The environment today is faced with myriad problems that are arise due to human interference with the ecosystem. Humankind indulges in many activities that affect the quality of air and water that are vital to the survival of all living forms. The effects have also spread to the extents of destroying the soil that the human population depends on for food production. The impacts of such activities are severe to both fauna and flora. Notably, there has been an increase in the rates of diseases due to the increase in environmental damage (Mitchell & Popham, 2008). This is an implication that some activities in the ecosystem are endangering all life forms including the humankind.
With that realization, there will be the need to embrace environmental protection. Destroying the environment is killing oneself. Therefore, various measures need to be put in place to ensure that the environment remains healthy so that it can raise a healthy population. Typically, there are ranges of approaches that can be used to curb issues relating to environmental pollution, climate change, soil degradation plus exhaustion of natural resources. However, the primary approach needs to focus on man’s activities that contribute to these problems. Notably, environmental challenges can be addressed appropriately if the method used starts from the bottom to leading authorities in any government.
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In the publication, “Silent Spring,” by Rachael Carson (2002) noted that the present world experienced detrimental environmental degradation. The massive destruction the environment faced was caused by the extreme use of deadly chemicals like DDT. The author stated that excessive use of such substances in present moments had destroyed the harmony that the environment experienced some decades back (Carson, 2002). This dissertation will, therefore, point out the issues that the Silent Spring publication addresses. It will also explore on how the contents of the book provide an insight into the dynamics of the environment and health.
Dynamics between the Environment and Health
To begin with, the Silent Spring publication focused on environmental issues that resulted due to human activities. For instance, Carson (2002) noted that the current environmental poisoning being experienced is because of excessive use of agrochemicals such as pesticides to manage weeds and pests as well as use of beauty products(Brody, 2002). The publication indicated that most people used the aerial technique in spraying DDT and other related chemicals. Most of these chemicals were mixed with fuel oil in an attempt to get rid of mosquitoes and fire ants. Pesticides have severe effects on the ecosystem since they have a broader effect. That implies that non-target pest can also experience their effects (Carson, 2002).
Besides, massive use of this type of pesticides will have consequences in the future. Carson indicated that extreme use of such chemicals would make some pests to become resistance to these chemicals. Development of resistance implies that it would be difficult to use the same chemicals again to control these pests. For instance, during World War II, DDT proved to be a useful chemical when applied in powder form to controlling lice among soldiers. Its effectiveness led to its popularization (Carson, 2002).
The author of the Silent Spring publication is also against the aerial application of pesticides. That was because such mechanisms deposited the chemicals on people’s properties without prior permission. That realization led to some products being prohibited from being sold in some markets. For instance, Carol states how milk from dairy farmers in New York was banned from being sold in the market after the land was sprayed to get rid of gypsy moths.
It is apparent that Carson valued the need for good health because she was a cancer patient (Brody, 2002). With that in mind, she was really against environmental destruction. Carson understood that such damage would result in a human loss. Apparently, her value for life was not only limited to humankind, but she also shows concern for non-human forms of life. For instance, she tells of how the excessive application of dieldrin to get rid of Japanese beetles in Sheldon and surrounding environs led to massive loss of birds and other non-targeted non-human life forms (Carson, 2002).
In addition, the author also does not embrace the idea of wiping out insects. She explains the value of insects like honeybees and other insects during the process of pollination. Insects are important in agriculture and in demonstrating the richness that the environment has in relation to diversity. In that respect, they need the protection of any kind whatsoever from humankind (Carson, 2002). Therefore, from Carson’s point of view, environmental dynamics and health are substantially affected by humans daily partaking. Notably, the side effects of such activities are detrimental to the health of all living things plus the ecosystem.
Environment and Health
Notably, both natural and artificial environments can influence the health of humans (Mitchell & Popham, 2008). The quality of the environment plays an integral role in determining the health of individuals. With that in mind, it would be imperative to maintain a healthy environment to sustain human health indefinitely. Studies indicate that most health complications arise due to environmental pollution (Landon, 2006). However, it is still a challenge to quantify the extents in which environmental degradation cause diseases in humans. This is because other non-environmental related factors can cause health complications either directly or indirectly.
Activities that lead to environmental disruptions like acidification of water sources, fertilizer overuse, climate change, and the release of toxicants have direct health issues to all living forms (Landon, 2006). Besides, there are also certain aspects related to environmental quality and lifestyle that are not chosen voluntarily. Such issues include passive smoking and noise among others. It would be important to note that such elements also contribute to the degradation of environmental quality. Environmental policies strive to ensure that disruptions of this type are limited to levels that are not harmful to humans. Typically, health hazards that prevail in the environment can be categorized into three groups namely: physical, chemical and biological hazards.
Physical hazards include radioactive emissions, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), global warming, fossil fuels and noise. Notably, most beauty products that women used were rich in carcinogenic compounds. That makes more women prone to breast cancer (Brody, 2002) Chemical hazard, on the other hand, encompasses burning of fossil fuels, excessive application of agrochemicals, and the discharge of untreated industrial wastes into water sources. The release of lead compounds to the environment is also a significant chemical hazard (Tong, Schirnding & Prapamontol, 2000). Industrialization is one of the processes that have led to adverse health conditions to humans. Many industrial processes emit smoke that is rich in compounds that result in air pollution and formation of acid rain. Acid rain harms fauna and flora hence leading to their extinction (Landon, 2006). Such processes have also lead to increased production of greenhouse gasses that leads to global warming. Global warming, on the other hand, results in incidences of cancer among humankind and other living forms since it causes depletion of the ozone layer. Finally, biological hazards comprise of other living forms that can alter the normal functioning of the body. They include bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and parasites. These biological hazards are pathogenic implying that they cause diseases to fauna and flora.
In conclusion, it would be imperative to ensure environmental sustainability to shun the risks posed by environmental degradation. That can only be achieved if governments formulate policies that aim at protecting the environment for the sake of the future generations (Brody, 2002). In so doing, significant progress would be made regarding improving the health of citizens hence a nation would be deemed healthy.
References
Brody, J. G. (2002). Silent Spring Review. Researching the Environment and Women’s Health. Silent Spring Institute . Retrieved from http://silentspring.org/sites/default/files/SSIWinterReview02.pdf.
Carson, R. (2002). Silent Spring . New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Landon, M. (2006). Environment, Health and Sustainable Development . Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Mitchell, R., & Popham, F. (2008). Effect of Exposure to Natural Environment on Health Inequalities: An Observational Population Study. The Lancet , 372 (9650), 1655-1660. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014067360861689X.
Tong, S., Schirnding, Y. E. V. & Prapamontol, T. (2000). Environmental Lead Exposure: A Public Health Problem of Global Dimensions. Bulletin of the World Health Organization , 78 (9), 1068-1077. Retrieved from http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000000900003.
