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Silent Spring Synthesis Essay

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I am so excited to be starting at Conn. Only a few more days until the 24th! I cannot say I am not nervous, however. It will be a completely new environment for me in so many different ways. I live in a massive city, but have always gone to comparatively small schools; my graduating class had just 80 students in it. I hope I can adjust quickly, and make the absolute most out of my time at Conn.
Over the summer I was asked to read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, and may I say I have not read such a compelling narrative in a very long time. The plight for environmental awareness was not completely new to me prior to reading. One of my courses in my final year of high school concerned environmental activism and religion. Having gone to Catholic school for over ten years, I figured my …show more content…

The problems brought on by the excessive use of pesticides and insecticides have left ripples that we will continue to see if no change occurs right now. In the twelfth chapter Carson spoke of the health risks dieldrin poses to humans over extended periods of time and the arguments people used to deny her claims: “‘But,’ someone will object, ‘I have used dieldrin sprays on the lawn many times but I have never had convulsions like the World Health Organization spraymen- so it hasn’t harmed me.’ It is not that simple.” This line in particular stood out to me, and quite honestly made me laugh, because it is the very same argument used today to deny any allegations of harm being done to our environment: it has not affected me directly, so it must not exist. It is precisely this denial that we must combat; we must strive to educate the masses on environmental awareness, and learn to put the good of our future ahead of that of our present circumstances. What lies ahead is a long and difficult road, but surely one we can get through if we stand

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In the article ‘Why Bother?’ Michael Pollan, a Professor of Journalism at the University of California, examines the dangers of climate change and how ordinary citizens can reduce its effects on the environment. Although most scientists are concerned and have warned nations of its disastrous effects some still deny the existence of climate change. As if melting ice caps and the ever-increasing blue waters were not enough proof, some citizens believe that climate change is an “unproven theory or a negligible contribution to natural climate variability” (Hall 3). Nevertheless, citizens who believe in global warning can change how they live for the better.

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Carson appeals to the arousal of the basic emotions, such as the arousal of fear in the public. Carson also appeals to pathos, or the emotions, by questioning the “highly intelligent” creators of these pesticides. Carson believes irrational bad decisions based on faulty evidence threaten the future existence of mankind. “Along with the possibility of the extinction of mankind by nuclear war, the central problem of our age has therefore become the contamination of man’s total environment with such substances of incredible potential for harm-substances that accumulate in the tissues of plants and animals and even penetrate the germ cells to shatter or alter the very material of heredity upon which the shape of the future depends.” However, the statement supports Carson’s intention to present a persuasive, and logical point of view without confusing the reader; suggesting she ment to go against a patient audience rather than an impatient one.

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Her diction is undoubtedly her main “weapon” that she utilizes to address the issue of pesticides. With words such as “direct target,” “poisons,” “killing,” “death,” and “lethal” in her arsenal of care and peace, she roots an alarming sense into her audience by showing pesticide as a relentless beast that causes nothing but harm. In a way, Carson amplifies the word pesticide into much more sinister concept: death. She personifies it with her dire word choice, considering it a “universal killer” (28) and a “wave of death” (50) that was perpetuated by farmers and the authoritarian. She compares the farmers who use pesticide to “judge and jury” who have “doomed” innocent creatures that they are either ignorant of or for whom they care little for (31-32).

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Do people really know what they are buying at the store? Do they know that most of the fruits and vegetables have pesticides in them? Do they know that there are some everyday activities that can help the environment? In Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan “As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial,” they talk about how everyone can help save our planet. For example, changing the light bulbs in the house to fluorescent light, riding bikes instead of driving, and recycling can also help.

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In theory, the Environmental Protection Agency http://www.care2.com/causes/epa-says-fracking-isnt-a-threat-to-drinking-water-but-is-that-true.html (EPA) is supposed to protect our environment and the wildlife in it. So why did the EPA ignore Endangered Species Act (ESA) protocol and approve a pesticide -- benzovindiflupyr -- that's poisonous to wildlife without even consulting wildlife biologists first? The EPA's "Indifference" Harms Wildlife and Habitat According to a Center for Biological Diversity press release, http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2015/pesticides-10-27-2015.html the EPA even recognizes that benzovindiflupyr can "harm wildlife and critical habitat protected by the Endangered Species Act, but approved

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Silent Spring was a controversial book because it challenged long held beliefs on both environmental health and gender roles. The government had put a lot of effort into creating images of the rise of pesticides use as a positive societal advancement. These chemicals were marketed as helping our children and making our lives easier. Carson’s book directly challenged this belief. Suddenly people were forced to confront the fact that their actions (or alternately their inaction) related to at home and governmental pesticide usage could actually be harming their families.

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In today’s world, there are many people creating new chemical substances that has negative effect to our world. Rachel Carson, in her article "The Obligation to Endure" argues that the pesticides and other chemicals we use are harmful to more than just the environment. I agree with Carson in her article, in that we should reduce most of the harmful chemical use and instead use technological inventions. Carson is a person who seems very passionate about the environment and is very concerned of its inhabitants. It is hard to believe that intelligent human beings would use bad chemicals substances that would affect the environment and themselves negatively.

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