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Bring Back Ddt

Brief Outline
1.) Introduction and explanation of why DDT is banned
2.) DDT’s effect on people
3.) Indoor spraying methods
4.) Reasons why it is still banned
5.) Environmental quality vs. human life
6.) The economic effect of lifting the ban
7.) Future expectations
An Economic Question: Bring Back DDT?
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, better known as DDT is a chemical under the eye of much scrutiny despite being an extremely effective insecticide. It was widely used throughout America to eradicate many insect borne diseases such as malaria and typhus. It was so effective; it was quickly known as the miracle insecticide. Although it was highly effective in almost entirely eliminating many diseases from America, it did have its downsides. The book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson focused on DDT closely, which in turn caused massive public outcry against using it. One big issue described in the book was how DDT affected bald eagle populations. In the past few years, an increasing number of groups have been raising awareness of malaria’s severity in poor countries around the world and how DDT can resolve that issue. This movement has sparked much debate due to the conflict of environmental quality and human life.
When DDT was applied in the past, it would be sprayed over crops, in the streets, and other places with mosquitoes. Between the years of 1942 and 1972, over 675,000 tons were used in the United States in this fashion (Handwerk section 10). The chemical came to rest on everything nearby the spraying point; plants, pavement, cars, etc. Rainfall washed it all from its resting place to the nearest river, pond or lake and there, it began to be a problem. DDT is a harmless chemical, but when contact is made, it is stored in fat cells. Even stored, it is relatively harmless. Fish, being an organism with ample fatty tissue, began to absorb the DDT in the water and store it in their fat cells. Eventually the concentrations of the chemical got quite high due...