“The discovery of agriculture was the first great step towards a civilized life”. (Arthur Keith) Civilization began with agriculture, and agriculture continues to be an integral part of our lives. Civilization brought knowledge, knowledge brought technology, and technology brought chemicals and pesticides to “improve” our world. "The Obligation to Resist" is an excerpt from Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," a passionate and masterful work about the results of civilization's efforts to control pests and insects. These effects include destruction of the environment, alteration of genetic structures in plants and animals, contamination of water, and upsetting the delicate balance of nature. This article is a passionate plea for the world to understand the threat and demand the information necessary to give informed consent on the use of these deadly substances. In August 1945, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When he began writing Silent Spring in the 1950s, Carson was acutely aware of the short- and long-term impacts of these events (Carson, 1962). As a naturalist and scientist, she was concerned about the long-term effects of nuclear fallout and the improper use of pesticides. Her work for the US Department of Fisheries has given her unique insight into the rapid changes in the ecological system due to pesticide use and our own culpability in creating the insect and pest problem to begin with (Biography, 2011). Its audience is anyone who cares about the world we live in and its long-term health. The “world we live in” is a broad category, encompassing our entire ecosystem as well as animals and humans. The essay is also aimed at producers and users of chemicals and pesticides used to control insects and pests. In “The Obli......middle of paper......ortation of plants, fruits, vegetables and animals. The indiscriminate use of pesticides kills the good along with the evil. Prolonged and widespread use of pesticides poisons underground water sources, which, in turn, poison plants, animals and humans. And finally, thanks to our misinformed actions, new super breeds of parasites continue to evolve and create even greater dangers than the original. Works Cited Carson, R. (1962). “The obligation to endure”. From the silent spring. Retrieved from http://www.american-buddha.com/lit.silentspring.2.htmJanick. J. (2011). Center for New Crops and Plant Products - Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University. Retrieved from: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcropBiography of Rachel Carson. (2011). Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives Connecticut College. Retrieved from: http://www.rachelcarson.org