Rachel Carson and the Environment

Rachel Carson and the Environment

Learning Objectives

Discover the writings of Rachel Carson and evaluate their influence on the environmental movement.
Examine the impact of agricultural chemicals on post WWII agricultural development.
Become familiar with the different classes of pesticide chemistry.
Explore the impact of increasing environmental scrutiny on horticultural crop production.
Complete and submit assignment 3.

Out of the age of "better living through chemistry."
Audubon, Carson, Leopold... are all names recognized as leaders in the environmental movement. The rapid explosion of science and technology that arrived concommitantly with the Industrial Revolution of the early 1900s and the two World Wars enabled the production of new categories of chemicals that were inexpensive and very effective in pest control. These were invaluable in the control of insect and vermin-vectored human diseases, and very quickly found application in plant and animal agriculture. At first, only their impact on target pests was considered, and the occasional accidental poisonings were overlooked as an inescapable consequence far outweighed by their benefits. The wide-spread and rapidly increasing use of pesticides in plant and animal agriculture, residential pest control, and use in the urban environment to control large scale pest problems on street trees resulted in several environmental catastrophes, some severe enough to threaten the survival of several avian species. Examine the timeline of the environmental movement outlined in the section History of the environmental movement in the US and pay special attention to the timing of the federal government's role in pesticide regulations.

Silent Spring
Publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring is widely regarded to have been the pivotal event in the environmental movement. It is a must read for anyone wishing a complete understanding of the development of today's regulatory environment, but is considered optional for this course because of time constraints. Read the outline at the link above, making certain that you use the auxiliary links to verify and develop a better understanding of the general principles listed as bullet items. These items are the focus of assignment 4 and will be important to the completion of the next essay.

Environmental Regulations with "HIGH IMPACT" on Horticultural Cropping Systems
The Endangered Species Act, the wetlands protection components of the Clean Water Act, and the regulation of pesticide approval and application by EPA are consequences of the environmental movement that have a tremendous impact on production horticulture. Read the recommended readings related to these legislative acts, and be prepared to describe why they were instituted, what federal agencies administer them, and what impact they have on horticultural production systems and the ownership of private property.

Backgrounder on wetlands protection; point source pollution; Endangered Species Act

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