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by nigelcleland 2849 days ago
If you haven't read it pick up a copy of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson which covered the indiscriminate use of pesticides and the effect on the wider ecosystem.

The awareness she helped raise contributed to the founding of the EPA and the banning of DDT.

2 comments

>>The awareness she helped raise contributed to the founding of the EPA and the banning of DDT.

..and caused the deaths of millions of people to malaria [1]

[1] https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-rachel-carson-cost-million...

That's a controversial claim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT#Criticism_of_restrictions_...

and you have to balance the effects of reduced DDT use (even if that did cause malaria resurgence) against the overall effects of getting public interest into the consequences of newly invented chemicals, and creating the EPA and general oversight of pesticides.

I'm re-reading it now.

If you loved it, checkout Ishmeal by Daniel Quinn[1]. It's a fascinating way to further understand what we're doing to the planet and why we are able to so easily justify it.

[1] https://amzn.to/2MOZciN