In 1962 environmental scientist Rachel Carson published "Silent Spring," a bestselling book that asserted that overuse of pesticides was harming the environment and threatening human health. Carson did not call for banning DDT, the most widely used pesticide at that time, but she argued for using it and similar products much more selectively and paying attention to their effects on nontargeted species.
"Silent Spring" is widely viewed as an inspiration for the modern environmental movement. These articles from The Conversation's archive spotlight ongoing questions about pesticides and their effects.
