To understand how pesticides contribute to the destruction of the environment and imbalance in the ecosystem, one should not look further than the Silent Spring. Silent Spring is a conservationist book written by Rachel Carson, which served to awaken the American society to the haphazard use of synthetic pesticides which in the long run had serious detrimental effects on our environment bringing forth an imbalance in the ecosystem. The insecticide campaigns which were being fronted by chemical companies were found to be ineffective and quite damaging to the environment. Though the book received fierce criticism from chemical industries, which spread a lot of disinformation and government officials who were gullible in adopting the use of these pesticides without demur, it led to the turnaround of the national pesticide policy. This reversal resulted in the ban of DDT and the birth of the US Environmental Protection Agency. This reflection essay is going to explore Carson’s work from chapter 10 of the book through to chapter 17, highlighting key learning points and how the book has changed our perspective towards the world.
One of the most important roles which humanity has to play is the conservation of the environment. Conservation of our environment is what guarantees the sustainability of the environment, making it conducive and supportive for man’s and other world creatures’ survival. The book Silent Spring proved to be an eye-opener to me. It revealed the dangers of using synthetic pesticides which usually have irreversible effects. These synthetic pesticides contribute to the increase of residues in people bodies predisposing them to dangerous cancerous diseases. Also, indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides in one way or the other plays a hand in interfering with the ecosystem balance leading to serious side effects. Insect pests have the ability to adapt to their environment, and use of synthetic pesticides usually result in the insects developing resistance to the chemicals. The flipside of this is that many of their natural predators, mostly birds, are often negatively affected by the chemicals even eliminating them from the ecosystem. Use of pesticides, in the long run, gives way to pest insects to increase in numbers, increasing their destruction and damaging the environment.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The information I found most surprising from the book was on the thin line between the use of natural predators and the need to use synthetic pesticides. According to Carson, nature has its provisions on how to control pests through the use of natural predators. However, given the economy status of achieving the maximum out of the possible minimum, use of biological control is effective though not sufficient. It does not provide the total control which synthetic pesticides provide. As such, use of pesticides seems desirable, but its returns are only viable in the short term since they have long-term adverse effects. Due to this, I find it interesting in the way we should employ a delicate balancing act in combining the use of pesticides and biological control to guarantee desirable outcomes which will least affect the environment.
Reading the book has changed my perspective towards how I have been looking at the world. There is a need for a collective responsibility towards conservation of our environment and biodiversity. During the pursuit of profits or increased yields within the agricultural field, every stakeholder within the sector needs to ensure that their activities do not endanger the environment. Use of pesticides could guarantee higher yields in the short term, and if not correctly used, the pesticides could result in negative effects ranging from increased residue levels in human beings to the elimination of certain animals in the ecosystem. As such, I feel that every individual should take it upon him or herself to ensure that they conserve the environment. We should not be myopic in the chase of wealth at the expense of the very foundation, environment, which assures our survival and that of the generations to come.
