During World War II, the insecticide DDT was used successfully to halt a typhus epidemic spread by..

During World War II, the insecticide DDT was used
successfully to halt a typhus epidemic spread by lice and to control mosquitoes
and flies. After World War II, it was used extensively to control agricultural
and household pests. Today, DDT may not be used legally in the United States
and most other countries. Although DDT has a rather low immediate toxicity to
humans and other vertebrates, it becomes concentrated in fatty tissues of the
body. In addition, it degrades slowly, remaining toxic in the soil for years
after its application. But there has never been any credible evidence that
View complete question »

During World War II, the insecticide DDT was used
successfully to halt a typhus epidemic spread by lice and to control mosquitoes
and flies. After World War II, it was used extensively to control agricultural
and household pests. Today, DDT may not be used legally in the United States
and most other countries. Although DDT has a rather low immediate toxicity to
humans and other vertebrates, it becomes concentrated in fatty tissues of the
body. In addition, it degrades slowly, remaining toxic in the soil for years
after its application. But there has never been any credible evidence that this
residue has caused any harm. Even so, DDT has been blamed for the near
extinction of bald eagles, whose population has increased greatly since DDT was
banned, although evidence tends to point to oil, lead, mercury, stress from
noise, and other factors as the likely causes.

In 2007, over 3,600 people in the United States were
infected by and 124 people killed after contracting West Nile virus, which is
carried to humans by mosquitoes. CDC director Julie Gerberding called West Nile
virus an “emerging, infectious disease epidemic” that could be spread all the
way to the Pacific Coast by birds and mosquitoes. Pesticides such as malathion,
resmethrin, and sumithrin can be effective in killing mosquitoes but are
significantly limited because they do not stay in the environment after
spraying. In Mozambique, indoor spraying of DDT has caused malaria rates to
drop 88 percent among children.

As an executive for Eartho Chemical Company, you have been
asked by Eartho’s CEO to study whether Eartho should resume the manufacture of
DDT. What would a utilitarian decide? What would a profit maximizer do?

View less »