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Pesticides and Safety…A Brief Review

Clyde Haberman writes a fine retrospective about Rachel Carson and how her works were often misreported and she vilified when she made her clarion call about DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). A note here…DDT is still made and still used…

ddtWhy write about this now? Obviously, the new administration has a view about environmental protection that is about as enlightened as that of our Cro-Magnon ancestors. Actually, that is a disservice to our ancestors, they actually understood that the environment affected their lives.

We can see that when Ms. Carson raised her concerns, she was attacked with “Alternative Facts”…ie, lies. History does repeat itself…

The key to the use of pesticides is simple…use integrated pest management, think about the consequences of your product and think before acting.

Of course, the article focuses on how to control malaria. It points out that DDT is much less effective now than it was, but still useful when used selectively. In other words, pesticides have a place, but only if used properly.

Read the full article:
Rachel Carson, DDT and the Fight Against Malaria
Limited free access; NY Times subscription may be required.

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