I agree with this quote because most of the pollution that results from urbanization leads to contaminating air and water. Carbon emissions from factories and vehicles contribute to smog and acid rain, which deplete the Earth's ozone layer and poison the atmosphere. Contaminated air affects all living organism on Earth, not just humans. Plants too are affected by fossil fuel byproducts and they serve as an indicator of how healthy the atmosphere is. When trees and plants begin to die, there is definitely something wrong with the surrounding environment. The use of pesticides allow toxic chemicals to enter our waterways in the form of runoff, which can lead to health risks and red tide.
"To adjust these chemicals would require time on the scale that is nature's: it would require not merely the years of a man's life but the life of generations." (Carson, 154)
If the entire world were to start from scratch and eliminate the use of non efficient resources, the Earth would not show immediate signs of improvement. It took two thousand years for the accumulation of pollutants on Earth to occur so it should take at least double the amount of time for the Earth to recuperate and begin to flourish. Although present day civilization will not be able to observe the overall effect of living more environmentally friendly, future generations will be able to appreciate the impact of a cleaner environment.
As Albert Schweitzer has said, "Man can hardly even recognize the evils of his own creation." (Carson, 154)
I don't believe that humans aren't aware of their poor sustainability habits. Many people feel like it's easier to look in the opposite direction instead of having to face an issue. I think that we as citizens are able to recognize our destructive behavior and the negative impact it has on on our environment. We simply choose to ignore the effects of our wreckage and try and find an excuse to condone our behavior. Many people also believe that their individual actions have no effect on the greater society, which is not true. What everyone needs to do is come together and work towards creating a long-term solution.
"We train ecologists in our universities and even employ them in our governmental agencies but we seldom take their advice." (Carson, 159)
I disagree with this claim because I like to believe that higher education and research help create well-rounded professionals who care about the success of the greater population. As citizens, we tend to be fascinated by new technologies and have a great respect for science within society. In terms of ecologists, the government is extremely selective when it comes to creating collaborative groups of scientists to research and analyze current environmental issues. Credentials and experience are taken into consideration as with any professional occupation. For many years scientists have explained the risk of climate change and advocated for better alternative energy sources and materials. These messages have not gone unnoticed, the only obstacle is getting support from the population to implement change. People are very much influenced by scientist, however, they fear change when it directly affects their daily routine.
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