Choose one of the topics below or make up one of your own. Feel free to combine topics if you feel it's appropriate. You may answer one or more of the questions, depending on your goal. Combine questions according to your needs.
Find a pesticide, such as malathion, mentioned in Silent Spring. Then, examine its chemical make-up and discuss the pros and cons of using it. Is it still used? If so, why? If not, why not? Who want to use this pesticide and why? Who doesn’t like it and why? Do the benefits of using it outweigh the cost? Is it destructive, benign, or somewhere in between? What does Carson have to say about its use? What alternatives are there to its use?
Find a can of pesticide or weed killer — Raid, D-Con Ant and Roach Killer, Round-up, Ortho Weed Be Gone — in your house or on the store shelves. Then consider what’s in it and what it’s designed to do. Is it dangerous? How dangerous? Dangerous to whom? What kind of exposure makes it dangerous or benign? Does it pose a threat to the environment? Is it safe for general public consumption or should it be more strictly regulated? What would Carson have to say about it? Is it mentioned in her book? Critically examine its present use and develop recommendations for the future use.
How far have we come since Carson’s book was published in the 1960’s? What was the effect of Carson’s work? What problems existed then and what has happened since? What problems remain? Do any of the conditions she wrote about still exist? In hindsight, how convincing or accurate was her research? Did she have her facts right on the connection between radiomimetics, DDT, and cancer? Do some research and find out.
DDT is especially effective at killing malarial mosquitoes, but its also incredibly destructive. What does Carson have to say about DDT’s harmful effects? What do advocates of DDT use say about its necessity, especially in Africa. Look critically at this controversy and come to your own conclusion based on the evidence you’ve reviewed.
Methyl Bromide is widely used in Santa Cruz County, but many are opposed to its use. Why? Where is it sprayed, how is it used, and why is it sprayed? What harm does the chemical do and what are its benefits? What might Rachel Carson have to say about it? Based on critical examination of your research would you recommend its continued use?
Carson recommends working with nature to control pests such as the Japanese Beetle and the fire ant. What “natural” pest eradication methods presently exist and how effective are these methods compared to pesticides? What are the benefits and drawbacks of practices such as organic farming, goats for weed control, or predator use for invasive species? Do such practices hold promise for the future? What problems do they present?
The controversy over spraying moth pheromones has received much press in our agrarian county of late. The state wants to spray the pheromones to keep the moths from killing the apple trees and causing millions of dollars in crop losses. They argue further that the chemical was developed specifically because it’s safe for the environment. Opponents say the spraying is unhealthy and ineffective. Examine this controversy critically and come to your own conclusion after you’ve done some research. In your examination, consider what Rachel Carson has to say about working with nature rather than trying to dominate it and about her suggestions for controlling pests through natural means.