Short essay
Political Cartoon Analysis
World War II was a time of a significant environmental and social turmoil in the United States it is not just because of its active war but due to the radical changes that were taking place in the society. However, following the crow laws, people were beginning to speak up against the protection of the environment. Following the silent spring by Rachel Cartons was one of the books that did start to raise issues on the need for environmental protection.
During this period, it is clear that the war industry did not value the black as well as the environmental welfare.
This cartoon is a clear illustration that during the world war period most of the chemical experiment was carried out on the environment without considering the health impact it had on birth flora and fauna. The good dress man with a black suit represents the political leader carrying out a nuclear poison experiment on the environment while lying to the citizen that the investigation is entirely safe. While on the other hand, the citizen cares about the black though they care worried and concerned with their health issue. From the cartoon, we can see a man dressed in breach costume asking the man dressed in a black suit to carry out the nuclear experiment in France. Though, the political leader carrying out the analysis insists that the chemical is safe. It is clear that is affect the fish and other aquatic life. In relation to the Rachel Rothschild article of environmental awareness in the atomic age. The United States during World War II sponsored ecological research to monitor the release of radioactive effluent in the waterways from the plutonium production. Later the Atomic energy commission later expanded their investigation in the ecological ecosystem (Rothschild, 2013). The cartoon can also be discussed as the public outcry after the nuclear testing falls out in Nevada and Marshall Island test sites. It is because nuclear testing led to the contamination of island inhabitants.
Just like other chemicals, DDT chemicals were put in place to improve the quality of human life though it was related to relatively low risks to people. DDT was found to kill some of the insects such as mosquitoes and lice. Thus, allies began to spray DDT where soldiers were threatened with Malaria and where civilians were affected with typhoid. But die to the enhancement of people’s life DDT was so useful, and its marketing was legalized. However, following Rachel Carson Discussion DDT has effects on the Transgenerational effects (Langston, 2012). That is it affected the gender among the birds; for instance, there was testicular reduction among the male births; thus it also changed the sex ration. There were more female birds than male birds in the ecosystem. Carson says that we cannot separate ourselves from nature, but a number of critics followed the statement. It is because, though DDT was enhancing human life but was disrupting Endocrine and affecting gender concerns. Thus, banning of DDT will improve bird’s life but will increase the level of malaria. This political cartoon is illustrating a situation where human health is being forsaken, and much attention is given to environmental and ecological protection. However, I tend to think that we should a balance between environments, environmental protection with the enhancement of human health. That is if we have to Bann the use of DDT we have come up with means to protect ourselves from Malaria.
References
· Rothschild, R. (2013). Environmental Awareness in the Atomic Age: Radio ecologists and Nuclear Technology. HIST STUD NAT SCI, 43(4), 492-530.
· Langston, N. (2012). Rachel Carson's legacy: Endocrine disrupting chemicals and gender concerns. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 21(3), 225-229.
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