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- 25 - benefits in which few citizens have a direct interest. Special efforts, including educational efforts, are needed to explain the benefits and promote public acceptance of the regulations. Controlling residues in the biosphere is an inter- national problem, and any effective control over the accumulation of long-lived materials in the ecosystems of the world must be through control of use in all nations. Clearly, the United States must do something about its own problems before it can advise other nations to change practices. There exists in our economy a loop of cause and effect that tends to perpetuate the present pattern of materials used. The organochlorine insecticides are of relatively low cost; for many purposes, they are highly effective; from a restricted viewpoint, they are relatively safe. Therefore, they are used in large quantities. Sub- stitute materials having less persistence would probably be used if they were available at equal cost and if they were equally effective. But such substitute materials will not be developed While the present persistent materials are in their advantageous position. Unless there is a change {possibly in the form of regulatory action) by which the persistent materials lose their advantage, they will prob- ably continue in general use. ALTERNATIVES TO PERSISTENT PESTICIDES A number of nonchemical approaches to pest control are being developed. These include the growing of resistant crop varieties; cultural and management practices; and con- trol of insects by the use of light traps, attractants, radiation, sterilization, and biological means. Some of these approaches are being used with impressive success. The nonchemical methods may be used more widely in the future, but speed of adoption and ultimate usefulness are restricted by cost and by lack of applicability to many problems. Often there is an unavoidable delay before control is attainable by biological means. For most purposes, nonchemical.methods of control are not expected to supplant
