Carson grew up on her parents’ farm and it was there that her love of and familiarity with nature began. The chemical industry campaign was counterproductive because the controversy increased public awareness of the potential dangers of pesticides, an early example of the Streisand Effect . A passionate and eloquent warning about the … Rachel Carson's Silent Spring alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides, spurring revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. On June 4, 1963, less than a year after the controversial environmental classic “Silent Spring” was published, its author, Rachel Carson, testified before a … The story of the birth defect-causing drug thalidomide had broken just before the book's publication, inviting comparisons between Carson and Frances Oldham Kelsey, the Food and Drug Administration reviewer who had blocked the drug's sale in the United States. [32], Carson also said that "Malaria programmes are threatened by resistance among mosquitoes",[33] and quoted the advice given by the director of Holland's Plant Protection Service: "Practical advice should be 'Spray as little as you possibly can' rather than 'Spray to the limit of your capacity'. It focuses on the documentation of detrimental effects that the haphazard use of pesticides has on the environment. as the crux of the problem and asked if we could master ourselves and our appetites to live as though we humans are an equal part [5][6], In 2011, the American composer Steven Stucky wrote the eponymously titled symphonic poem Silent Spring to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the book's publication. Serialized in three parts in The New Yorker, where President John F. Kennedy read it in the summer of 1962, Silent Spring was published “Silent Spring” (1962) by Rachel Carson (1907-1964) was the culmination of the poet scientist’s campaign against indiscriminate use of synthetic biocides to control disease carrying insects and agricultural pests at the expense of the destruction of the natural world and subjecting human beings to neurological damage, malignancy, and death. The piece was given its world premiere in Pittsburgh on February 17, 2012, with the conductor Manfred Honeck leading the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The program included segments of Carson reading from Silent Spring and interviews with other experts, mostly critics including White-Stevens. [45], Many critics repeatedly said Carson was calling for the elimination of all pesticides, but she had made it clear she was not advocating this but was instead encouraging responsible and carefully managed use with an awareness of the chemicals' impact on ecosystems. There was another round of publicity in July and August as chemical companies responded. [19] The same year, the 1957, 1958, and 1959 crops of U.S. cranberries were found to contain high levels of the herbicide aminotriazole and the sale of all cranberry products was halted. Agricultural spraying of pesticides produces pesticide resistance in seven to ten years. Houghton Mifflin Company; Anniversary edition (October 22, 2002), Copyright © 1996 - [28], The academic community—including prominent defenders such as H. J. Muller, Loren Eiseley, Clarence Cottam and Frank Egler—mostly backed the book's scientific claims and public opinion backed Carson's text. Rachel Carson - Silent Spring. The book also sparked the rage of the chemical industry, whose representatives threatened her with lawsuits and labeled her … Carson’s passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is recognized as the environmental Some of her work was even published in children’s magazines when she was only 10! The True Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. [57], In 1965 Silent Spring was published in USSR in Russian (under the title Безмолвная весна). Until then, the USDA was responsible both for regulating pesticides and promoting the concerns of the agriculture industry; Carson saw this as a conflict of interest, since the agency was not responsible for effects on wildlife or other environmental concerns beyond farm policy. However, when The New Yorker commissioned a long and well-paid article on the topic from Carson, she began considering writing more than the introduction and conclusion as planned; soon it became a solo project. [84], Some experts have said that restrictions placed on the agricultural use of DDT have increased its effectiveness for malaria control. Carson never called for an outright ban on DDT. When Carson published Silent Spring, her vivid prose and persuasive arguments helped spark the modern environmental movement. [36], Though Silent Spring had generated a fairly high level of interest based on pre-publication promotion, this became more intense with its serialization, which began in the June 16, 1962, issue. She identified human hubris and financial self-interest From reading the scientific literature and interviewing scientists, Carson found two scientific camps: those who dismissed the possible danger of pesticide spraying barring conclusive proof, and those who were open to the possibility of harm and, willing to consider alternative methods, such as biological pest control. Of Carson, Maria Popova wrote, "Her lyrical writing rendered her not a mere translator of the natural world, but an alchemist transmuting the steel of science into the gold of wonder." Carson also sent a proof copy to Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas, a long-time environmental advocate who had argued against the court's rejection of the Long Island pesticide spraying case and had provided Carson with some of the material included in her chapter on herbicides. [60], Carson's work had a powerful impact on the environmental movement. of the earth’s systems and not the master of them. She tried to enlist essayist E. B. That spring, Carson wrote a letter, published in The Washington Post, that attributed the recent decline in bird populations—in her words, the "silencing of birds"—to pesticide overuse. Deeply moved by Carson’s poignant depiction of a lifeless future, millions of well-meaning people rallied to her banner. [1] The book was published on September 27, 1962, documenting the adverse environmental effects caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. [42] According to White-Stevens, "If man were to follow the teachings of Miss Carson, we would return to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases and vermin would once again inherit the earth". In late 1963, she received a flurry of awards and honors: the Audubon Medal from the National Audubon Society, the Cullum Geographical Medal from the American Geographical Society, and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. "[61] Carson's work and the activism it inspired are partly responsible for the deep ecology movement and the strength of the grassroots environmental movement since the 1960s. Some evil spell had settled on the community; mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens, and the cattle and sheep sickened and died. RachelCarson.org. On 3 April 1963, CBS Reports broadcast an hour-long investigation, “The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson.” Despite Carson’s concerns that cancer treatments were sapping her strength, she came across as calm and eminently reasonable, particularly in contrast with Robert White-Stevens, spokesman for the agricultural chemical industry. The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson has been developed with film rights secured from Frances Collin, Literary Agent and Trustee for the Estate of Rachel Carson. The result of her research was Silent Spring, which brought environmental concerns to the American public. Much of the agency's early work, such as enforcement of the 1972 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, was directly related to Carson's work. Published in 1962, Silent Spring was widely read by the general public and became a New York Times best seller. Rachel Carson was born the third child of Robert and Maria Carson, who lived in a small town in Pennsylvania. Silent Spring Summary. She also wondered about the possible "financial inducements behind certain pesticide programs". her “witness for nature” is even more relevant and needed if our planet is to survive into a 22nd century. From - Silent Spring by: Rachel Carson ch2 – The Obligation to Endure T HE HISTORY OF LIFE on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings. [54], The book was translated into German (under the title Der stumme Frühling), with the first German edition appearing in 1963, followed by a number of later editions. Carson was right—and that provides us with little comfort. First published by Houghton Mifflin in 1962, Silent Spring alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides,... Free Shipping on all orders over $10. Carson accuses the chemical industry of intentionally spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically. Rachel Carson is an intimate portrait of the woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our relationship to the natural world. Carson’s passionate concern in Silent Spring is with the future of the planet and all life on Earth. However, Carson's and the publishers' lawyers were confident in the vetting process Silent Spring had undergone. "[25] "Silent Spring" was initially suggested as a title for the chapter on birds. [17], As her research progressed, Carson found a sizable community of scientists who were documenting the physiological and environmental effects of pesticides. [29] About DDT and cancer, Carson says only: In laboratory tests on animal subjects, DDT has produced suspicious liver tumors. [21], By 1960, Carson had sufficient research material and the writing was progressing rapidly. [46] She concludes her section on DDT in Silent Spring with advice for spraying as little as possible to limit the development of resistance. Many plants, animals and people grow very sick and even die due to all of the chemicals that we use, DDT is singled out as being particularly dangerous. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting the industry's marketing claims unquestioningly. Fifteen years after its creation, one journalist described the EPA as "the extended shadow of Silent Spring". To a large extent, the physical form and the habits of the earth’s vegetation and its animal life have been molded by the environment. The magazine and book publications proceeded as planned, as did the large Book-of-the-Month printing, which included a pamphlet by William O. Douglas endorsing the book. Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson, is a conservationist’s bible, and for good reason. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was first published in three serialized excerpts in the New Yorker in June of 1962. Debate over environmentalism and DDT restrictions, Josie Glausiusz. By December that year, Carson discovered that she had breast cancer, which had metastasized. government. Chimps Killing Monkeys", United States Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, July 22, 1962 report of chemical industry's campaign against, rebuttal to the attack by chemical-agribusiness companies, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): The Story of, Under the Sea Wind: A Naturalist's Picture of Ocean Life, Rachel Carson Homestead (birthplace, childhood home), Rachel Carson House (Colesville, Maryland), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silent_Spring&oldid=1006302358, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from June 2020, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with Encyclopædia Britannica links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Berry-Cabán, Cristóbal S. "DDT and silent spring: fifty years after. [3][4], In 1996, a follow-up book, Beyond Silent Spring, co-written by H.F. van Emden and David Peakall, was published. Silent Spring (1962) is the best-known work by Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964), noted American marine biologist and environmental trailblazer. [44], Monsanto published 5,000 copies of a parody called "The Desolate Year" (1962) which projected a world of famine and disease caused by banning pesticides. [49] Within a year of publication, attacks on the book and on Carson had lost momentum. Of particular significance was the work of National Cancer Institute researcher and founding director of the environmental cancer section Wilhelm Hueper, who classified many pesticides as carcinogens. [53] “Silent Spring is a devastating attack on human carelessness, greed and irresponsibility. The question that has now urgently presented itself is whether it is either wise or responsible to attack the problem by methods that are rapidly making it worse. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is an expertly written environmental science book published in 1962. [8][9] Landowners in Long Island filed a suit to have the spraying stopped, and many in affected regions followed the case closely. Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, author, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Lord Shackleton, a preface by World Wildlife Fund founder Julian Huxley, and an afterword by Carson's biographer Linda Lear. As a child she wrote stories from a young age and animals often featured prominently in them. "[1], Carson has been targeted by some organizations opposed to the environmental movement, including Roger Bate of the pro-DDT advocacy group Africa Fighting Malaria and the libertarian think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute; these sources oppose restrictions on DDT, attribute large numbers of deaths to such restrictions, and argue that Carson was responsible for them. The book appeared in September of that year and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. The Problem Before Silent Spring was published in 1962: Our air was a dumping ground for chemical refuse. [68][69], A 2012 review article in Nature by Rob Dunn[79] commemorating the 50th anniversary of Silent Spring and summarizing the progressive environmental-policy changes made since then, prompted a response in a letter written by Anthony Trewavas and co-signed by 10 others, including Christopher Leaver, Bruce Ames, Richard Tren and Peter Lachmann, who quote estimates of 60 to 80 million deaths "as a result of misguided fears based on poorly understood evidence". As a literary work, it was a masterpiece, and as such, received rave reviews everywhere. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century. Rachel Carson 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435 In Silent Spring, and later in testimony before a congressional committee, Carson asserted that one of the most basic human rights must surely be the "right of the citizen to be secure in his own home against the intrusion of poisons applied by other persons." This “fable” made an [75] Mass outdoor spraying of DDT was abandoned in poor countries subject to malaria, such as Sri Lanka, in the 1970s and 1980s; this was not because of government prohibitions but because the DDT had lost its ability to kill the mosquitoes. Though Carson received hundreds of other speaking invitations, she was unable to accept most of them because her health was steadily declining, with only brief periods of remission. (2007), "Better Planet: Can A Maligned Pesticide Save Lives? [37] This brought the book to the attention of the chemical industry and its lobbyists, as well as the American public. [7] In 2012, the American Chemical Society designated the legacy of Silent Spring a National Historic Chemical Landmark at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. White-Stevens called her "a fanatic defender of the cult of the balance of nature",[43] while former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson in a letter to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower reportedly said that because she was unmarried despite being physically attractive, she was "probably a Communist". Carson attended the ensuing FDA hearings on revising pesticide regulations; she was discouraged by the aggressive tactics of the chemical industry representatives, which included expert testimony that was firmly contradicted by the bulk of the scientific literature she had been studying. [14][15], The Audubon Naturalist Society actively opposed chemical spraying programs and recruited Carson to help publicize the U.S. government's spraying practices and related research. The organization brought lawsuits against the government to "establish a citizen's right to a clean environment", and the arguments against DDT largely mirrored Carson's. [64] Contrary to the position of the pesticide industry, the DDT phase-out action taken by the EPA (led by William Ruckelshaus) implied that there was no way to adequately regulate DDT use. [3] Though the suit was lost, the Supreme Court granted petitioners the right to gain injunctions against potential environmental damage in the future, laying the basis for later environmental actions. It should be read by every American who does not want it to be the epitaphof a world not very far beyond us in time.” --- Saturday Review *Awards received by Rachel Carson for S ILENT SPRING: • The Schweitzer Medal (Animal Welfare Institute) [16] Carson began the four-year project of Silent Spring by gathering examples of environmental damage attributed to DDT. Carson and her research assistant Jeanne Davis, with the help of NIH librarian Dorothy Algire, found evidence to support the pesticide-cancer connection; to Carson the evidence for the toxicity of a wide array of synthetic pesticides was clear-cut, though such conclusions were very controversial beyond the small community of scientists studying pesticide carcinogenesis. [68][69][70][71] These arguments have been dismissed as "outrageous" by former WHO scientist Socrates Litsios. According to pro-DDT advocate Amir Attaran, the result of the (activated in 2004) Stockholm Convention banning DDT's use in agriculture "is arguably better than the status quo ... For the first time, there is now an insecticide which is restricted to vector control only, meaning that the selection of resistant mosquitoes will be slower than before. Chemical were modern-day and the future. It focuses on the documentation of detrimental effects that the haphazard use of pesticides has on the environment. [23] Most of the research and writing was done by the fall of 1960, except for a discussion of recent research on biological controls and investigations of some new pesticides. Indeed, Rachel Carson was one of the reasons that I became so conscious of the environment and so involved with environmental issues ... [she] has had as much or more effect on me than any, and perhaps than all of them together. [1] Others attacked Carson's personal character and scientific credentials, her training being in marine biology rather than biochemistry. S ilent Spring is a book by Rachel Carson that details the damaging effects of pesticides. She had investigated hundreds of individual incidents of pesticide exposure and the resulting human sickness and ecological damage. [41], American Cyanamid biochemist Robert White-Stevens and former Cyanamid chemist Thomas Jukes were among the most aggressive critics, especially of Carson's analysis of DDT. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting the industry's marketing claims unquestioningly. in private research, Carson spent over six years documenting her analysis that humans were misusing powerful, persistent, chemical pesticides DuPont compiled an extensive report on the book's press coverage and estimated impact on public opinion. [63], The creation of the Environmental Protection Agency by the Nixon Administration in 1970 addressed another concern that Carson had written about. Rachel Carson's book is absolutely must read, a compelling story of pesticide and chemical damage to the environment. [26] With Carson's approval, editor Paul Brooks at Houghton Mifflin arranged for illustrations by Louis and Lois Darling, who also designed the cover. She said in Silent Spring that even if DDT and other insecticides had no environmental side effects, their indiscriminate overuse was counterproductive because it would create insect resistance to pesticides, making them useless in eliminating the target insect populations: No responsible person contends that insect-borne disease should be ignored. "[66], In a 2013 interview, Ruckelshaus briefly recounted his decision to ban DDT except for emergency uses, noting that Carson's book featured DDT and for that reason the issue drew considerable public attention. [55], It was translated into French (as Printemps silencieux), with the first French edition also appearing in 1963. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was first published in three serialized excerpts in the New Yorker in June of 1962. DDT is a prime example, but other synthetic pesticides—many of which are subject to bioaccumulation—are scrutinized. September/ October 2012 • Policy Report [28] Carson's main argument is that pesticides have detrimental effects on the environment; she says these are more properly termed "biocides" because their effects are rarely limited to the target pests. [18], By 1959, the USDA's Agricultural Research Service responded to the criticism by Carson and others with a public service film, Fire Ants on Trial; Carson called it "flagrant propaganda" that ignored the dangers that spraying pesticides posed to humans and wildlife. [52] Following the report's release, Carson also testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee to make policy recommendations. government policy, Carson believed the federal government was part of the problem. She admonished her readers and audiences to Historical clips on DDT, Rachel Carson and science explaining why humans pollute. [24], Its title was inspired by a poem by John Keats, "La Belle Dame sans Merci", which contained the lines "The sedge is wither'd from the lake, And no birds sing. [73][74], In the 1990s and 2000s, campaigns against the book intensified, in part due to efforts by the tobacco industry to cast larger doubt on science-driven policy as a way of contesting bans on smoking. ", "Secretive donors gave US climate denial groups $125m over three years", "Environment: Carson no 'beacon of reason' on DDT", "The 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the Century", "National Historic Chemical Landmarks - American Chemical Society", "PSO takes hard look at turmoil, both environmental and human", "Offerings of 'Silent Spring,' venerated material excel", "Capping Off Prokofiev With 'New York, New York, "Sir David Attenborough Did A Reddit Q&A: Worst Thing He's Seen? By August 1961, Carson agreed to the suggestion of her literary agent Marie Rodell: Silent Spring would be a metaphorical title for the entire book—suggesting a bleak future for the whole natural world—rather than a literal chapter title about the absence of birdsong. The classic that launched the environmental movement . According to biographer Linda Lear, "in juxtaposition to the wild-eyed, loud-voiced Dr. Robert White-Stevens in white lab coat, Carson appeared anything but the hysterical alarmist that her critics contended". This is where modern environmental understanding started. A book by Rachel Carson about pesticides harming the environment. [39], In the weeks before the September 27, 1962, publication, there was strong opposition to Silent Spring from the chemical industry. [22] Her research was also delayed by revision work for a new edition of The Sea Around Us, and by a collaborative photo essay with Erich Hartmann. where the use of DDT had caused damage to wildlife, birds, bees, agricultural animals, domestic pets, and even humans. Dr. Hueper [author of Occupational Tumors and Allied Diseases] now gives DDT the definite rating of a "chemical carcinogen. Need for Responsibility Carson makes it clear insects and other pests may, at times, need to be controlled. Velsicol threatened legal action against Houghton Mifflin, and The New Yorker and Audubon Magazine unless their planned Silent Spring features were canceled. Carson attended the White House Conference on Conservation in May 1962; Houghton Mifflin distributed proof copies of Silent Spring to many of the delegates and promoted the upcoming serialization in The New Yorker. Utilizing her many sources in federal science and [67], Former Vice President of the United States and environmentalist Al Gore wrote an introduction to the 1992 edition of Silent Spring. One of the landmark books of the 20th century, Silent Spring' s message resonates loudly today, even several decades after its publication. [58], The book's Italian title is Primavera silenziosa. [7], In the mid-1940s, Carson became concerned about the use of synthetic pesticides, many of which had been developed through the military funding of science after World War II. Rarely does a single book alter the course of history, but Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring did exactly that. Carson’s passionate concern in Silent Spring is with the future of the planet and all life on Earth. Everywhere was the shadow of death. Published in September 1962, 'Silent Spring' was a phenomenal success. When Silent Spring was published in 1962, President John F. Kennedy … Diamond would later write one of the harshest critiques of Silent Spring. Silent Spring is an environmental science book by Rachel Carson. Part 2: Response to Silent Spring", "2003 National Women's History Month Honorees: Rachel Carson", "The Writing of "Silent Spring": Rachel Carson and the Culture-Shifting Courage to Speak Inconvenient Truth to Power", "Rachel Carson Didn't Kill Millions of Africans", "Bate and Switch: How a free-market magician manipulated two decades of environmental science", "Anatomy of a Washington dinner: Who funds the Competitive Enterprise Institute? [47] Mark Hamilton Lytle writes, Carson "quite self-consciously decided to write a book calling into question the paradigm of scientific progress that defined postwar American culture".
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