Reuters informs us, May 28, 2007, that though proposed by Maryland Democrat Senator Ben Cardin, the Senate will not honor Rachel Carson whose 1962 book “Silent Spring” warned of the dangers posed to wildlife and humans by the pesticide DDT, and who is credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement.

Tom Coburn believes rather that Carson created a climate of “hysteria and misinformation.”
“Rachel Carson’s work both directly and indirectly created a climate of hysteria and misinformation about the impact of DDT on the human populations,” said John Hart, a spokesman for Coburn, in explaining why the Oklahoma Republican withheld his support for the plan to honor her.
“Obviously her central claim about what it does to ecosystems was largely correct,” Hart said by telephone. “But her approach was consistent with a lot of environmental rhetoric which tends to sensationalize the facts.”

Sen. Ben Cardin planned the Senate honor for Carson and expected an easy approval in time for what would have been her 100th birthday, was taken by surprise by Coburn’s decision to block it.

Originally developed as a powerful multi-species pesticide, DDT was used in World War Two to clear South Pacific islands of malaria-causing insects for US troops and in Europe as a de-lousing powder.

Carson described how DDT enters the food chain and accumulates in the fatty tissues of animals, including humans, causing cancer and genetic damage. Her book is credited with the US decision to ban the chemical in 1972, though the World Health Organization approved it last year for use indoors to fight malaria.

Cardin said  - “What Sen. Coburn is doing is basically citing the line of the interest groups … because they had an economic interest in DDT,” Cardin said.

Coburn’s spokesman said the indirect result of Carson’s work was to spawn “an unscientific bias against DDT.”

At SustainabiliTank.info we find this controversy amusing - this is like creationism, intelligent design, anti-Darwinism … etc. etc. … solid right wing business doctrine that among other things also hinders US action on global warming. Profits went to companies like Exxon, Haliburton, Dupont … thank you - they did fine!