Silent Spring
Chapter 14: One in Every Four
Cancer is becoming an increasingly common occurrence, impacting as many as 1 in 4 people in America. A main contributor to this marked increase is the increased use of pesticides and everyday exposure to carcinogenic materials. Americans are exposed to small doses of carcinogens daily and these “safe doses” eventually add up to create a serious problem.
"Against these carcinogens which his own activities had created man had no protection, for even as his biological heritage has evolved slowly, so it adapts slowly to new conditions. As a result these powerful substances could easily penetrate the inadequate defenses of the body."
Surprising Fact
Compared to 1958, medicine (thankfully) has gained a more thorough understanding of the nature of cancer and now posses more treatment options.
Throughout the chapter Carson primarily uses ethos to convey her point. "It is a disservice to humanity to hold out the hope that the solution will come suddenly, in a single master stroke. It will come slowly, one step at a time. Meanwhile as we pour our millions into research and invest all our hopes in vast programs to find cures for established cases of cancer, we are neglecting the golden opportunity to prevent, even while we seek to cure."