Birding along the Missouri River on this sunny but cool Easter morning, I observed a pair of adult bald eagles, perched in a large tree along the swollen stream. They were fitting symbols on this holiday of rebirth, having made a dramatic comeback from the widespread decimation caused by DDT use; large raptors were especially impacted since they are apex predators.
Of course, Rachel Carson has long been honored for calling attention to the indiscriminate use of that pesticide in her 1962 book, Silent Spring. Though its use was finally banned in the United States in 1972, DDT was still employed for decades elsewhere and remains in use in some African countries today.
Proud of our decision to ban DDT, we Americans continue to use many other herbicides and pesticides that likely accumulate in our bodies, causing disease not yet associated with their presence. See my recent post on Parkinson's Disease.
