Rachel
Carson was a writer, scientist, and ecologist gifted with the ability to use
her words to present
scientific material and actively engage the public on environmental concerns. She was born May 27, 1907 in Springdale,
Pennsylvania. She began her career as a writer and moved on to become a student
of marine biology at Pennsylvania College for Women. Later she studied at the
Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and acquired her MA in Zoology from
Johns Hopkins University in 1932. She began her career as an aquatic biologist
at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. During her time at the U.S. Bureau of
Fisheries she was a scientist and rose to become Editor-in-Chief for the U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. She also wrote The
Sea Around Us and other books about the ocean which made her a famous
naturalist and science writer.
As
a result of her devotion to writing, Carson resigned from the government and
began teaching the world about the ecology of life and the influence humans
have on the environment. She later
turned her focus on conservation and the effect of synthetic pesticides on the
environment. In 1962, she wrote Silent
Spring which showed the impact humans on the natural world as a result of
those pesticides. This powerful book
documents the effect of biocides, like DDT, that are subject to biomagnification
which are detrimental to the environment. In the book, Carson also notes the
health risks associated with the pesticides and blames the chemical industries
for problems raised from pesticide use. Additionally, she mentions how the pests
form resistance to the pesticides and later weaken the ecosystem to invasive
species in various areas. Silent Spring sparked
attention by both chemical companies and the government. It led to nationwide ban on DDT and other
pesticides and inspired the environmental movement. Following the release of
her book, she testified before the US Senate Subcommittee of Government
Operations. 88th Cong. 1st.session. in a fight against DDT in 1963. Her
testimony later became the foundation of the Environmental Defense Fund, which
discontinued the use of DDT in the US. This movement paved the way for the
creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in order to have an
organization help to regulate the promotion and use of pesticides in the agriculture
industry.
Although
met with much opposition by her critics, Rachel Carson’s genuine efforts and
contributions to the environmental movement will always be remembered and continue
to be an inspiration to protect the environment today. Rachel Carson died April 14, 1964 in Silver
Spring, Maryland from breast cancer. After her death she was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom by Jimmy Carter.
“The human race is
challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature
but of ourselves.”
― Rachel Carson
― Rachel Carson
References
and Further Reading
The Rachel Carson Letters
and the Making of Silent Spring http://orgprints.org/22934/7/22934.pdf
http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/magazine/articles/30-2-loud-and-clear.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment