DDT with Elena Conis
Episode 102 - January 6, 2023
Elena Conis joins the Infectious Historians to discuss her recent book on the history of DDT and its use. The conversation begins with a brief overview of the early history of DDT up to and around its entry into mass production in the 1940s and 1950s. In parallel to the discussion of the commercial and industrial aspects of its use, Elena points out some of the cultural reasons why DDT was so popular. The next part of the conversation examines the changing attitude to DDT and its eventual decline, centered around Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) although earlier voices had similarly critiqued DDT and its massive use. The discussion covers the period until the 21st century, as DDT remains in use, albeit limited, today.
Further Reading
- Elena Conis, How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT. New York: Bold Type Books, 2022.
- Elena Conis, How the Battle Over a Pesticide Led to Scientific Skepticism. Wired, April 12, 2022.
- Elena Conis, Polio, DDT and Disease Risk in the U.S. After World War II. Environmental History 22, no. 4 (Oct 2017).
- David Kinkela, DDT and the American Century. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
- Rosanna Xia, How the Waters Off Catalina Became a DDT Dumping Ground, Los Angeles Times, October 25, 2020.
Our Guest
Elena Conis
Professor in the School of Journalism, UC Berkeley
