inform the public about the rain forests and the destruction they are facing. Through these local groups, enough pressure is exerted to carry out effective change to protect the environment.
By keeping the public informed about the different assaults being carried out on rain forests, they are able to inform people how they can individually help to protect the ecosystem, also by informing the consumers about which products are using old growth trees and which are using sustainable and responsible logging.
The organisation depends on the people to protest and apply pressure on corporations and organisations for them to stop excessive cutting of the rainforest, and as a result, public education and to be able to inform the public of the current issues facing preservation is the most important aspect of the RAN.
The methods used by the RAN seem to be very effective and anticipating of modern trends. the results achieved by them seem to be very promising, by only bringing public awareness to certain issues and organising protests the RAN has won many concessions from several different corporations
K.K.
The rainforest action network or RAN was founded in 1985 and since then it has worked to protect rain forests and preserve them and also to protect the right of the people living in and around the protected area. the main aim of the RAN was to bring public attention to the destruction of rain forests around the world through education programs and communication. The RAN use media to bring attention to the destruction of the rain forests to the public, which leads to market changes and pressures on banks, logging companies etc. the head quarters of the RAN is in San Fransisco.
The organisation also uses direct action to protect the rainforest, for example the RAN led a boycott of burger king because the fast food chain was importing cheap beef which was fed by clearing rain forests to provide cattle pasture. This boycott worked effectively, after a loss of 12 percent in sales, burger king has stopped importing rainforest beef from south America.
The RAN also works with grass roots movements in different areas, these movements help educate and inform the public about the rain forests and the destruction they are facing. Through these local groups, enough pressure is exerted to carry out effective change to protect the environment.
By keeping the public informed about the different assaults being carried out on rain forests, they are able to inform people how they can individually help to protect the ecosystem, also by informing the consumers about which products are using old growth trees and which are using sustainable and responsible logging.
The organisation depends on the people to protest and apply pressure on corporations and organisations for them to stop excessive cutting of the rainforest, and as a result, public education and to be able to inform the public of the current issues facing preservation is the most important aspect of the RAN.
The methods used by the RAN seem to be very effective and anticipating of modern trends. the results achieved by them seem to be very promising, by only bringing public awareness to certain issues and organising protests the RAN has won many concessions from several different corporations
K.K.
EarthJustice. Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer
EarthJustice was founded as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund in 1971. Since then, it has become the leading nonprofit environmental law firm in the America. In 1997, they got independent from the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund and changed their name to EarthJustice, to better reflect their role for not just the Sierra Club, but hundreds of others all around the nation and throughout the world as well.
Mission statement:
”EarthJustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities.”
EarthJustice has nine regional offices spread around the United States in the Northwest, Northern Rockies, Northeast, California, Rocky Mountains, Washington DC, Alaska, Mid-Pacific, along with an international program in their headquarters in Oakland, with more than 150 employees working voluntarily.
EarthJustice focuses on three major priorities: maintain wildlife, national parks and forests; protecting our communities by ensuring a clean and non-toxic environment; and fight against global warming.
Climate and energy: EarthJustice has put into position a plan to promote alternative energy policies.
Wildlife and places: Polluted rivers, national parks, forests, close to extinction animals, these are the places and organisms EarthJustice protects.
Health and toxics: EarthJustice has been promoting a safe environment for human health, conserning the air, food and water.
EarthJustice in short is a non-profit organization, dedicated to protect and preserve our planet. To fight for the rights of those whose voices cannot be heard, be it whether dirty waterways in Florida, coal mines in Otter Creek, gas pipelines in Pennsylvania, they are struggling every day to make our world a better place to live, for us. This is what makes EarthJustice such an inspirational organization, as they represent hope and justice for us, other organisms we share this earth with, and perhaps most importantly, our future generations.
A.K
http://earthjustice.org/
Mission statement:
”EarthJustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities.”
EarthJustice has nine regional offices spread around the United States in the Northwest, Northern Rockies, Northeast, California, Rocky Mountains, Washington DC, Alaska, Mid-Pacific, along with an international program in their headquarters in Oakland, with more than 150 employees working voluntarily.
EarthJustice focuses on three major priorities: maintain wildlife, national parks and forests; protecting our communities by ensuring a clean and non-toxic environment; and fight against global warming.
Climate and energy: EarthJustice has put into position a plan to promote alternative energy policies.
Wildlife and places: Polluted rivers, national parks, forests, close to extinction animals, these are the places and organisms EarthJustice protects.
Health and toxics: EarthJustice has been promoting a safe environment for human health, conserning the air, food and water.
EarthJustice in short is a non-profit organization, dedicated to protect and preserve our planet. To fight for the rights of those whose voices cannot be heard, be it whether dirty waterways in Florida, coal mines in Otter Creek, gas pipelines in Pennsylvania, they are struggling every day to make our world a better place to live, for us. This is what makes EarthJustice such an inspirational organization, as they represent hope and justice for us, other organisms we share this earth with, and perhaps most importantly, our future generations.
A.K
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
Earth Island Institue
Earth Island Institute was founded by David Bower in 1982. It is a non-profit, public interest organisation that encourages individual groups and people with innovative ideas in promoting ecological sustainability. Over their 29 years of operation, they have provided over a hundred of these group projects with fiscal help. A couple of projects that can thank their success to Earth Island Institute:
-International Rivers
-Rainforest Action Network
-Bluewater Network.
The organization operates across the U.S. and around the world, providing sponsorship to various groups, such as: Fiji Organic Project, Ethical Traveller and the International Marine Mammal Project. Earth Island Institute serves as an organization that supports individual groups (it supports over 40 grassroots organizations) from all over the world (rather than founding its own groups and sponsoring only them).
The strategy that Earth Island Institute uses is good because this way it can take part in all kinds of projects and groups, all around the world, and not only in those that its own activists plan (which would be much less than the enormous amount of projects and groups it helps now).
Earth Island Institute also provides public education and is basically a meeting place and supporting point for all of those who want to make a difference by working for the restoration of the damaged environment and ecological sustainability.
Link: http://www.earthisland.org/index.php/support/
VT
-International Rivers
-Rainforest Action Network
-Bluewater Network.
The organization operates across the U.S. and around the world, providing sponsorship to various groups, such as: Fiji Organic Project, Ethical Traveller and the International Marine Mammal Project. Earth Island Institute serves as an organization that supports individual groups (it supports over 40 grassroots organizations) from all over the world (rather than founding its own groups and sponsoring only them).
The strategy that Earth Island Institute uses is good because this way it can take part in all kinds of projects and groups, all around the world, and not only in those that its own activists plan (which would be much less than the enormous amount of projects and groups it helps now).
Earth Island Institute also provides public education and is basically a meeting place and supporting point for all of those who want to make a difference by working for the restoration of the damaged environment and ecological sustainability.
Link: http://www.earthisland.org/index.php/support/
VT
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