Rachel Carson Responsible for Deaths of Millions of African Children

       Although Rachel Carson had a significant impact on the awareness of the harsh chemicals being placed in the environment, was she also the cause of the deaths of millions of African children? Her persistent actions and research lead to the modern environmental movement which suggested the cessation of the use of pesticides, especially DDT which had the potential to quickly move up the food chain and harm animals , and eventually humans who consumed the animals existing in the environmental. Carson's goal of awareness was reached through her publication of "Silent Spring" , which lead to he development of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the banning of the use of the pesticides within the United States. Although DDT was not banned globally it later spread to other nations.
       Granted that DDT did stay in the environment when used as a pesticide, and it did move up the food chain , eventually causing cancer, and numerous deaths , the product was very effective in Africa against mosquitoes which carried malaria. Many of the huts used by African tribes were also sprayed with DDT to ensure complete protection from destructive disease, and without it being used because of its harmful effects, over 1 million individuals die annually (Swartz, 2007). Critics often believed that Carsons' drastic arguments should be forgotten to save the lives of many suffering and who could potentially suffer from malaria (Swartz, 2007). Many novelist , quoted time after time , " Banning DDT killed more people than Hitler" .
         Though it could seem somewhat true that other nations and countries were jumping on board and banning DDT to stop its elevation in the food chain, what many critic fail to realize is that many of the mosquitoes were growing a resistance to the chemical , and other specific chemicals being used , causing million of children to suffer and die from malaria. DDT was heavily used in countries similar to Africa because it was affordable and easy to use, unlike other methods such as bed nets , and ACT, which are  a lot more effective than DDT.

Sources:
 http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/rachel-carson-mass-murderer/