The situation in the United States regarding pesticides and plastics is frightening. Neither product is sufficiently tested, studied, nor regulated. The general public is severely under-informed about the situation, most not realizing their risks at all or the severity and prevalence of their contact with these substances. Federal and state law and regulation, as well as the institutions designed to implement and enforce environmental regulation, are not equipped to handle the severity of the threat pesticides and plastics pose. However, there are institutions in place, which could be empowered, streamlined, and better funded in order to address the dangers of these materials.
Pesticides are chemical substances designed specifically to destroy life. For a great part of the 20th century they were applied liberally and excessively, with no understanding of their permanence in the environment or their effects on non-target species. The standard by which they were measured were their lethality and the length with which they were effective—the exact factors that make them more harmful to the environment, and eventually to human health. They allowed the rise of the great American farm monoculture, and create a paradigm shift away from farming productivity as a function of skill and towards productivity based on the amount of chemical inputs, of both pesticides and fertilizers.
The plastic industry bloomed later, but has made great inroads since the 1950’s . Plastic products are now commonplace in all facets of the human landscape. They protect our food, bottle our beverages, are implanted in our bodies, and are incorporated into many of the products we come into contact with daily, including components of our own homes. Their healt...
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...example action would be to dismantle the corn-based subsidy system explained by Pollan and incentivize polyculture and organic farming to shift away from pesticides. Finally, economic factors would be divorced from safety considerations and companies would not be refunded for lost revenue due to the banning of hazardous substances.
Works Cited
"The 2005 U.S. Pesticide Industry Report Is The First Report To Provide Details On Changes Occurring During The 2005 Calendar Year Within The U.S. Pesticide Industry." BNET. Business Wire, 29 Mar. 2007. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .
Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
Wargo, John. Green Intelligence: Creating Environments That Protect Human Health. New Haven, Ct.: Yale UP, 2006. Print.
Kroma, M. M., & Flora, C. B. (2003). Greening pesticides: A historical analysis of the social
In a single year, America used approximately 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides, 77% used in the agricultural industry alone (Weeks). For years now, conservationists have tried to set stricter regulations for the use of pesticides but have been largely ignored. However, the time to act is now. With pesticides killing more bees every year, it may be too late if regulations are not made now. If the government passed tighter regulations on how much pesticide is used per acre it could help slow down the rate of bee extinction. If companies insisted onuseing vast amounts of pesticides, then said pesticides should be made bee and environmentally friendly. Doing this would be a compromise between agricultural operations and conservationist that both sides are more likely to agree on while still benefiting both
To help keep crops from being destroyed, conventional farmers use many methods such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Nearly 1 billion pounds of these chemicals are used every year (“pesticides”). Because of this excessive use, some scientists express concern that using artificial chemicals in the farming process could produce unhealthy crops. People who ate it over a long period of time could suffer from degraded health and stunted growth (“Organic Foods”). For example, in 1989, the EPA banned the use of Alar which was a chemical used to ripen apples (“Farming, Organics”). This chemical proved to be carcinogenic after causing tumors in mice after several laboratory tests (“Organic Food”). As a result of these findings there was a dramatic increase of the sales for organic food (“Organic Food”). Another study found that Atrazine (one of the most widely used herbicides in the United States) has the potential of being carcinogenic and reducing sperm counts in males (“Organic Food”). This was further proven when evidence was found that chemicals u...
Did you know that pesticides have been used since the 1600s? Yes in the 1600s the romans burned sulfur to kill insects and they used salts to control weeds. The romans also used honey and arsenic to control ants. The ancient romans crushed the petals of the pyrethrum and they used ants to to eat undesirable insects. By World War II, only thirty pesticides existed(During the late 19th century, farmers were using copper acetoarsenite, calcium arsenate, nicotine sulfate, and sulfur to control insect pests in crops. Pesticides are products that are intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or to mitigate any pest. Pesticide use emerged after World War II, when DDT, BHC, Aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, and 2, 4-D was introduced. After these were introduced, people began abusing these pesticides and the pests became genetically resistant to pesticides. When this happened, non-target plants and animals were harmed and pesticide residues appeared in unexpected places. Researchers during the 1960s, began developing a different approach towards pest control. This was called integrated pest management (IPM). There are ups and downs to pesticides. When we didn’t have pesticides, there was bug spots on the produce,and blemishes. Most people won’t buy the produce if it has these kind of disorders. After pesticides were invented, we didn’t have these sort of problems, therefore sales went up.
...ortation of plants, fruits, vegetables, and animals. Indiscriminate pesticide use kills the good with the bad. Long term and wide spread pesticide use poisons underground water sources, which, in turn, poison plants, animals, and humans. And, finally, by our uninformed actions, new super races of pests continue to evolve and create even greater dangers than the original.
Pesticides and herbicides are toxins that are used to kill of unwanted animals and plants. These may be collected by rainwater runoff and carried into steams, rivers, lakes, and e...
Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste enters our environment, severely polluting oceans, beaches, forests, and even the towns and cities we live in. In the ocean alone, it is believed that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic pollutes the waters (“Plastic Statistics”, Ocean Crusaders).The majority of plastic pollution can be traced back to single-use items, such as grocery bags, bottles, and plastic packaging. According to United Nations Environment, “At the rate we are dumping items such as plastic bottles, bags and cups after a single use, by 2050 oceans will carry more plastic than fish…” (“UN Declares War on Ocean Plastic”, UN Environment). This pollution is a major problem and endangers not only the environment, but human
In 1952, India was the first country to introduce pesticides to the world. Over sixty years ago, the world population stood at approximately 2.7 billion. While today the world population stands at over 7.4 billion (worldometers, 2016). Due to the upturn in global population, pesticides play a crucial role in the ability to produce adequate food to sustain our ever growing population. Pesticides not only carry multiple benefits for public health, they also help to boost our economy. However, many argue that the potential health risks associated with residue left on produce outweighs any of the benefits pesticide usage generates. In contradiction to anti pesticide theorist, this paper will outline the stakeholders in pesticides, and the safety
I feel that before someone buys pesticides or chooses to apply them on their property, they have to know the potential damage they are causing. Many carcinogens, mutagens and neurotoxins, such as pesticides, insecticides and herbicides, are what I like to call poison. People do not think that spraying even a small weed killer can be harmless because they think it is only affecting their yard; however, when chemicals are sprayed onto the grass, they become a part of the ecosystem. Many non-target species can be impaired or killed: bees who are very important pollinators, or bacteria and fungi that are imperative to healthy, functional soil. Pesticides can even be harmful to pets, children, and the other people living in surrounding areas. The harmful chemicals can make it into storm drains or public water supplies. This is a very critical concept to grasp because it proves how humans and communities are all connected in various ways. Additionally, it shows how we should be conscious of others when making decisions because our actions can pose a threat to other’s
Before we can change our ways, we need to consider the reasons why so many of us willingly volunteer to poison our communities each and every growing season. The reasons why we choose to spray, pour, or sift noxious chemicals on our lawns and gardens are varied and complex. Some of us have adopted a weed-free lawn as a cultural imperative. Most of the commercials advertising chemicals and chemical treatments speak of evil weeds that must be eliminated in order for a uniform lawn to be achieved. Others of us just want our roses or irises to produce spectacular blooms this summer, and, once again, we are told that pesticides are a prerequisite for this to happen. Others of us innocently assume that our government or neighborhood stores wouldn't allow the sale of chemicals that might be harmful to us when they are used in recommended ways. And, others, most peculiarly, seem to enjoy filling up their garages with "c...
Pesticides are chemical compounds used to kill unwanted "pests" such as small insects. These chemicals can harm creatures in many ways including their ability to never disappear, their disruption of certain genetics and their effects on the ecosystem. Pesticides may seem like they are supporting the common good by keeping unwanted pests controlled in agriculture, but they should be tested under harsher guidelines because they are more dangerous and deadly than many realize.
The world population is living, working, and vacationing along the coasts. They are contributing to an unprecedented tide of plastic waste. Pollution is defined as the process that alters a substance or molecule on planet earth, the pollution is caused by the physical contact of an organic decaying particle with a clean particle in the same spot, at the time the two particles join together is when occurs pollution in which the environment is greatly altered. Too many, plastic is a modern day miracle, versatile, inexpensive and durable (Rochman 2014). To others, it is a scourge, a non-degradable pollutant that threatens to choke the global environment. Plastic pollution has led to the deaths of many animals, natural resources, and people (Rochman 2014). It is time to change America’s thinking and to learn from past mistakes.
As time has progressed, there has always been an overarching need for high amounts of crop production throughout the world. With the rapid rate of population growth, the need for crops and other sources of nutrients is only increasing. In order to meet these high demands and increase yields, farmers and other agriculturalists have started implementing the use of pesticides. These chemical mixtures are being used in order to prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate any pests from destroying growing crops. However, using pesticides on crops can create massive amounts of pollution, negatively affect an individual’s health, and can spark biodiversity loss within an ecosystem. According to Michael C.R. Alavanja, “Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used within the United States (US) each year and approximately 5.6 billion pounds are used worldwide”. With all this in mind, it is clear that pesticides should not be made available to farmers and agriculturalists, and should
There are 2.5 billion pounds of pesticides being applied to agricultural products each year in the United States. This is ten times more than was applied forty years ago. It is still unknown as to what type of exact effects these chemicals may have on individuals. Some farmers that have been using pesticides in their fields and developed leukemia are finding that the cause of their disease is from inhaling pesticides. These chemicals are still in use today and most of them have never been tested for the short or long-term effects that they may have on humans.
The pesticide is a controversial topic since farmers are used it to gain their yield. Especially, pesticide is discovered during World War II as a chemical weapon that mixture of multiple chemicals together to kill human. Therefore, Chantries redesign pesticide to kill an organism where and when we don’t want it. Because people want to go to the grocery store to buy the perfect product, pesticide makes it happens and with a little cost for farmers. Nonetheless, pesticide also is the expenditure of life expectancy, which directly threatens people and poses risk of mortality rate. Abusing the pesticide has multiple affects on our society, (Add). (Add thesis)