An Ecologist Look at Cancer and the Environment - Assignment Example

Living Downstream Living Downstream: An Ecologist Look at Cancer and the Environment Introduction Living Downstream is one ofthe pioneer works of scientific scholar named Sandra Steingraber. As a biologist and a cancer survivor herself, Steingraber is able to gather some effective evidence in this book. The book carries sufficient details in interpreting how cancer is caused and what are its prevalent consequences. To comprehend it in more detail and with more reason, this paper analyses Living Downstream by covering some important facts and details of cancer. The aim here is to compare parallel literary work on the subject with this author’s intellectual and comprehensive one. The Analysis Suffering is what describes the gist of this critical disease called “cancer”. It is a disease in which not only patients suffer but entire family of patient is in endurance when the disease is diagnosed. With increasing world population, major carbon impression, the toxins and the intensive world pollution, has given cancer a chance to grow in an immense way. These are all factors, which have boosted cancer to bloom in the present world. It is actually a systematic invasion, a menace which cancer has become today. Cancer as an incurable disease in most cases brings more attention of biologists and social scientists. The motivation is all there for the professionals, for the pertinent scholars who want to write more about cancer and its effects. They write on cancer, its causes and its possible symptoms, which if not could bring the permanent, still lasting cures for it in the discipline of medicine. This medical field is still developing as far as cancer diagnosis and treatment is concerned. As the subject of cancer is broad, so it is requires more research and apprehension from scholars and related professionals. In regard of cancer, all worries are aligned they are combined within the society of today and its people. Actually these worries are not from today but they existed when cancer emerged as a “disease” (Steingraber, 1997). According to medicine scholars Steingraber and Carson, the origin of cancer came from the environmental pollution. Pollution which risks the whole environment, risking the life in it, is actually main and important cause of cancer. When the environmental hazards exist and exist on larger scale, they are sufficient enough to spread the disease of cancer. Fundamentally scholars relate cancer to environmental pollution. Most of Steingraber’s work emphasized on control and precautionary methods like controlling cancer by cleaning the environment. This means removing chemicals and hazardous toxins like carcinogenic from the environment in order to eradicate any possible reasons of cancer existence. After all, the entire mission of these scholars was to raise the quality of human life which could be done effectively by improving the quality of environment. One significant thing on which author brings attention in living downstream, is increasing rate of cancer patients throughout the world. The author highlight that even in the world’s most developed countries like United States, cancer is growing with an intense rate. Over the past few decades, the rate of cancer patients has grown incredibly that adults, old and even adolescents are caught in this deadly disease. The age group above 30 is more vulnerable, according to Steingraber and Craser. More shocking thing is that cancer is the cause of majority of adult Americans killing. With these apprehensions, author’s focus has been on the root causes of cancer. Critically the author relates cancer to environmental pollution, and further to food and water resources contamination, which are main and prevalent factors to originate cancer. Steingraber asserts about hazardous toxins which not only pollute the environment, but also disturb the whole integrity of life and the living (Steingraber, 1997). They actually distort the system in which we eat, drink and breathe. Here the focus of author is on improving farms which are main and actual sources of organic food. In this the author emphasizes on herbicides usage, which are sufficient enough to improve the quality of farming processes. The author reflects on how herbicides have been successful in reducing cancer rates, by preventing food contamination. Author uncovers further harsh facts like how smoking is one of the fundamental causes of lung and other prostate cancers. The author also argues that how the million dollar industry of cigarette is open to spread the harm indefinitely. At one hand, there is business and the profits and on the other, there is suffering and death. Similarly, the author relates breast cancer incidents to obesity, as did the American Society of Cancer in their assertions. The author states obesity to be more common in women than in men for becoming the cause of any cancer. Furthermore, to diagnose cancer in the earliest and in its treatable phase, the author proposes amendments in cancer diagnosis procedures. She emphasizes on techniques of alternative therapy to diagnose cancer in its earliest and static phase. Similarly, the author focuses on chemicals and their adverse effects and significantly shares information about estrogenic chemicals, which are used quite significantly in chemotherapy and other treatment procedures. With much research and supportive evidence, the author proposes alternative chemicals, chemicals with less estrogenic effects and with lesser risk for the cancer patient. Geno-toxic is one chemical which author discusses about. She classifies Geno-toxic with its nature and its possible use in the medical discipline. Even presenting much scientific claims and assertions, the author is not able to completely propose Geno-toxic for scientific adaptation. More researches are required to come up with complete and assuring proposition to make possible effective prevention from cancer, the need is to reduce the adaptation and use of estrogenic chemicals, which leads to cancer in later stages. For instance, Diethylstilbestrol is one of the examples of it. She states that the use of diethylstilbestrol by mothers during pregnancy lead to development of adenocarcinoma cell in their daughters. Again the effects are also left on sons in form of congenital deformities with the use of such estrogenic agents and they develop cancer and cancers of the most critical nature. Chromosomal dysfunction is another major effect left out by such chemicals, which further lead to disorders like myclogenous, leukemia or Turner syndromes. Damaged carcinogens also result with the use of such estrogenic agents, according to the author and other contemporary scholars. From all these assertions which declare estrogenic chemicals as harmful and risky, give a reason to researchers that they should determine some alternatives. The alternatives to estrogenic chemicals are actually there according to Steingraber, but they require proper and persistent attention from researchers on the field. This is important because otherwise, estrogenic chemicals are ready enough to bring more suffering to human life (Steingraber, 1997). The Living Downstream further details the impacts which pesticides have brought on agriculture and environment. In author’s views, pesticides are significantly harmful for agriculture and the land. With composition of synthetic chemicals, pesticides not only destroy crops but also the land from where humans take the food or harvest. Pesticides are mostly based on chemicals so they are enough to damage the fertility of the land. Backing Carson’s views on pesticides Steingraber emphasizes on the least usage of pesticides for agriculture production. With this, both Carson and Steingraber remain on the importance of nature and its restoration. They suggest that the integrity or quality of life is only possible if the environment is cleaned and brought back to its original state, to its pure natural distinction. Steingraber believes on concept of green. She believes in sustainable development which assures protection of life, environment and nature altogether. After all, this is entirely important to save life of future generations, not only of humans’ generations but also of animals and plants and rest of living organisms (Steingraber, 1997). Conclusion Primarily, the book talks about spread of cancer and how vigorously it is spreading in the world due to environmental changes. The author points out how pollution is causing cancer in both human and animal race. Similarly, the author reflects on some interesting relations between industrial pollution and prostate cancer and how chemicals deteriorate agriculture lands. Steingraber also talks about estrogenic chemicals, which causes obesity and prostate cancers. Similarly, the author discusses pesticides and their harm to the land and also of how alternative therapies could prevent the persistent use of estrogenic chemicals in cancer treatment. This way, the author successfully identifies the problem in the first section of the book, and then underlines solution to the problem in the next conclusive segments of the book. Analysis of Living Downstream indicates that it is a comprehensive and much relevant literature on subject of cancer. The book not only informs but intimates the interest of the reader. Steingraber as being survivor of cancer herself and a very successful biologist makes this book a complete insight. It is a package of information based on facts and scientific evaluations. To understand cancer from the root, this book is a good apprehensive guide. It is supportive evidence not only for students but for professionals who study or research about cancer. References Steingraber, S. (1997). Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment. Boston: Addison Wesley Publishing. Read More