Rachel Carsons Silent Spring Free Essay Example, 750 words

The book illuminates the mind into the reality of the decaying world. The deposits and residues were now threatening the lives of innocent consumers of these industrial commodities as well as agricultural goods. "The sight and sound of drifting ribbons of waterfowl across an evening sky harbored danger. " Soil bacteria and fungi become a "horde of minute but ceaselessly toiling creatures". She also brings up to memory the incident in Florida where two children died after using a paper that once contained a pesticide called parathion to repair sewing. Their three friends fell ill. Amongst other occurrences, should have been a wakeup call. It is with a brilliance that she takes on the manufacturers, acting as nature s watchdog. These chemicals are carcinogenic. The futility of relying on them or any new substitutes offered to counteract the swift evolution of immunity to chemical control shown by more and more insects and fungus diseases. Dr. W. C. Hueper of the National Cancer Institute has given DDT the definite rating of a chemical carcinogen -a cancer inducer. Storage of DDT begins with the smallest conceivable intake of the chemical, which is present as residues on most foodstuffs, and continues until high levels are reached. We will write a custom essay sample on Rachel Carson's Silent Spring or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now The fatty storage depots act as biological magnifiers, so that the intake of as little as one-tenth of 1 part per million in the diet results, in the storage of about 10 to 15 parts per million, an increase of one hundredfold or more. In animal experiments, 3 parts per million have been found to inhibit an essential enzyme in heart muscle. The other side effect of these chemicals that is mind-blowing is that they do cause mutation as long term use side effects. This is so scary that their products should not even occur. Who wants a baby who is malfunctioned? Or has missing parts? We have to sensitize the community against all these. The wildlife will be negatively affected if we play blame games or give a deaf ear to Carson s advice, these include the fish in the sea where the residue of this pesticide tends to have a final destination. These insidious poisons end up killing so many living things.