Woody Harrelson: Pesticide Money

Posted by admin on Thursday, July 8, 2021

Woody Harrelson Money Quote saying that pesticides were the result of a money-making chemist adapting chemical weapons for people to bugs. Woody Harrelson said:
 

 

“Pesticides came about after the first world war. Some brainy petrochemical money maker said, ‘Hey, that mustard gas worked great on people, maybe we could dilute it down and spray it on our crops to deal with pests'” — Woody Harrelson

 

 

In this quote, actor Woody Harrelson is criticizing the origins of pesticides in a blunt, sarcastic manner. He suggests that pesticides were initially conceived when chemical companies realized poisonous gases used in World War I could be diluted and repurposed as agricultural products to kill crop pests. Harrelson implies this application emerged from a profit-driven motive rather than concern for human or environmental safety.

His tone conveys skepticism about allowing corporate or military interests to influence development of technologies that impact public health and the environment. Overall, the quote portrays pesticide creation as an unintended consequence of weapons research, and questions whether maximizing financial gain should be the primary driver of introducing chemicals into the food system and ecosystem.