On Sept. 27, 1962, biologist Rachel Carson published *Silent Spring,* a book that would radically shift how the nation thought about the effect of pesticides on human health and the environment. The book led to sweeping, critical environmental reforms and awareness. It also, however, planted its own destructive seed: the notion that synthetic chemicals are inherently something to fear. Over the decades, that seed has grown into a wild and unruly tangle of misinformation and hysteria, amply pollinated by social media, wellness influencers, and a lack of science literacy.
This article is tone deaf at best and actively trying to smooth over chemical pollution at worst. Yes, everything is made of “chemicals” at some level, but in modern times we have learned PFAS has been added to nearly everything and polluted the environment widely despite the toxicity being well known and established by scientists at the major producer company (3M) itself. Plastics have also pervaded the environment. Man made chemicals are a major environmental threat no matter how you slice it, so saying “but not all chemicals” is a cop out. You can point to anti-vaccine people but that’s a straw man; the argument that man made chemicals are an environmental danger is not even addressed by the article.
Ironically, (perhaps gaslighting is a better word) Katie MacBride, the author of the article, is creating her own myth that ‘chemicals’ are nothing to worry much about.
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On Sept. 27, 1962, biologist Rachel Carson published *Silent Spring,* a book that would radically shift how the nation thought about the effect of pesticides on human health and the environment. The book led to sweeping, critical environmental reforms and awareness. It also, however, planted its own destructive seed: the notion that synthetic chemicals are inherently something to fear. Over the decades, that seed has grown into a wild and unruly tangle of misinformation and hysteria, amply pollinated by social media, wellness influencers, and a lack of science literacy.
For more: [https://slate.com/technology/2024/09/silent-spring-rachel-carson-environment-chemicals-fear.html](https://slate.com/technology/2024/09/silent-spring-rachel-carson-environment-chemicals-fear.html)
Flouride is bad though.
This article is tone deaf at best and actively trying to smooth over chemical pollution at worst. Yes, everything is made of “chemicals” at some level, but in modern times we have learned PFAS has been added to nearly everything and polluted the environment widely despite the toxicity being well known and established by scientists at the major producer company (3M) itself. Plastics have also pervaded the environment. Man made chemicals are a major environmental threat no matter how you slice it, so saying “but not all chemicals” is a cop out. You can point to anti-vaccine people but that’s a straw man; the argument that man made chemicals are an environmental danger is not even addressed by the article.
Ironically, (perhaps gaslighting is a better word) Katie MacBride, the author of the article, is creating her own myth that ‘chemicals’ are nothing to worry much about.