Pesticide Use and Environmental Change in Rachel Carson's The Research Paper

Pesticide Use and Environmental Change in Rachel Carson's The Obligation to Endure - Research Paper Example Specifically, in The Obligation to Endure, Rachel Carson cites some destructive human activities that cause environmental change. For one, Carson emphasized that the use of pesticide to increase agricultural productivity inflicts more harm to nature than benefits. In the article, Carson’s arguments on environmental change and pesticide use are interesting, considering that these delve on the distinct relationship between human beings and their environment. Accordingly, this paper attempts to fulfill threefold goals in relation to Carson’s article. First is the identification of the existing environmental changes today; second is the analysis of the role of human beings concerning those environmental changes; third is the discussion of the long-term and short term effects of pesticide use, and lastly, the identification of possible solutions that may help recover the vitality of the environment. To attain those objectives, this research also makes use of existing scholar ly articles concerning the topic to support its arguments; books and web articles are used to attain further background about Rachel Carson and her environmental advocacies. Article Overview Rachel Carson, one of America’s most prominent marine biologists, may be considered the most influential woman in the field of environmental studies and ecological policy. Doell mentions that her contribution to the field of science and politics, although indirectly, is attributable to her write-ups in Silent Spring, particularly about the â€Å"aggressive backlash from the agricultural chemical industry† (113). Silent Spring is a collection of essays about industrialization, human activity, and its influence on the changing features of the environment, particularly on the â€Å"war on weeds† (Paull 37). Specifically, in The Obligation to Endure, Carson highlights that pesticide use is the most environmentally damaging of all human activities; she also discusses the existing environmental policies on pesticide use. Aside from this, Carson also discusses the temporary and permanent impact of pesticide use on both humanity and the environment. In reading the article, one can say that Carson’s argument on genetic flexibility and adaptability is the most interesting topics in the article. With those two topics, Carson was able to explain the long-term and short term effects of pesticide use on the physiological features of humans, insects, and other organisms. In the article, Carson explains how the synthetic, toxic chemicals contained in pesticides alter the natural genetic makeup of human beings and insects, which also drives further changes in the environment. Although Carson posits, in the last paragraphs of the article, that she does not intend to discourage the use of pesticides, she also contends that human beings should be more watchful when using products that are based on synthetic chemicals. She emphasized the necessity of knowing the imp act of chemical-based products while putting the responsibility of educating the public on biologically damaging products on the hands of government officials and the private sector. Consequently, the article may be considered a parable of human existence and a warning to the people,