Scientists in the late 1950s and early 1960s were already concerned about the importance of our water supplies. Remember that 97% of our planet's water is salty, and over 2% of the fresh water is stored as ice leaving us with 1% to support human, plant, and animal life.
I was most struck by her examples of the Klamath Lakes (p 45-57) because that's where my Aunt and Uncle lived and raised their family. Examples such as this help to personalize her message for me. Too often we think "well that happens in other places of the world to people we don't know so why should I care?" I do need to care because this can impact people who are important to me. Your thoughts?
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This is a very scary thing about human nature in first world countries; The idea that if it’s out of sight it can be out of mind. We know we must be impacting the environment in one way or another, but this is only a slight in the back of our minds as we toss wrappers in the trash, take a twenty minute shower, or even spray our lawns with weed killers. As I read chapter four, I realized that all of these things I am doing on a daily basis and disregarding, other people are also similarly doing. She really hit home for me when she said that arsenal had contaminated water miles from the holding ponds of a company started to affect animals and the farmers. And the contamination’s extent won’t be detected until other areas begin to suffer as well and even then it cannot be stopped.
"If anyone doubts that our waters...means of groundwater" (41-42). This passage really caught my attention because farmers do not realize that the insecticides they are spraying on their crops are affecting water sources and the organisms inhabiting them. Farmers should be aware of how the insecticides they are using are negatively affecting the fish around the areas in which they are spraying. Most importantly, the threat to groundwater is the most disturbing of the water pollution problems.
"If anyone doubts that our waters...means of groundwater" (41-42). This passage really caught my attention because farmers do not realize that the insecticides they are spraying on their crops are affecting water sources and the organisms inhabiting them. Farmers should be aware of how the insecticides they are using are negatively affecting the fish around the areas in which they are spraying. Most importantly, the threat to groundwater is the most disturbing of the water pollution problems.
The worst part is we do not SEE the pollution itself, making it appear as if there is none. "For the most part this pollution is unseen...often never detected at all,"(41). Yes of course during sunsets in LA people might look up at the sky and wonder why it glows that beautiful orange-yellow just above the city, but most people are able to shrug it off. I think that people - in general- think that if we are doing fine right now, by the time the end of days catches up to us, everyone from this century will already be dead. People are not motivated to do much of anything because there is no impending force, even when we look at other countries where city's are full of faces covered by masks, "ohh that's so terrible," we say as we walk out into our front yards with jugs of weed killer.
What resonated with me the most from chapter 4 was the quote "the danger of cancer hazards from the consumption of contaminated drinking water will grow considerably withing the foreseeable future". Today, people have a mentality that if something doesn't affect them directly than they should pay little attention to it, when it's only a matter of time before the environmental problems become very, very severe. With the discovery of cancer causing agents in bad water, it made me realize the extent to which we have harmed the environment, and how much of an issue it really is.
i feel its true that if something is affecting other people that we dont know in some other part of the world, we tend not to pay attention to it as much as if it was affecting people we do know. i think we should care because then people would do the same for us then we would stop using all the harmful chemicals that we know will affect others. once we realize the affects these chemicals will have, then well know not to use them. now, a lot of people dont care about how the products they use negatively affect the environment but i think its very important we do care for the health of ourselves and others.
“…killed all the fish inhabiting the streams (Carson, 41).”
In the last chapter, Carson identified different types of chemicals and explained how they work; now she is using that information to show how they affect our most important resource. That direct association creates a very well-rounded argument. Carson uses a variety of examples to show the impacts on environment, in the hopes that if someone doesn’t care about one animal, organism, etc. perhaps she can influence them with another. Like Mrs. Rotelli stated, she was more heavily affected by the examples of the Klamath Lakes than previous examples. This is very tactful on Carson’s part, and shows that she is, in fact, a good storyteller after all. Furthermore, this chapter in particular greatly demonstrates the difficulties of cleaning up such a mess.
"In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind to even his most essential needs.....indifference." (39)
After having talked about shortage of water in class today, it made me realize that we really don't seem to care or think about how much water we have because it seems so abundant with all the water bottles we buy, or the fact we have ability to wash our hands and shower with clean water. It goes to show since we have no concern about that scarcity in our community, it doesn't phase us. This quote basically epitomizes that we take our greatest resources for granted, and if we take a step back and realize that, we seem so selfish and ignorant to think that these resources are infinite.
"Probably the bulk of such contaminants...universal seaward movement of water" (pg 40).
This caught my attention because I've grown up in Hollis, a small farm town, my entire life. Every upcoming apple season, the apple orchard right next to my house gets sprayed maliciously with pesticides. This occurs in the endless amount of apple orchards all around town, and not only apple orchards, but every other farmed fruit or vegetable you could think of. Not only is this a problem itself, but we easily forget that these pesticides get picked up and carried into the atmosphere, then falling down on our bodies of water in which we drink. It's scary that these harmful chemicals are almost inescapable.
“To an ever-increasing degree, chemicals used for the control of insects… have been leached out of the ground by rains to become part of the universal seaward movement of water” (40)
Though we may be adding substances to the Earth to protect one thing, we always end up harming another. This seems to be a common problem when fighting off insects, rodents, or unwanted vegetation- people use pesticides and other poisons to improve crops, not recognizing the harm these chemicals have on their water supply. As stated earlier in this chapter, of all our natural assets water has become the most treasurable, though it is one of the most abundant resources.
"One of the most alarming aspects of chemical pollution of water is the fact that ... (there) are mingled chemicals that no responsible chemist would think of combining in his laboratory" (44). This struck me because Carson explains these dangerous chemicals to be in our lakes, rivers, streams and even the drinking water on our diner tables. We have just learned how we are only able to use a mere 1% of all the water on the planet, of that 1% we have no idea what is contaminating our food and irrigation systems. Also the use of chemicals to preserve and protect crops has its damaging side effects on the crops and ultimately us humans; the question then becomes are we doing more worse than we're trying to do good?
"One of the most alarming aspects of chemical pollution of water is the fact that ... (there) are mingled chemicals that no responsible chemist would think of combining in his laboratory" (44). This struck me because Carson explains these dangerous chemicals to be in our lakes, rivers, streams and even the drinking water on our diner tables. We have just learned how we are only able to use a mere 1% of all the water on the planet, of that 1% we have no idea what is contaminating our food and irrigation systems. Also the use of chemicals to preserve and protect crops has its damaging side effects on the crops and ultimately us humans; the question then becomes are we doing more worse than we're trying to do good?
"In the entire water-pollution problem, there is probably nothing more disturbing than the threat of widespread contamination of groundwater....and in a very real and frightening sense, pollution of the groundwater is pollution of water everywhere," (42).
This passage struck me because most people don't realize the danger of water pollution. Right now, those who are aware of the problem don't seem to think too much about it. No one actually thinks that we'll eventually run out of fresh groundwater but it is bound to happen. Carson is completely right when she states that pollution of the groundwater is pollution of water everywhere and that is incredibly scary to think about. More people need to care and realize that even though it happens somewhere else in the world, it will still effect you in time.
"It is not possible to add pesticides to water anywhere without threatening the purity of water everywhere." (42)
I suppose that if we think about the cycle of water, there isn't a way that we don't hurt the people around us. We all contribute to the horrors of pollution in our water supply. It is scary to think about how harmful we can be to our own water supply without even thinking about it. We don't think about what we do that harms the environment when we go through our daily routine. That routine is so engrained that we don't count it as part of our harm on the environment. The reason why people should start recognizing their contribution can be tagged back to that old saying. What comes around, goes around. It isn't just you, your neighbors, or your town that you are harming, it is people all over the world. And the harm that people are causing to our water supply will come and hurt you as well. It's like fighting fire with fire. If you don't care that you are causing harm to them, then they won't care that they are causing harm to you.
I think we need to care about the pollution regardless of the exact location where it is occurring. The same things could happen to us and people we care about and paying attention now could help prepare us. All of the pollution we are creating will soon begin seriously affecting us and we will be in the same position as those in different places. If we care now, and stop the pollution, we could prevent a major catastrophe.
I think we need to care about the pollution regardless of the exact location where it is occurring. The same things could happen to us and people we care about and paying attention now could help prepare us. All of the pollution we are creating will soon begin seriously affecting us and we will be in the same position as those in different places. If we care now, and stop the pollution, we could prevent a major catastrophe.
"Even more extraordinary discoveries were made later. no trace of DDD...lake supporters." (48)
This passage shows that we cant really tell if the poison has left the lake or not, which it hasn't, we all assumed it has. Just because there was no real trace of the DDD in the lake, doesn't mean that there is no poison in the lake, it just means we don't look deep enough into the trace of the DDD. This is really bad because since there is no trace, we didn't think of the animals and supporters that are being affected
"Even more extraordinary discoveries were made later. no trace of DDD...lake supporters." (48)
This passage shows that we cant really tell if the poison has left the lake or not, which it hasn't, we all assumed it has. Just because there was no real trace of the DDD in the lake, doesn't mean that there is no poison in the lake, it just means we don't look deep enough into the trace of the DDD. This is really bad because since there is no trace, we didn't think of the animals and supporters that are being affected
In response to Laura D, i agree that it is a really important factor that the farmers don't realize that they're doing to the surrounding climate because the fish and other species are being highly affected and also the pollution is really affecting the groundwater causing a high rate of pollution. These farmers really need to pay attention to what other things in the atmosphere that they could be affecting. Its not only their plants that are being treated but the fish and other species are being hurt from the pollution.
In response to Meaghan, I agree that people are not fully aware of the dangers of water pollution. People turn their heads away when they are not directly affected with this issue; but it’s time to realize that if we do not try to make a change by improving our ecosystem, then our water sources will affect us with time.
"It is not possible to add pesticides to water anywhere without threatening the purity of water everywhere" (42).
This quote stuck with me, any little bit of pesticide added to any source of water can travel so many different ways. A small amount can do great damage, but the world never does anything in small amounts. Knowing that pesticides can travel so easily and the amount of pesticides released into the nature is just freighting.
In response to Mackenzie R, I think you make a great point with us using our most needed resources everyday without even giving it a second thought. How many times have we left almost full glasses of water at tables in restaurants after we leave them? How many times do we find ourselves dumping water down the drain because its a day or two old? We need to realize that nothing is infinite as much as we act like it is.
"...interactions between these freely mixed chemicals are deeply disturbing to officials of the United States Public Health Service, ... the fear that the production of harmful substances from comparatively innocuous chemicals may be taking place..." (44). The shortage of water is going to cause problems in the future. Also if we pollute the water that is drinkable, that will make a huge impact. Chemicals and pesticides have been ruining drinking water all over the world.
"Ever since chemist began...the danger to users of water has increased."
After I read this part in the fourth chapter I thought of how much sense it makes. Way way way back in the day people never had problems with bad water. Now we have trouble finding clean water to drink, people are the problem why there is low amounts of drinking water because we pollute the water. I also can relate to this something I have thought about before, I don't think that cancer was a illness that was waiting to infect someone, I believe that people some how created it just like how they created bad drinking water.
In response to Lian's post, I agree with what she had to say, our water is getting ruined and soon we will be in trouble because all of it will be polluted, possibly hopefully not. Then I also think we could eventually adapt to this water like we have adapted over the past millions of years.
"The irrigation water on these farms were derived... during the years of its operation" (43).
This passage really hit home with me, because I can connect with it very closely. My house is surrounded by fields that were once large apple orchards. A few decades ago, the orchards began to be sprayed with arsenic for insect repellent. Similarly to the farms of Denver, the trees in the orchards began to get sick and stop producing fruit. The farm that owned the orchards was forced to convert the orchards into a large pumpkin patch to try and dilute the arsenic in the soil by mixing up and tilling the fields. Slowly the fields will begin to recover over time, just as I believe the farms of Denver will, but neither piece of land will ever recover back to 100% and produce the fruit they once did before arsenic insecticide.
In response to Graham,
I find it scary too that so many people were so careless with pesticides. When water makes up a majority of our planet, one would think humans would try not to pollute it with chemicals. The way water can travel so fast around the world is amazing, but if this will enable chemicals to travel that fast, my amazement will turn to horror.
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