Benson 1

Pasadena City College

In a World Full of Pesticides

Phoebe Benson

Professor Ogden

English 01A T/TH

28 April 2016
 Benson 2

Abstract

In this research paper, the author thoroughly examines the effects of pesticides on the

environment and all animals, including humans. The first parts of the paper include a detailed

account of the effects it has on a small discourse community within the San Gabriel Valley.

Some things people in this area experience is the classism that follows pesticides. The author

mentions bell hooks and examines how her ideas on classism connect to the discourse

community. It then moves on to a more serious topic; the effects that pesticides have on the

environment and animals. Various statistics and facts are stated, used to further the authors

claim. After analyzing the outcomes, a solution is proposed. The author believes that there are

multiple solutions to this problem: increased community markets and gardens, buying from local

farmers, the use of sustainable farming, the eradication of DDT, and overall, people educating

themselves about where their food comes from will help alleviate these issues.
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“In a World Full of Pesticides” Outline

Topic: As a society, we have created a killer, not a human, but in the form of a chemical

compound; a pesticide. The monopoly companies that provide us with mass amounts of

food cover our “fresh” produce in pesticides, a tactic used to harvest as much of their

stock as possible to take to the market. Once it gets to the market, we purchase the fruit

and subject our bodies to potential sickness. There are options available to go with

something healthier, organic produce. If this is the path you choose, finances will come

into play; meaning it is a lot more expensive, they can sometimes be almost double the

non-organic price. Not only are their potential health issues, but there are also potential

environmental challenges. Most of us know these challenges as labeled by the media as

GLOBAL WARMING.

Thesis: The effects of pesticides on the environment and all animals, including humans

are horrendous, and if not alleviated now will have serious repercussions in the future.

The illnesses, environmental harm, and societal impacts are not worth the costs. We, as a

society, need to incorporate sustainable practices into our farming and how we get rid of

vermin. We are the problem; we need to fix us.

I. Food Forward

A. The avocado that changed it all for me.

B. The difference between that fresh avocado and one that one would get at Ralphs.

C. Our society’s inability to have access to adequately priced organic food, or simply

food that does not have additives or pesticides.

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D. “The coating on the avocado is a direct result from the pesticides that were used

to keep invasive insects or small animals from attacking this precious fruit and prevent it

from reaching the store.”

II. Discourse Community: Arcadia

A. Define Discourse Community: “a group of people who have broadly agreed on a

set of goals and use communication to further enhance these goals,”

B. Choices of Markets

1. Affordable: Ralphs, Rancho, and 99 cents.

2. Pricey: Trader Joe’s, Sprout’s, Whole Foods

C. Define Working Class: “Anyone who works for an hourly wage and whose work

is closely supervised is working class. That includes traditional blue-collar workers, most

clerical workers, restaurant and retail workers, and many others,”

D. Define Middle Class: “Someone who earns a salary and has significant autonomy

in the workplace is middle class or professional class. That would include many mid-

level workers in large companies, teachers, some retail managers, and many medical

professionals,”

III. bell hooks and Pesticides

A. We experience a great deal of classism, a term that bell hooks, author of Where

We Stand: Class Matters, defines as the roots of all problems.

1. Define Classism: having prejudice against others due to socio-economic

status.
 Benson 5

B. Class Segregation: The rich, or upper class, are separated into their own group

while the lower, or working class, are categorized into their own. In my community, you

are defined by what you drive, what you wear, where you shop, etc.

C. Class Genocide: the passive way our country confronts the poor and indigent

(hooks, 2000), is seen in the aspect that our community is not providing affordable

organic produce for our working class.

D. Class Power: Class power, the benefits that a person receives being in a given

class (2000), is the benefit of being able to receive organic produce since they are of a

higher class.

1. directly coincide because the genocide is occurring because the abuse of

class power by the upper class.

E. Class Struggle: what embodies this problem as a whole. It is the daily occurrences

in a person’s life which prohibit them from progressing in society and in their given class.

This is evident in the pesticide ridden food that plagues the working classes’ bodies and

our environment.

IV. My First Introduction

A. High School AP Environmental class and my introduction to DDT.

B. Bald Eagle and its thinning eggs due to DDT.

1. Our country's symbol has even been affected harshly by this.

C. What is DDT?

1. DDT is a chemical compound used as an insecticide. It is colorless,

tasteless, and relatively odorless.

V. Silent Spring
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A. predicted all the harmful effects pesticides would have on the environment and

animal populations in 1962.

B. We did not listen and the predictions came true.

C. Effects on the environment: “These sprays, dusts, and aerosols are now applied

almost universally to farms, gardens, forests, and homes—nonselective chemicals that

have the power to kill every insect, the "good" and the "bad," to still the song of birds and

the leaping of fish in the streams, to coat the leaves with a deadly film, and to linger on in

the soil—all this though the intended target may be only a few weeds or insects. Can

anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the

earth without making it unfit for all life? They should not be called "insecticides," but

"biocides."

D. Effects on Bees: “On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The

farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs—the litters were small and

the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees

droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The

roadsides, once so attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as

though swept by fire. These, too, were silent, deserted by all living things.”

1. Bees have been on a downward rollercoaster ride since we first started

using pesticides. They get killed off by a new pesticide, or a new strain of the

same one, and then slowly begin to reestablish themselves, only to be knocked out

again. Bees are one of our most helpful insects; they pollinate many of our foods,

foods used for animals, and general products, these include apples, broccoli,

almonds, squash, cotton, and seeds or other plants that are food for other animals.
 Benson 7

Without bees, our lifestyle would be significantly different and increasingly

difficult.

VI. Pesticides effects on People

A. Found in our air, food, and water sources.

B. Effects of Pesticides

1. short-term impacts such as headaches and nausea to chronic impacts like

cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption,” (Toxics Action Center)

2. “a six fold increase in risk factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for

children of women who were exposed to organochlorine pesticides,” (Toxics

Action Center)

C. Inner city kids are more susceptible

1. “It is said to be due to the use of pesticides to rid rodents, roaches, and

other vermin in an effort to keep them away from schools, homes, and child-care

centers. It is then further enhanced by lifespan that the pesticides have on things

such as rugs, stuffed-toys, and furniture found in the home.”

VII. Thailand

A. “It appeared to be just bad food poisoning. But within an hour of our conversation

the thing just spread to her heart.”

B. “It’s good to get an answer,” said Mr. Carter. “But pretty horrific that they have

such low standards that that can happen.” The Carters hope that action will be taken and

that it will not simply be, “like the other cases where it is swept under the carpet and is

just an unexplained death, never substantiated with any follow up.

1. Interesting word choice; they have such low standard.

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a) “Worldwide, more than 5 billion pounds of pesticides are sprayed

onto crops each year,1 and more than 75 percent of the US population has

detectable levels of organophosphates (OPs), which are among the most

commonly used insecticides on American farms.” Dr. Joseph Mercola

(2015)

VIII. Solutions?

A. Sustainable Agriculture: “a way of growing or raising food in an ecologically and

ethically responsible manner,” (“Sustainable Crop Production”)

1. The most effective out of all of these would be Crop rotation. Crop

rotation is “a systematic approach to deciding which crop to plant where in your

vegetable garden from one year to the next,” (“The Key to Keeping a Rich

Vegetable Patch”)

a) automatically reduces the amount of chemical pesticides, which

will help promote beneficial insects such as, “soil fungi, pollinators, and

predatory and weed-seed-eating insects and spiders that further reduce the

need for pesticides,” (“Healthy Farm Practices: Crop Rotation and

Diversity”). They also can help reduce the need for fertilizers and

herbicides, “recent long-term research in the heart of the Corn Belt has

shown that integrated weed control based on smart crop rotations can

reduce the need for fertilizers and herbicides by 90 percent or more, while

maintaining high yields and farm profits,” (“Healthy Farm Practices: Crop

Rotation and Diversity).

B. Community Markets and Local Farmers

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1. Local food helps the community financially by supporting local families.

2. Local food also abates taxes; “According to several studies by the

American Farmland Trust, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in

services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes than the cost of

required services. Cows don’t go to school, tomatoes don’t dial 911,” (Grubringer

2010).

3. It also provides for a safe habitat for organisms, “The farm environment is

a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat

for wildlife in our communities,” (Grubringer 2010).

C. Education

IX. Conclusion

A. Causes a lot of problems that only prohibit

1. Society

2. Environment and Animals

a) Humans

B. Solutions: Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Community Markets and Local

Farmers, and Education

1. Stress Crop Rotation

 Benson 10

In a World Full of Pesticides

The sun shines through the leaves in the early morning, leaving a blood orange glow

illuminating the surrounding area. Walking down the street, cars zip by filling my nose with the

dreadful smoggy smell that lurks over California. Looking at the house in front of me, people

surround two large trees. The people were harvesting the fruits and placing them in boxes

labeled, Food Forward, the nonprofit organization that I volunteer with. As I walk across over to

the area, I grab an avocado the small Filipina women had just placed in the box. It was a

beautiful emerald green with flecks of a more forest green color scattered across its surface.

Everything about it was natural and pure. There were small indentations from what appeared to

be a stick puncturing the skin, but not all the way into the actual fruit. It was firm, hard as a rock

almost. In a few days, this avocado would finish it’s cycle and ripen to absolute perfection. In

this moment, all I could think of was about the avocados my family bought the prior weekend

and how different they were. They were a dark musky green and slightly squishy, but the most

obvious difference involved the waxy outer layer.

The coating on the avocado that my parents got is a direct result from the pesticides that

were used to keep invasive insects or small animals from attacking this precious fruit and prevent

it from reaching the store. It saddens me that this is the quality of food that people in the United

States (and all over the World) receive from our markets; inauthentic, smothered in pesticides

(specifically DDT which is a chemical compound used as an insecticide), and simply not up to

par. As a society, we have created a killer; a pesticide. According to the EPA, a pesticide is, “any

substance or mixture of substances used to destroy, suppress, or alter the life cycle of any pest,”

(“What are Pesticides and How Do They Work?”). Pesticides are chemical compounds used to

rid of unwanted vermin. Essentially, a pesticide is like nature’s version of a chemical bioweapon,
 Benson 11

equivalent to Mustard Gas. The monopoly companies that provide the World’s people with mass

amounts of food cover our “fresh” produce in pesticides, a tactic used to harvest as much of their

stock as possible to take to the market. Once it gets to the market, we purchase the fruit and

subject our bodies to potential sickness. There are options available to go with something

healthier, organic produce. If this is the path you choose, finances might pose an issue; meaning

it is a lot more expensive, they can sometimes be almost double the non-organic price. Not only

are their potential health issues, but there are also potential environmental challenges. Most of us

know these challenges as labeled by the media as Global Warming. Global Warming is, “the

gradual heating of Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere,” (Bradford 2014). Global Warming is

the icebergs melting, climate change, and rising sea levels. One of the largest contributors

(besides ourselves creating smog and pollution), is pesticide use. All the chemicals we put onto

our food also go into our air continuing the damage, along with smog and others, and eat away at

our ozone. The effects of pesticides on the environment and all animals, including humans are

horrendous, and if not alleviated now will have serious repercussions in the future. The illnesses,

environmental harm, and societal impacts are not worth the costs. We, as a society, need to

incorporate sustainable practices into our farming and how we get rid of vermin. We are the

problem; we need to fix us.

A good example of how pesticides affect a community is in the luxurious discourse

community of Arcadia. A discourse community, according to John Swales, is a group of people

who have broadly agreed on a set of goals and use communication to further enhance these goals

(Swales 2016). Or in other words, it is a community of people who work towards a goal.

Everyone is apart of multiple discourse communities; Harry Potter fans, Democrats, people who

live in the United States, etc. Arcadia is located in the San Gabriel Valley, California and is very
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well kept; they have some of the nicest schools, a beautiful park, and a very wealthy population,

the median income being a staggering $80, 147 compared to its neighbor, Pasadena, which only

reaches $70, 845 (United States Census Bureau). In this community, there are a variety of

grocery stores but, financial comfort may drive which store you shop at. Some of the more

budget friendly stores include Ralph’s, Pavilions, Ranch Market, and the 99 cent Store. Some

that may not be as cost friendly include Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. The more

common the organic produce, the more expensive the groceries will be. This is an area that

create limitations for families whose households are categorized as the “Working (Lower) Class”

or the lower half of the “Middle Class”. The Working class, as defined by Working Class

Perspectives, is, “Anyone who works for an hourly wage and whose work is closely supervised

is working class. That includes traditional blue-collar workers, most clerical workers, restaurant

and retail workers, and many others,” (Linkon 2008). This means that basically anyone who lives

off of minimum wage is classified as working class. Living off of a wage based job is virtually

impossible, especially if the employee intends to support a family. Therefore, at ten dollars an

hour (in California), being able to afford organic produce is basically infeasible because the

money that is made is delegated to the necessities, and unfortunately, ensuring food safety is not

a necessity when living off of such low income. The situation for Middle class is not too

different. The middle class, once again according to the WCP, is, “Someone who earns a salary

and has significant autonomy in the workplace is middle class or professional class. That would

include many mid-level workers in large companies, teachers, some retail managers, and many

medical professionals,” (Linkon 2008). Ergo, a person who receives a ‘salary’ falls under the

category of Middle class. A salary, as interpreted by Employment New Zealand, “refers to an

agreed and fixed annual amount of money the employee receives regardless of the hours
 Benson 13

worked,” (“Wage and Salary Earner Differences” 2015). So, a banker or nurse would be an

example of a middle class employee; a ‘white collar’ job. Joao Alhanati, a journalist for

Investopedia, says that the majority of the middle class falls in to the lower area of it, this area

making anywhere from 32,500 to 60,000. This again leaves very little room for freedom of

choice in food safety. The lower middle class, of course, has more mobility and ability in their

choice for this, but it still would be very difficult to do.

Pesticide use actually has a lot to do with Class. Certain classes are more prone to

ingesting pesticides due to our class level, especially the working class or lower class. The

people of those classes experience a great deal of classism, a term that bell hooks, author of

Where We Stand: Class Matters, defines as the roots of all problems. hooks believed that racism

and sexism were not actually due to beliefs that ‘caused’ that, but rather classism. Classism is

having prejudice against others due to socio-economic status. bell hooks’ book is about coming

to terms with where we stand in society and being conscious of it. The use of Pesticides by

humans instills this idea of Classism. hooks uses terms, such as class segregation, class struggle,

class genocide, and class power, to define these issues. Class segregation means exactly what it

says; the growing separation between socio-economic classes in society. This is seen

prominently in Arcadia. In my community, you are defined by what you drive, what you wear,

where you shop, etc. Food is an area where class segregation is especially present. More

financial ability allows for freedom of choice in the quality of food, as that ability decreases

pesticide ridden produce is more likely to be the option. Class genocide and class power

complement each other in these given circumstances. Class Genocide is, “the passive way our

country confronts the poor and indigent,” (hooks, 2000). Or, in other words, how society treats

the working class. Modern day society (the twenty-first century), is very critical over the
 Benson 14

working class, especially the poor and homeless, in terms of how they view them and how they

respond to their complaints. Many members of higher classes seem to have no sympathy for

those below them; they believe that if the working class really wanted to solve their problems,

they need to make the change themselves – either by attending school or working their way up.

Class genocide furthers the idea of instilling classism due to pesticide use because our

community is not providing affordable organic produce for the working class. The

accompanying idea, class power, is, “the benefits that a person receives being in a given class,”

(2000). Class power would be things like private insurance or materialistic valuables. In

Pesticide use, class power is the benefit of being able to receive organic produce because of

financial ability. These directly coincide because the genocide is occurring due to the abuse of

class power. This abuse of power and inability to obtain fresh produce inevitably harms our

bodies by ingesting the harsh pesticides. Lastly, Class Struggle is what embodies this problem as

a whole. It is the daily occurrences in a person’s life which prohibit them from progressing in

society and in their given class. The working class is forced to purchase pesticide ridden food

that plagues the working classes’ bodies and our environment, which prohibits their ability to

progress. Though pesticide use does not only affect our society, this unsustainable approach

affects our environment and animals as well.

It was not until my senior year of high school that I became aware of pesticides. I knew

that we sprayed our food with stuff, similar to Off bug spray, but what I didn’t know is all of the

chaos that occurs as a result of it. I had taken an AP Environmental Science class, and we were

given a packet containing vocabulary or important facts which we were tasked with memorizing.

The first page was pretty standard environmental things, types of climates, types of erosion,

natural resources, but then the second page came along. It was a detailed list of endangered
 Benson 15

and/or extinct animals. Reading this, I realized how much we have driven a species to extinction

- especially when it came to the sudden burst in the use of pesticides nearing the late 1940’s. I

was disgusted. The first on the list was the Bald Eagle and its problem was with DDT, the most

powerful pesticide known to man. DDT is a chemical compound used as an insecticide. It is

colorless, tasteless, and relatively odorless. The DDT was entering the Eagle’s bloodstream and

causing their egg shells to become too thin to hold the embryos, so they would crack. This

caused a major decline in their population, a decline still felt today. We were even harming one

of the most symbolic creatures of our country, how ironic is that?

I wasn't the only one who had woken up to the dangers of pesticides. In the 1960s, famed

biologist Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, predicted all the harmful effects pesticides

would have on the environment and animal populations. We did not listen and the predictions

came true. In her book Carson states, “These sprays, dusts, and aerosols are now applied almost

universally to farms, gardens, forests, and homes—nonselective chemicals that have the power to

kill every insect, the "good" and the "bad," to still the song of birds and the leaping of fish in the

streams, to coat the leaves with a deadly film, and to linger on in the soil—all this though the

intended target may be only a few weeds or insects. Can anyone believe it is possible to lay

down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life?

They should not be called "insecticides," but "biocides." (Carson 13). It is obvious that Carson

feels that the use of pesticides does not only affect the chosen insects, but all of the wildlife; it is

nondiscriminatory in what it kills. This caused multiple terrible outcomes. The first of which is

the chain reaction that it sparks. When the pesticides are introduced into the environment, they

harm everything, this includes the oxygen-giving plants, the soil that we plant in, the greens we

eat, etc. In one situation, it kills all of the plants, leaving us with no creator for oxygen. In
 Benson 16

another, it destroys the ozone layers, leaving us subject to the suns unforgiving ultraviolet rays.

Additionally, enters the food chain, accumulating in the fatty tissues of all animals, including

humans, leading to various types of deadly affects. In simple terms, it annihilates life. Most

importantly, it kills necessary insects and livestock. Carson stresses the affects that pesticides

have on these organisms, “On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers

complained that they were unable to raise any pigs—the litters were small and the young

survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the

blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. The roadsides, once so

attractive, were now lined with browned and withered vegetation as though swept by fire. These,

too, were silent, deserted by all living things.” (Carson 10). These pesticides are causing our

wildlife to die off; they prohibit reproduction, kill our greenery, demolish food sources for

animals, and kill bees. The repercussions of these affects are severe. For an example, bees have

been on a downward rollercoaster ride since we first started using pesticides. They get killed off

by a new pesticide, or a new strain of the same one, and then slowly begin to reestablish

themselves, only to be knocked out again (The Bees in Decline). Bees are one of our most

helpful insects; they pollinate many of our foods, foods used for animals, and general products,

these include apples, broccoli, almonds, squash, cotton, and seeds or other plants that are food

for other animals. Without bees, our lifestyle would be significantly different and increasingly

difficult. So, why is it that we ignore the horrid consequences that tag along with pesticides?

Pesticides hurt our animals, including us (humans), in large ways. They are found in the

air we breathe, our food, and water sources. Pesticide use has been linked to a variety of human

health issues, ranging from, “short-term impacts such as headaches and nausea to chronic

impacts like cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption,” (Toxics Action Center). In
 Benson 17

essence, cause major diseases. Pesticides have also been connected to many fetal developmental

issues. In some cases, the impact is not seen until years later, and these disorders could be

anything from autism to cancer. In fact, a recent study, July 2007, administered by the Public

Health Institute, the California Department of Health Services, and the UC Berkeley School of

Public Health found, “a six-fold increase in risk factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for

children of women who were exposed to organochlorine pesticides,” (Toxics Action Center).

This in simple terms means that by consuming foods that have certain pesticides on them, it

increases our children’s chances of receiving a disorder, such as Autism. By consuming these

chemicals while pregnant, we are not only harming ourselves, but we are harming the baby that

we carry. Therefore, pesticides could harm your unborn child just as much as smoking and

drinking can. There is even a belief, based on recent experimental studies, that children from

inner cities (like Arcadia) are more susceptible to being affected by pesticides. This is said to be

caused by the use of pesticides to rid rodents, roaches, and other vermin in an effort to keep them

away from schools, homes, and child-care centers, “because of their play close to the ground,

their hand-to-mouth behavior, and their unique dietary patterns, children absorb more pesticides

from their environment than adults,” (Landrigan 1999). Simply put, children are more likely to

consume pesticides than adults are due to their common activities. Most children will put things

in their mouths without a second thought as to what it is or what it might do to them; because of

this they are more susceptible to the harm that pesticides can cause. It is then further enhanced by

lifespan that the pesticides have on things such as rugs, stuffed-toys, and furniture found in the

home (Landrigan 1999). In the twenty-first century, pesticides can be found virtually everywhere

and are one of the leading causes to illnesses but, yet we refuse to accept the fact that they are

doing more bad than good. Our children, our bodies, our environments, and our lives are being
 Benson 18

affected by this, killing them slowly day-by-day. We only have one body, one Earth, and one

life. The problem is that people do not care or just are completely unaware of the severe

consequences. They hear about these stories and think, “Oh that will never happen to me!” but,

then one day, it does. We need to stop sweeping it under the rug and actually address it. We are

told that they environment is getting better every day by the government but, in reality it is not.

Yes, pesticides help keep unwanted vermin from our crops and living and recreational areas, but

is it really worth harming the environment and ourselves?

In some instances, pesticides can cause death in humans. In 2011, Sarah Carter, a twenty-

three-year-old who had ventured out to Thailand to explore along with six other tourists, were

killed by suspected pesticide poisoning from a bed bug spray. A father proclaimed, reminiscing

about the day of his daughter’s death, “It appeared to be just bad food poisoning. But within an

hour of our conversation the thing just spread to her heart.” (Qtd. In "'Bed Bug Pesticide

Poisoning' Killed Californian Woman and Six Other Tourists in Thailand”). At first, Thai

authorities pushed the idea aside, in an effort to not face a scandal that would incur because of it,

and attributed their sicknesses and Sarah’s death to severe food poisoning. Though, evidence

would soon reveal that they were in fact poisoned. “It’s good to get an answer,” said Mr. Carter.

“But pretty horrific that they have such low standards that that can happen.” (Qtd. In "'Bed Bug

Pesticide Poisoning' Killed Californian Woman and Six Other Tourists in Thailand”). The

Carters hope that action will be taken and that it will not simply be, “like the other cases where it

is swept under the carpet and is just an unexplained death, never substantiated with any follow

up.” (Qtd. In "'Bed Bug Pesticide Poisoning' Killed Californian Woman and Six Other Tourists

in Thailand”). It is interesting to see that these people think that horrific events, such as the one

that happened to their daughter, do not happen in the U.S. Even Mrs. Carter, herself, said that it
 Benson 19

was unbelievable that their standards could be that terrible that this kind of event could happen.

That exact thought process is the problem with America; we think that we are such an

industrialized nation that nothing bad could ever happen to us but, in reality, these types of

problems are happening in our backyard (figuratively and literally). “Worldwide, more than 5

billion pounds of pesticides are sprayed onto crops each year, and more than 75 percent of the

US population has detectable levels of organophosphates (OPs), which are among the most

commonly used insecticides on American farms.” Said Dr. Joseph Mercola ("Pesticide Poisoning

Effects to Farm Workers"). Therefore, is it almost impossible, worldwide, to receive healthy and

organic produce – especially in America. He continues on to say that over 20,000 Farm workers

are affected by pesticide poisoning and that a person is still extremely susceptible to this

pesticide poisoning through our diets since our food is literally doused in them. If 75% of the

American population has pesticides running through their system, then it is reasonable to deduce

that they also are experiencing the problems that tag along with pesticides.

Our bodies are a well-oiled machine, and if one part is malfunctioning, then the whole

thing is impaired. The same could be said of our environment. The natural beauty which is

emanated from our environment is one of a kind; irreplaceable. The auburn leaves that decorate

our ground in the fall and those of which, closer to winter time, leave a mushy, murky brown

texture painted on to our sidewalks. Or the salty sea breeze that caresses our noses as we stare off

at the purple and orange lumps of cotton candy in the sky. Or the rocky assemblies which

resemble thumbs and animals that encompass our deserts, We, as humanity, need to come

together to alleviate this situation. These problems will never be solved if we continue to use

unsustainable approaches to ridding vermin.

 Benson 20

The solutions to this problem are actually very general and easy to incorporate into our

daily lives. Most of these fall under the category of Sustainable Agriculture. As defined by the

Sustainable Table, Sustainable Agriculture is, “a way of growing or raising food in an

ecologically and ethically responsible manner,” (“Sustainable Crop Production”). This means

that the people growing food are not using as many (if any) pesticides. Most of the time, if they

do use these pesticides, they are natural or organic pesticides which will not cause as much harm

as a chemical compound might. They continue on to list some solutions which include: Crop

Rotation, Polyculture, Trap crops, simply reducing the use of chemical insecticides, Organic

farming, and Biological Pest Control (Pheromones, Entomopathogenic fungi, bacteria and fungi,

and releasing natural pests and parasites). The most effective out of all of these would be Crop

rotation. Crop rotation is “a systematic approach to deciding which crop to plant where in your

vegetable garden from one year to the next,” (“The Key to Keeping a Rich Vegetable Patch”).

Crop rotation uses basically all of the aspects of Sustainable Farming; it automatically reduces

the amount of chemical pesticides, which will help promote beneficial insects such as, “soil

fungi, pollinators, and predatory and weed-seed-eating insects and spiders that further reduce the

need for pesticides,” (“Healthy Farm Practices: Crop Rotation and Diversity”). They also can

help reduce the need for fertilizers and herbicides, “recent long-term research in the heart of the

Corn Belt has shown that integrated weed control based on smart crop rotations can reduce the

need for fertilizers and herbicides by 90 percent or more, while maintaining high yields and farm

profits,” (“Healthy Farm Practices: Crop Rotation and Diversity). This means that by utilizing

this sustainable approach, farmers almost completely cut out the need for pesticides. By using

this simple process, the agricultural industry can completely wipe out the need for pesticides use
 Benson 21

and can maintain high amounts of crop harvesting which in turn will create high amounts of

profit.

In addition to the Sustainable approach to farming, increased community markets and

gardens while concurrently buying from local farmers. Local food has numerous amounts of

benefits. Local food helps the community financially by supporting local families. When farmers

give their produce to sell at stores, the wholesale is often low, giving them very little profit. More

often than not, local farmers skip this process and are able to sell the produce for full price. This

benefits the families by providing the income that is necessary for their life, and helps the local

economy. Local food also abates taxes; “According to several studies by the American Farmland

Trust, farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most development

contributes less in taxes than the cost of required services. Cows don’t go to school, tomatoes

don’t dial 911,” (Grubringer 2010). Well-managed farms help provide a sustainable ecosystem.

They do this by protecting water sources and isolates carbon from the atmosphere. It also

provides for a safe habitat for organisms, “The farm environment is a patchwork of fields,

meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife in our communities,”

(Grubringer 2010). In essence, farms as a whole are filled with natural habitats waiting for

wildlife to come and inhabit them. This helps the environment and the animals, highly unlike

pesticide use.

Lastly, simply receiving education about where the obtained food comes from is

the most important aspect. Being knowledgeable of what is in the food and how it was raised is

the easiest way to avoid all of these problems. And from there, education on the effects of

pesticides on both humans (animals) and the environment. Being conscious of the fact that the

world is our only home and your body is the only body you will ever get is extremely important.
 Benson 22

Our bodies are a well-oiled machine, and if one part is malfunctioning, then the whole thing is

impaired. The same could be said of our environment. The natural beauty which is emanated

from our environment is one of a kind; irreplaceable. The auburn leaves that decorate our ground

in the fall and those of which, closer to winter time, leave a mushy, murky brown texture painted

on to our sidewalks. Or the salty sea breeze that caresses our noses as we stare off at the purple

and orange lumps of cotton candy in the sky. Or the rocky assemblies which resemble thumbs

and animals that encompass our deserts, We, as humanity, need to come together to alleviate this

situation. These problems will never be solved if we continue to use unsustainable approaches to

ridding vermin.

Pesticides may seem like an easy fix to the problem, but they really just make everything

worse. It’s like putting tape on a crack in a dam; untrustworthy and problematic. They harm our

animals by hindering their reproductive systems and allowing for diseases to occur, such as

cancer. Our wildlife is precious and deteriorating; many species that used to be flourishing are

now endangered, they don’t need another reason to further this deterioration. Pesticide use

instills classism which in turn affects our society. We should not have to be forced to receive

subpar produce due to our socio-economic standing. And they harm our environment by

polluting our water and air, and killing everything; the good and the bad. Global Warming is a

serious problem and pesticides only make it worse. It is important to remember that we only

have one Earth, one place to live. Overall, there are viable ways to alleviate the problems with

pesticides. Using a combination of sustainable farming practices, with increased community

markets and gardens, buying from local farmers, the eradication of DDT, and overall, people

educating themselves about where their food comes from will help alleviate these issues.
 Benson 23

Works Cited

Carson, Rachel, Lois Darling, and Louis Darling. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1962. Print.

hooks, bell. Where We Stand: Class Matters. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print.

Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.

SCHOLARLY ARTICLES

Landrigan, P. J., L. Claudio, S. B. Markowitz, G. S. Berkowitz, B. L. Brenner, H. Romero,

J. G. Wetmur, T. D. Matte, A. C. Gore, J. H. Godbold, and M. S. Wolff. "Pesticides and
Inner-city Children: Exposures, Risks, and Prevention." Environ Health Perspect
Environmental Health Perspectives 107.Suppl 3 (1999): 431-37. Web.

ARTICLES WITH AN AUTHOR

Bradford, Alina. “What Is Global Warming?” LiveScience. Tech Media Network, 15 Dec.
2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Alhanati, Joao. “Which Income Class Are You?” Investopedia. Investopedia, 23 Sept. 2012.
Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Grubringer, Vern. "Ten Reasons to Buy Local Food." University of Vermont. University of
Vermont, Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

Reporter, Daily Mail. "'Bed Bug Pesticide Poisoning' Killed Californian Woman and Six
Other Tourists in Thailand." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, n.d. Web. 24 Mar.
2016.

ARTICLES WITHOUT AN AUTHOR

"Alternatives to Using Pesticides." Southern States. Southern States, n.d. Web. 20 Apr.
2016.

“Arcadia City.” United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 27
Apr. 2016.

"The DDT Story." The DDT Story. Pesticide Action Network North America, n.d. Web. 21
Apr. 2016.

"Healthy Farm Practices: Crop Rotation and Diversity." UCS UCA. Union of Concerned

“Home.” The Bees in Decline. Greenpeace, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

"The Key to Keeping a Rich Vegetable Patch." Rodale's Organic Life. Rodale Inc., 15 Apr.
 Benson 24

2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

"Pesticide Poisoning Effects to Farm Workers." Mercola.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

"The Pesticide Problem." Planet Natural. Planet Natural, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

"The Problem with Pesticides." The Problem with Pesticides. Toxics Action Center, n.d.
Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

"Sustainable Crop Production." Sustainable Table. GRACE Communications Foundation,

n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.

"Thailand Deaths: Evidence Sarah Carter Killed by Insecticide." Thailand Deaths:

Evidence Sarah Carter Killed by Insecticide. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.

“Wage and Salary Earner Differences.” Employment New Zealand. Employment New
Zealand, 9 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

“What Are Pesticides and How Do They Work?” NSW Environmental Protection Authority
(EPA). NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 27 Apr.
2016.

“Who Is Working Class?” Working Class Perspectives. Working Class Perspectives, 28 July
2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2016
 Benson 25

Annotated Bibliography

BOOKS WITH AN AUTHOR

Carson, Rachel, Lois Darling, and Louis Darling. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1962. Print.
Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, is a call-to-action about the use of pesticides, specifically DDT
in the 1950s. DDT is the most powerful pesticide in the world, it is capable of killing not just one
or two, but thousands of bugs at once. She gives explanation to how the pesticide enters the food
chain, accumulating in the fatty tissues of all animals, including humans. She also identifies the
repercussions from this: cancer and genetic damages an issue both Carson and the Toxic Action
Center identify as constantly growing. Carson gives countless examples of instances where it has
either killed or harmed animals, and in this paper this kind of research helps describe the still
present problem.

hooks, bell. Where We Stand: Class Matters. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print.
This book is a detailed account of Bell Hooks’ firsthand and professional experience with
sexism, racism, and, most of all, classism. Hooks gives many examples pertaining to the
widening gap between the classes, or what she terms “class segregation” or “class warfare”.
hooks’ beliefs are shared with the author of the article, “Who Is the Working Class?”. 3Both
authors, hooks and the author of the Working Class Perspectives, stress the importance of
knowing where one’s place is in the class hierarchy.

Pipher, Mary Bray. Writing to Change the World. New York: Riverhead, 2006. Print.
Writing to the Change the World is a book written by Mary Pipher intended on encouraging
people to use their talents, specifically writing, to cultivate change within the world - no matter
how big or small it may seem. This book outlines specific guidelines to follow when writing to
instill a change in the world.

SCHOLARLY ARTICLES

Landrigan, P. J., L. Claudio, S. B. Markowitz, G. S. Berkowitz, B. L. Brenner, H. Romero,

J. G. Wetmur, T. D. Matte, A. C. Gore, J. H. Godbold, and M. S. Wolff. "Pesticides
and Inner-city Children: Exposures, Risks, and Prevention." Environ Health
Perspect Environmental Health Perspectives 107.Suppl 3 (1999): 431-37. Web.
This journal explains how American children, especially those that are “inner-city” are more
capable of being affected by pesticides. It gives facts and recent examples to further its point.
The problems identified in this article correlate with those mentioned in both the "Pesticide
Poisoning Effects to Farm Workers” and “The Problems with Pesticides”. They mention
problems with the environment, such as air pollution, and the affects that it has on animals, such
as reproductive harm.

ARTICLES WITH AN AUTHOR

Bradford, Alina. “What Is Global Warming?” LiveScience. Tech Media Network, 15 Dec.
2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
 Benson 26

Bradford gives explanation to what global warming is, why it is happening, and its effects so far.
A large contributor to the effects that Global Warming has on the environment and the animals is
Pesticides. Its effects correlate with those that are explained by Planet Natural.

Alhanati, Joao. “Which Income Class Are You?” Investopedia. Investopedia, 23 Sept. 2012.
Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
Investopedia thoroughly defines the income classes, explaining the middle class and the poverty
level. The author furthers their information by provide statistics and factual evidence. Its claims
are further defined by the information in Employment New Zealand’s article, “Wage and Salary
Earner Differences.”

Grubringer, Vern. "Ten Reasons to Buy Local Food." University of Vermont. University of
Vermont, Apr. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Grubringer provides insightful reasons why Local Food is beneficial while backing his
claims with statistical information. Similar to both Crop Rotation and Sustainable farming
practices, local farming also plays a large role in the solution the author proposes.

Reporter, Daily Mail. "'Bed Bug Pesticide Poisoning' Killed Californian Woman and Six
Other Tourists in Thailand." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, n.d. Web. 24
Mar. 2016.
This source gives insight on a current event that occurred in Thailand. The outcome of this event
show the effects that are explained in “The Problems with Pesticides”. It helps show the severity
of the effects that pesticides have on the human body, possibly ending with death.

ARTICLES WITHOUT AN AUTHOR

"Alternatives to Using Pesticides." Southern States. Southern States, n.d. Web. 20 Apr.
2016.
“Alternatives to Using Pesticides” is an article which provides tangible solutions for pesticides.
The most convincing aspect is that the solutions are basically the same as the solutions listed in
Planet Natural’s article. This research is extremely important to stress for this paper, and the
author’s solution.

“Arcadia City.” United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 27
Apr. 2016.
The United States Census Bureau provides statistical information about the identified discourse
community, as defined by John Swales, Arcadia, California. The information correlates with the
definitions that are provided in the article “What Income Class Are You?”.

"The DDT Story." The DDT Story. Pesticide Action Network North America, n.d. Web. 21
Apr. 2016.
The history of DDT is pertinent to the importance of this problem; identifying how flawed the
most powerful pesticide in the world is may give way to show the countless problems with
pesticides in general. “The DDT Story” gives an amazing depiction of this. The author, similar to
Planet Natural and Toxic Action Center, starts off by identifying the issues, but does it while
incorporating its history.
 Benson 27

"Healthy Farm Practices: Crop Rotation and Diversity." UCS UCA. Union of Concerned
Scientists, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Crop Rotation is a very important aspect of the solution in this paper. This article provides an
insight on how Crop Rotation is superior to pesticide use. It identifies the positives of Crop
Rotation. The article furthers the solutions presented in "Healthy Farm Practices: Crop Rotation
and Diversity," and the Sustainable Table.

“Home.” The Bees in Decline. Greenpeace, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

The Bees in Decline allows for an example of how pesticides are harming our beneficial insects.
It directly correlates to Rachel Carson’s belief of how pesticides are harming bees.

"The Key to Keeping a Rich Vegetable Patch." Rodale's Organic Life. Rodale Inc., 15 Apr.
2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Rodale offers insightful information on keeping a healthy environment and therefore
healthy crops. It identifies the benefits of using the technique, Crop Rotation, just alike "Healthy
Farm Practices: Crop Rotation and Diversity," and the Sustainable Table.

"Pesticide Poisoning Effects to Farm Workers." Mercola.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar.
2016.
This is a website about an environmentalist’s findings on the United States populations effects
from pesticides. It helps show the severity of the effects that pesticides have on the human body,
similar to the articles pertaining to the event that took place in Thailand, "'Bed Bug Pesticide
Poisoning' Killed Californian Woman and Six Other Tourists in Thailand," and "Thailand
Deaths: Evidence Sarah Carter Killed by Insecticide."

"The Pesticide Problem." Planet Natural. Planet Natural, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.
Planet Natural reaffirms all of the problems stated in the Toxic Action Center. The author
identifies the issues that follows pesticides and then provides valid solutions to the problem.
Some of these include: education and what the author terms “Organic Pest Management” (which
includes Biological Pesticides and Beneficial Insects). This is similar solutions listed in the
“Alternatives to Using Pesticides”.

"The Problem with Pesticides." The Problem with Pesticides. Toxics Action Center, n.d.
Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
The following is an article about the effects that Pesticides has on the environment, adults, and
children, an argument against the Government's claim that the pesticides on the market are safe,
and guided solutions to alleviating the problems that coincide with Pesticides. The Toxics Action
Center, a non-profit volunteer-based organization, is aiming for fighting, “side-by-side with
communities, providing you with the skills and resources needed to prevent or clean up pollution
at the local level.” Of course, it does have some bias due to the fact that it is an organization
which is highly against the use of pesticides.

"Sustainable Crop Production." Sustainable Table. GRACE Communications Foundation,

n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
 Benson 28

Similar to Crop Rotation, Sustainable farming practices are the most important aspect of the
solution in this paper. The author defines what Sustainable practices are and how they benefit
farmers, farming, and the environment.

"Thailand Deaths: Evidence Sarah Carter Killed by Insecticide." Thailand Deaths:

Evidence Sarah Carter Killed by Insecticide. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
This is another source that gives insight on a current event that occurred in Thailand. The
outcome of this event show the effects that are explained in “The Problems with Pesticides”. It
helps show the severity of the effects that pesticides have on the human body, possibly ending
with death.

“Wage and Salary Earner Differences.” Employment New Zealand. Employment New
Zealand, 9 Apr. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.
This source helps define terms used in this paper and furthers evidence used in this paper. The
information provided by the author helps back up the claims made in Investopedia’s article.

“What Are Pesticides and How Do They Work?” NSW Environmental Protection Authority
(EPA). NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), 18 Mar. 2016. Web. 27
Apr. 2016.
The EPA helps define what a pesticide is, a very important aspect of this paper. The author
identifies various types of pesticides, such as DDT (as mentioned in The DDT Story) and their
effects on the environment – many alike those mentioned in the Toxic Action Center’s article.

“Who Is Working Class?” Working Class Perspectives. Working Class Perspectives, 28 July
2008. Web. 27 Apr. 2016
Working Class Perspectives is bell hooks’ counterpart; if Where We Stand: Class Matters were
an article, it would be this. The author has a percipient tone pertaining to class, particularly the
working class. Both authors, hooks and the author of the Working Class Perspectives, stress the
importance of knowing where one’s place is in the class hierarchy.