I really think that DDT was needlessly discarded as a vector extermination agent. Actual research (instead of literary hyperbole) suggests that the effect on bird eggs and humans was not as severe as once supposed. How many have died of malaria in the past 40 years in areas that were once malaria-free? Off-hand I think the number is in the millions.
As others have pointed out, DDT is still in use for vector control, however its effectiveness is reduced because of resistance caused by excessive use for agricultural and general pesticide purposes.
Mosquito resistance to DDT was something that was noted in the years before the effects on birds were raised, and this had as much to do with the ban on agricultural use as the ecological issues.
DDT use really was out of control in the post-war period[1] and I think it is hard to say how severe the effects of a biopersistent chemical would be when its use was just increasing, increasing and increasing with no end in sight.
The idea that DDT was not as harmful as claimed is a modern myth with no basis in fact. It's obvious to even the most casual birdwatcher with a few decades of experience that the fish-eating birds and top-of-the-food-chain birds have come back dramatically.
There are plenty of fine modern pesticides which are just as effective as DDT without the side effects. Unfortunately, DDT was so bad the many modern consumers equate pesticide with poison.
