Chapter 17 "The Other Road" Summary

In our use of ever-increasing levels of dangerous chemicals in our environment, we have been traveling a road that seems easy but will end in disaster. The other road of this chapter's title is the path of non-chemical control of unwanted insects and plants. Only by this "other road," the "one 'less traveled by,"' can we ensure our planet's survival. It is up to us to assert our right not to be poisoned.

A huge variety of alternatives to the dangerous chemicals used ineffectively against insects is available. Whether they are already in use or in laboratory development or exist so far only in the imaginations of scientists, they are biological solutions based on the whole of nature and its intricate network of so many different kinds of life. It is becoming increasingly clear...