Rachel Carson's Silent Fight: Bringing Awareness to the Environment Around Us
Rachel Carson knew the consequences of publishing the book, "Silent Spring" With political support and the chemical and pesticides industry against her, she was fighting a silence battle and leaving her mark on the environmental movement.
Rachel Louise Carson was born May 27th, 1907 and died April 14th, 1964 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Ten months after her world renown book “Silent Springs” was released. She never got to see the impact her book made on the world. She never got to see what her warnings about the environmental threats and how the government was turning a blind eye to it all did for the environmental movement. She didn't live long enough to see her
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work change the world. But she lives on through her work and what her caused. She lives on through the National Environmental Policy Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the banning of the DDT in the United States of American in 1972, which people consider a miracle at one point in time. (Footnote) She lives on through Earth Day and all the people who take from her teachings and try to make the world a better place. With politicians backing her work and industrial leaders trying to discredit her, she still fights from the grave through her work and accomplishments. She did most of her work herself seeing that she can get things done faster that way. She was a strong woman who was fighting many battles, both silent and out loud, to make the world a better place. Rachel Carson did live long enough to see a few accomplishments "Silent Spring" made.
She was vindicated by the President's Science Advisory Committee's report on "Use of Pesticides", it confirmed her allegations and proved that the American public did not know that pesticides were toxic. (Footnote) In 1980 President Jimmy Carter awarded Rachel Carson the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously for the influence her book had on the public and the changes of environmental laws. (Footnote) In 1970 President Richard Nixon proposed creating the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA primary obligation was to protect the environment, and it went on to do many great things for the environment. The EPA established The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, Banned the use of DDT, and the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, the environmental protection agency did not stop there. They went on to create the Resources, Conservation, and Recovery Act and Toxic Substance Control Act. (Footnote) A lot of environmental agencies and politicians give credit to Rachel Carson for bring awareness to the dangers of pesticides. Many were upset to learn about her death. Her hometown even recognized her accomplishments by naming a post office after her. When Senator Ribicoff learned of her death he spoke for many Americans when he told reporters, "Today we mourn a great lady. All mankind is in her
debt."(footnote) In addition, with politicians supporting her and environmental agencies backing her up, it was certain companies and industrial leaders that wanted to silence "Silent Spring". They called her many names, "nun of nature," "woman who loved cats," and "spinster”. (footnote) Rachel Carson knew if her illness was to get out the companies would use it against her and try to make her out to be a vindictive lady with an ax to grind against the chemical companies. The National Agricultural Chemicals Association spent over a quarter million dollars to try to persuade the public that Rachel Carson was merely an "alarmist". (Footnote) Another chemical company, Monsanto used a parody as a weapon to counterattack Carson and her book. She became the chemical industry biggest enemy and biggest target. She couldn't speak about anything in her life for fear it would be used against her. They would have labeled her an "emotional crusaders" which she refused to be labeled as. She was the chemical companies and pesticides industry biggest enemy. They wanted to silence her voice and make like a crazy old lady. The big companies used any piece of incriminating information about her they could find. They knew Miss Carson was a big threat to their businesses and knew the impact her book would have once the public got a hold of it. For the environment and those around her, Rachel Carson fought every step of the way. While writing "Silent Springs" she faced many obstacles. She was fighting cancer at the time but didn't let that detour her from what she needed to do. She appeared on "CBS Reports" to back up her research and inform the people who may not have read here book. (footnote) She even testified before two Senate subcommittees about the link between the human and natural world and stressing the dangers that unregulated pesticides use can pose to both. (footnote) Miss Carson research had an enormous impact on the environmental movement. Many people supported what she and her work stood for. She left an impression on many people. People like Stewart L. Udall, a conservationist in Kennedy and Johnson Cabinets. Udall was an early supporter of hers. He sought to finish were she left off. He fought for clean water, clean air and to maintain our many natural treasures. (Footnote) He had a hand in helping found and preserve four national parks, six national monuments, nine national recreation areas, twenty historic sites, fifty wildlife refuges and eight national seashores. (Footnote) He even wrote his own book call the "The Quiet Crisis" which outline the value of American beauty. He is one of the many people miss Carson left her mark on. One of the many people that went out to do good and continue her work. Furthermore, with Rachel Carson early environmental work and her book "Silent Springs" she changed world. With her ground, breaking research on the dangers of pesticides and what it does to our environment and to our bodies. Because of her people became more aware of what they put in their bodies and started researching the chemicals that was being sprayed on their plants and vegetables to kill harmful insects and promote growth. The significant impact of her work was able to get harmful agrochemicals like aldrin, dieldrin, and heptachlor removed. Her discovery lead to the creation of the EPA. She able to get DDT banned across the globe. She inspired people like Stewart L. Udall to go out and help preserve and maintain the environment. Without Miss. Carson findings, our springs would really be silent. Our meadows wouldn't bloom with lush’s green trees and beautiful vibrant flowers. We would have more sick bodies then healthy bodies. We would have more funerals then birthdays. She spent her last few waking moments making sure that Americans knew that their government was allowing these chemical industrial companies to kill them. It took her four and a half years to finish the book. She was battling cancer while preparing and working on the publication of research. Her illness impaired her vision, which made it difficult for her to read and write. She had to have major surgery in 1960 but received no further treatment for the cancer. She did biweekly radiation for the cancer. She rejected the chemotherapy treatment because she knew it would make her weak and keep her from finishing her work. She was a very strong and brave woman. She knew she was dying and knew the challenges she faced while trying to finish her book. Even on her death bed she continued to fight for what was right. A woman dying of cancer, knowing that she only so little time left for the word out about what was really going on in our food, in our air, and in our water at that time. She was great woman and her work truly lives on with us.
Silent Spring is one of the most important books of the environmental movement. It was one of the first scientific books to talk about destruction of habitat by humans. As a result, one can imagine that Ms. Rachel Carson needed to be quite persuasive. How does she achieve this? In this excerpt from Silent Spring, Carson utilizes the rhetorical devices of hyperbole, understatement, and rhetorical questions to state the necessity of abolishing the practice of using poisons such as parathion. Carson starts out by using the symbiotic nature of hyperbole and understatement to paint the whole practice as dangerous and unnecessary. She further strengthens her argument by using rhetorical questions to make her readers see the ethical flaws and potential casualties caused by deadly pesticides.
Rachel Carson, before publishing Silent Spring, would major in marine zoology at Pennsylvania Women's College, where she would develop her interest in the naturalism and conservation going on at the time (Lear, 23). After graduating, she would take a job at the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, where she would write about different issues concerning the environment at the time. After writing several books to some success, she would begin work on Silent Spring, as she would find her naturalist causes to be her impetus. She even later on in her life wrote to her friends, What I discovered was that everything which meant most to me as a naturalist was being threatened, and that nothing I could do would be more important. " (Carson, 17)
To conclude, Rachel Carson is a skilled writer who employs many different rhetorical strategies and formats her information in a deliberate way to maximize the effectiveness of her argument. She appeals to emotion, but supplements her points with facts, examples, and expert opinions. Her book, Silent Spring, surely convinced many of the dangers of poisons like parathion, and inspired some to seek alternatives to aerial
By citing credible organizations and offering her own eco-friendly alternatives, she proves to the reader that she takes a particular interest in the environment and is educated to speak on it. Pairing powerful understatements and hyperboles to contrast with one another show the reader that the practice is both needless and selfish. These rhetorical techniques have a powerful impact on the reader, whose ignorance prior to reading the excerpt can no longer suffices to excuse the lack of action. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is a deeply persuasive book that not only advocates for an end to pesticides but also speaks to the obligation humans hold to protect their
He delves into the history of the word “environmental” as well as the history of environmental activism. He pinpoints the beginning of the movement to Rachel Carson. According to Quammen, she began the revolution by publishing her book Silent Spring. He says the negative connotations of the word began with her book, pairing “environment” and “the survival of humankind” as if they go hand in hand. This played a major role in the distortion of the word and the intentions of environmentalists.
In 1962, the publication of Silent Spring Rachel Carson captivated the American public. Carson wrote about the harmful effects of chemical pesticides in the environment, and her writing was very reflective of the events occurring at the time. There is a strong connection between Carson’s writing and the Cold War. In fact, if it were not for the war, the American public may not have responded in the same way to Carson’s writing. Carson used tone and content as methods of getting her point across to the public. Silent Spring shined a light on the damage done to the environment as a result of the Cold War, and this issue was finally being recognized by American public.
Her work as a writer, scientist, and ecologist became the heartbeat of the movement. According to a biography written by Linda Lear found at the website rachelcarson.org/bio, Carson was always a lover of nature. Studying marine biology, she attended and graduated from college at the Pennsylvania College for Women. She went on to receive her masters in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932. She was hired by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. From there she worked in the federal service as a scientist and editor. In 1936, she was haired as the "Editor-in-Chief of all publications for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Lear)." This gave her years of experience and provided a background of credibility that would aid her in the years to come. In 1941, Carson published her first book titled, "Under the Sea-Wind." This was followed by her second book, "The Sea Around Us" published in 1952. That same year she resigned from the government to spend more time on her writing. In 1955, she published her third book, "The Edge of the Sea." These books made a name for Carson and developed a better understanding of the interworking 's of the ocean. Carson 's work and research made waves in society and its culture. However, what is arguably Carson 's greatest accomplishment was the publishment of her fourth book titled "Silent Spring." Published in 1962, "Silent Spring" focuses on Carson
Birds dying, leaves covered with deadly powder, chemicals floating through the air. These were all issues faced globally in the 1950’s and 60’s due to the use of dangerous pesticides such as DDT, chlordane, and heptachlor. Though several scientists conducted studies that proved the issues with pesticides, the first person to make a lasting impression on America was Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring. Her writing not only discussed the environmental issues that Americans faced in the 1960’s, but also served as the catalyst for the environmental movement as we know it today.
Celeste Tinajero in an environmental teen activist. She believes that everyone should get involved and help the environment. “I want them to know and be on the side of environmentalism,’’ Celeste says in an interview. Celeste is part of an organization called ACE which stands for Alliance for Climate Education. She has even created her own campaign called Ban the Bag to get rid of plastic bags in her community. The organization also helps others to know why plastic bags are so bad for the community. Since Celeste’s school was so old and not ecologically friendly, she was even able to make the school more “green” and eco-friendly.
There are many, different oppressions throughout human society that are intricately woven together and interconnected. Many of these oppressions are formed within a patriarchal, Christian theology and involve the body: the body of Earth, the bodies of women, the body of animals. Sallie McFague sets up a model of bodies to help break these connected oppressions. McFague’s work emphasizes that the body and its oppressions are what connects Christian theology, feminism, and ecology. Her model focuses on the metaphorical idea that the body of the earth is the body of God (McFague, 1993).
“You can do whatever you set your mind to,” said Vanne Goodall to her young daughter Jane. There words would inspire Jane Goodall to become one of the most well known wildlife researcher in the world. Starting at a young age Jane showed an interest in animals. She spent her days reading books on animals or exploring nature outside. In May of 1956 Jane was invited to visit their family farm. Jane spent the next year working hard as a waitress to earn enough money to pay for the trip. After arriving there in April 1957 Jane meet the famous anthropologist Louis Leakey who hired her as his secretary and then he helped set her up in Tanzania to start studying chimpanzees. A lot of people doubted Leakey’s decision to choose Jane Goodall to do a study of chimpanzees for him but he supported Goodall who at that time did not even have a college degree.
In an effort to improve the lives of Americans, the United States Congress has enacted several legislative acts to reduce environmental pollutants. The motivation to take serious environmentally protective public policies came after 1948 when thick heavy smog covered the streets of Donora, Pennsylvania. The incident resulted in the death of 20 people with thousands more falling ill from the respiratory effects of the smog which carried yet unknown environmentally hazardous air pollutants from two factories in the city. This tragedy made the United States government aware that they needed to be concern about air pollution, and before the United Sates Congress passed the Clean Air Act, as we know it today, there were two previous acts that began to shape what now is a truly comprehensible Clean Air Act.
Over the years, the EPA has made many significant accomplishments in its ultimate quest of environmental protection. Some of the EPA’s best accomplishments are reducing acid rain, banning DDT, superfund, and reducing air pollution. Power plants were a great cause of acid rain but the EPA had an effective way to fix it. “The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act gave EPA the authority to regulate sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the pollutants causing acid rain, from power plants (GRIST.ORG).” As mentioned earlier the EPA was also responsible for the banning of DDT which was a pesticide used on crops but was harming lots of wildlife due to the chemicals it contained. DDT is what almost caused our beloved bald eagle to become extinct! Also previously mentioned the EPA has had a significant impact on the reduction of air pollution in the United States. One final accomplishment of the EPA is the superfund program, which was used to clean up various polluted sites in its early years; it’s basically
Rachel Carson is well known for writing the book, Silent Spring. This book, which was written
Through her book, Rachel Carson spoke out against the use of pesticides and technology to control nature. At the time, her book was revolutionary and her words had the power to cause a shift in public awareness about the environment. This one person speaking out helped start the environmental movement that impacts so many areas of our life today.