Student Question

Why did Carson prefer the term "biocides" for insecticides in Silent Spring?

Quick answer:

Carson preferred the term "biocides" over "insecticides" because it more accurately describes the chemicals' effects. "Biocides" indicates that these substances kill all forms of life, not just pests. In Silent Spring, Carson argues that these chemicals do not discriminate between beneficial and harmful organisms, thus affecting entire ecosystems. Therefore, "biocides" better reflects their broad and indiscriminate lethal impact on living organisms.

Expert Answers

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This is because she believes that "biocides" would be a much more accurate description of what the chemicals do.

When we call a chemical a pesticide, we are implying that all it kills is pests.  The "cide" part of that means to kill (as in homicide and suicide).  So if something is a pesticide, it kills pests.

But as Carson says very early in the book, the chemicals do not distinguish between good and bad organisms.  When the chemicals get sprayed, they pretty much kill everything of the type of thing (plant or insect) that they are meant to kill.

So she wants to call them biocides because they kill all life, not just the pests.

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