Overview

No single event played a greater role in the birth of modern environmentalism than the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and its assault on insecticides. The documents collected by Thomas Dunlap trace shifting attitudes toward DDT and pesticides in general through a variety of sources: excerpts from scientific studies and government reports, advertisements from industry journals, articles from popular magazines, and the famous “Fable for Tomorrow” from Silent Spring. Beginning with attitudes toward nature at the turn of the twentieth century, the book moves through the use and early regulation of pesticides; the introduction and early success of DDT; the discovery of its environmental effects; and the uproar over Silent Spring. It ends with recent debates about DDT as a potential solution to malaria in Africa.

Full Product Details

Author:   Thomas Dunlap ,  William Cronon
Publisher:   University of Washington Press
Imprint:   University of Washington Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.393kg
ISBN:  

9780295998947

ISBN 10:   0295998946
Pages:   160
Publication Date:   14 September 2015
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

"Foreword by William Cronon Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: BACKGROUND Views of Nature 1. Stephen A. Forbes, ""The Ecological Foundations of Applied Entomology"" 2. Leland O. Howard, ""The War against Insects"" -Pre-DDT Pesticides and DDT's Use in World War II 3. Paul Neal et al., ""A Study of the Effects of Lead Arsenate Exposure on Orchardists and Consumers of Sprayed Fruit"" 4. Paul Neal et al., ""Toxicity and Potential Dangers of Aerosols, Mists, and Dusting Powders Containing DDT"" Part 2: DDT'S BRIGHT PROMISE AND NEGLECTED PROBLEMS (1942-1958) DDT as Miracle Chemical 5. Brigadier General James Stevens Simmons, ""How Magic is DDT?"" 6. ""Aerosol Insecticides"" 7. Clay Lyle, ""Achievements and Possibilities in Pest Eradication"" -Early Warnings 8. Paul B. Dunbar, ""The Food and Drug Administration Looks at Insecticides"" 9. Clarence Cottam and Elmer Higgins, ""DDT and Its Effect on Fish and Wildlife"" Part 3: RISING CONCERN ABOUT NEW PROBLEMS DDT, Food Chains, and Wildlife 10. Roy J. Barker, ""Notes on Some Ecological Effects of DDT Sprayed on Elms"" 11. Editorial from Bird Study 12. Derek A. Ratcliffe, ""The Status of the Peregrine in Great Britain"" 13. Robert Rudd, Pesticides and the Living Landscape 14. Thomas R. Dunlap, Interview with Joseph J. Hickey 15. Robert S. Strother, ""Backfire in the War against Insects"" Part 4: THE STORM OVER SILENT SPRING Public Alarm 16. Morton Mintz, ""'Heroine' of FDA Keeps Bad Drug Off Market"" 17. Rachel Carson, ""A Fable for Tomorrow"" -Reactions 18. President's Science Advisory Committee, Use of Pesticides 19. Robert H. White-Stevens, ""Communications Create Understanding"" 20. Edwin Diamond, ""The Myth of the 'Pesticide Menace'"" 21. Robert Gillette, ""DDT: Its Days are Numbered, Except Perhaps in Pepper Fields"" Part 5: DDT AND MALARIA 22. Thomas Sowell, ""Intended Consequences"" 23. Thomas R. Hawkins, ""Rereading Silent Spring"" 24. May Berenbaum, ""If Malaria's the Problem, DDT's Not the Only Answer"" Notes on Further Reading Credits Index"

Reviews

DDT, Silent Spring, and the Rise of Environmentalism provides an important survey of petrochemical use in the postwar United States. It is both a thought-provoking text for undergraduates and a diverse collection of primary sources for scholars..Dunlap valuably provides a succinct overview of the complicated relationships between industry, environment, and the chemical debate. Agricultural History Thomas R. Dunlap's purpose as editor is one of historian rather than judge; every essay- no matter which side it argues from- is precise, intelligent, and revealing of the biases and limits of the decade. Dunlap's introductions to each section adds hints of reflection and even redemption. Books like this remind people to treat today's new miracles with delicate care until they know where every path might lead. ForeWord

DDT, Silent Spring, and the Rise of Environmentalism provides an important survey of petrochemical use in the postwar United States. It is both a thought-provoking text for undergraduates and a diverse collection of primary sources for scholars..Dunlap valuably provides a succinct overview of the complicated relationships between industry, environment, and the chemical debate. Agricultural History Thomas R. Dunlap's purpose as editor is one of historian rather than judge; every essay-- no matter which side it argues from-- is precise, intelligent, and revealing of the biases and limits of the decade. Dunlap's introductions to each section adds hints of reflection and even redemption. Books like this remind people to treat today's new miracles with delicate care until they know where every path might lead. ForeWord

Author Information

Thomas R. Dunlap is professor of history at Texas A & M University. He is the author of four books including Faith in Nature: Environmentalism as Religious Quest and DDT: Scientists, Citizens, and Public Policy.

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