Worst-case entrepreneurs invoking the risks of DDT (e.g., via Rachel Carson's Silent Spring) helped drive an international consensus to ban it, which—while justified in the U.S.—created a worse-case scenario of its own in the developing world, where DDT is the most effective and cheapest way to prevent malaria, leading to large numbers of human deaths; risks frequently exist on both sides of social situations.

causalpending

Speaker

Cass Sunstein

Evidence Quote

in the u.s. probably the ban on DDT was all things considered justified in the development world DDT is most effective and cheapest way of preventing malaria and the worst case entrepreneurs invoking the risks associated with DDT actually breathe a worse case of their own which is large numbers of human deaths so frequently there are risks on both sides of social situations

Source

Cass Sunstein on Worst-case Scenarios 11/19/2007EconTalk
Created: 6/15/2026, 9:17:23 AM

My Notes

Loading notes...