Its been more than 50 years since environmental activist, biologist, and science writer Rachel Carson wrote the book Silent Spring, alerting readers to the onslaught of chemicals destroying our planet. What has changed since?
Her work inspired the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. Prior to this, the government agency responsible for the protection and preservation of our environment was the Fish and Wildlife Service where Carson served as editor in chief. She was integral to the EPA’s creation.
Today, under Trump/ Scott Pruitt, the EPA is for all intents and purposes now defunct, a mere face like so many things in our world. Slick packages, lofty promises, but when you look inside – really look – there’s no actual substance or what you get is simply full of shit, either figurately and/or literally.
Given that the government is not really protecting anything but the bottom line, who will stand for truth, purity, and conservation in our environment if not us? Can we impact our communities and own lives? What would Carson say in 2018, given that we continue to destroy – more than ever- nature and our health in the name of business?
Carson once remarked,
It is one of the ironies of our time that while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without, we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within.
Invisible Threat: Bees, Birds, And Beyond
Carson advocated strongly against the chemical DDT, which was eventually banned in 1972. Ironically, she was even vilified and blamed for the spread of malaria as though this extremely dangerous chemical is the only way to fight mosquito-borne diseases. This is an illogical fallacy folks! Silver, for instance, is a possible remedy against malaria compared to creating super resistant mosquitos that are now unfazed by certain poisons.
Meanwhile, systemic pesticides are not only the most popular in the world today but said to be five to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. The (EPA) recently considered allowing the bee-killing systemic pesticide thiamethoxam to be sprayed on the most widely grown crops in the U.S. The application, if approved, would allow the highly toxic pesticide to be sprayed directly on 165 million acres of wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, alfalfa, rice, and potato. So keep in mind that these carbs and grains are not only inflammatory they are doused with dangerous chemicals.
According to the nonprofit Eco Watch, the proposal by the agrochemical giant Syngenta to dramatically escalate the use of the harmful neonicotinoid pesticide came last Friday, on the same day the EPA released new assessments of the extensive dangers posed by neonicotinoids, including thiamethoxam.
“You know the pesticide-approval process is broken when the EPA announces it will consider expanding the use of this dangerous pesticide on the same day its own scientists reveal that the chemical kills birds and aquatic invertebrates,” says Lori Ann Burd, director of the Center for Biological Diversity‘s environmental health program. ”
These dangerous chemicals are not only killing bees but birds, bats, butterflies, worms, degrading our soil, and now affecting aquatic invertebrates and the coral reef. rel=”noopener” data-link-name=”in body link”>A recent report found that 75 percent of honey samples collected around the world contained neonicotinoids.
Watch this 12-minute clip about Malaria, DDT, and Rachel Carson.
