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Remembering Rachel Carson

May 27th marked what would have been Rachel Carson’s 99th birthday. What Rachel Carson noted 44 years ago in Silent Spring holds true today: “…we have put poisonous and biologically potent chemicals indiscriminately into the hands of persons largely or wholly ignorant of their potentials for harm. We have subjected enormous numbers of people to contact with these poisons, without their consent and often without their knowledge. It is the public that is being asked to assume the risks that the insect controllers calculate. The public must decide whether it wishes to continue on the present road, and it can only do so when in full possession of the facts.” (Silent Spring, 1962) The pesticide-use rate continues to rise not only in our own country but all over the world. When Rachel Carson first called attention to the problem in 1962 the U.S. total of pesticide production and use was 637,666,000 pounds.(active ingredients only). Most recent market estimates indicate U.S use at over 1.2 billion pounds (figures do not include wood preservatives, specialty biocides or chlorine hypochlorites). World pesticide amount used exceeded 5.0 billion pounds in 2000 and 2001. Herbicides accounted for the largest portion of total use, followed by […]

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