Our Struggle Against Pests

A compelling book about ethics and choices, Nature Wars shows us the difference between protecting ourselves from real pests and poisoning ourselves and the planet.

Killing Bugs for Business and Beauty examines the beginning of Canada’s aerial war against forest insects and how a tiny handful of officials came to lead the world with a made-in-Canada solution to the problem. Shedding light on a largely forgotten chapter in Canadian environmental history, Mark Kuhlberg explores the theme of nature and its agency. The book highlights the shared impulses that often drove both the harvesters and the preservers of trees, and the acute dangers inherent in allowing emotional appeals instead of logic to drive environmental policy-making. It addresses both inter-governmental and intra-governmental relations, as well as pressure politics and lobbying. Including fascinating tales from Cape Breton Island, Muskoka, and Stanley Park, Killing Bugs for Business and Beauty clearly demonstrates how class, region, and commercial interest intersected to determine the location and timing of aerial bombings. At the core of this book about killing bugs is a story, infused with innovation and heroism, of the various conflicts that complicate how we worship wilderness.

Inspired by the still-revolutionary theories of Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," McWilliams argues for a more harmonious and rational approach to people's relationship with insects, one that does not harm the environment and, consequently, ourselves along the way.

Pests are defined purely from anthropocentric perspective. An organism is not considered a pest until its activities and life processes interfere with human health, convenience, comfort or profits. The importance of health education in the control of vector-borne diseases cannot be overstated. This should particularly be targeted at rural communities where the scourges of these diseases are most pronounced. With adequate commitment by the government at the federal, state and local levels as well as from private sectors, considerable success could be achieved in the battle against pests. This book represents an excellent addition to the literature on Integrated Pest Management (IPM). A historical overview traces the origins and concepts of pest organisms, their classification and general characteristics and the basic terminologies are given. The philosophy and goal of IPM and specific examples of chemical, cultural, biological, physical and mechanical approaches to IPM are discussed. The book is enriched with accounts of IPM practices and progression in the developing countries and the problems and prospects of implementation and the future of IPM highlighted. Also included is an interesting account of medical important arthropods and their management. A rich bibliography accompanies every chapter.