But after three years, he felt he was in the wrong line of work. In 1959, Wurster, equipped with a PhD in organic chemistry from Stanford, took a job at Monsanto-one of the earliest manufacturers of DDT. In addition to his role in the EDF, Wurster was a field biologist whose own research was vital in establishing how harmful DDT is to birds. Wurster's story is that of the scrappy underdog triumphing over powerful businessmen and politicians-a timeless struggle that offers lessons and insights still relevant today. legal system-as he outlines the surprising victories that arose from the endeavor. He leaves no detail uncovered-especially when it comes to describing the complexities of navigating the U.S. It's this battle that Charles Wurster, one of the founding members of EDF, explains in his new book, DDT Wars, which came out earlier this month. ![]() In fact, the battle raged on and victory was only secured a decade later, thanks to the rise of the Environmental Defense Fund, a group of scientists formed explicitly to fight DDT. What the public didn’t-and still might not-know is that the fight against the chemical wasn’t over even when the horrifying facts came to light. As public awareness peaked, the debate caught fire, causing President Kennedy to order a scientific inquiry. With the release of Rachel Carson’s 1962 Silent Spring -published in part as a series in the New Yorker the same year-news of DDT’s toxic effects spread. The effects of the toxic pesticide became obvious quickly despite agricultural companies’ prolonged attempts to give it a clean bill of health. ![]() The 1960s and ‘70s were a trying time for the American environment, thanks to DDT.
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