DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was first created in 1874. It is an organic chemical compound that is colorless and only has a slight odor. During World War II it had become known as an extremely effective insecticide. A Swiss chemist won a Nobel Prize for discovering its insecticidal properties. In 1962, Rachel Carson came out with a book called Silent Spring. This book outlined the dangers of DDT through research and observations that Carson conducted. The title, Silent Spring, is referring to how there would be no birds singing if we continue to use DDT. The book made waves in the political world and it eventually led to the banning of DDT in the United States. In the book she talks about how the DDT builds up in birds of prey overtime and eventually prevents reproduction to be successful. This was the first major ecological crisis that the government reacted to. The Environmental Protection Agency was a direct result of Carson's book. Today, the book is under heavy criticism because DDT has the power to save human lives.