8/16/2019 Rachel Carson 'the Silent Spring'

1/5

SILENT SPRING BY RACHEL CARSON

Silent Spring is an environmental science boo !ritten b" Rac#el Carson an$

p%blis#e$ b" Ho%g#ton &i'in on September ()* +,-(.T#e boo $oc%mente$ t#e

$etrimental e/ects on t#e environment0partic%larl" on bir$s0o1 t#e in$iscriminate

%se o1 pestici$es. Carson acc%se$ t#e c#emical in$%str" o1 sprea$ing $isin1ormation

an$ p%blic o2cials o1 accepting in$%str" claims %n3%estioningl".

In t#e late +,45s* Carson t%rne$ #er attention to conservation6 especiall"

environmental problems t#at s#e believe$ !ere ca%se$ b" s"nt#etic pestici$es. T#e

res%lt !as Silent Spring 7+,-(8* !#ic# bro%g#t environmental concerns to t#e

American p%blic. Silent Spring !as met !it# 9erce opposition b" c#emical

companies* b%t it sp%rre$ a reversal in national pestici$e polic"* le$ to a nation!i$e

ban on ::T 1or agric%lt%ral %ses* an$ inspire$ an environmental movement t#at le$

to t#e creation o1 t#e ;.S. Environmental Protection Agenc".

I&PORTANT O< SILENT SPRING

Rac#el Carson=s seminal +,-( boo* Silent Spring* tol$ t#e real>li1e stor" o1 #o! bir$

pop%lations across t#e co%ntr" !ere s%/ering as a res%lt o1 t#e !i$esprea$

application o1 t#e s"nt#etic pestici$e ::T 7$ic#loro$ip#en"ltric#loroet#ane8* !#ic#

!as being %se$ !i$el" to control mos3%itoes an$ ot#ers insects. Carson reporte$

t#at bir$s ingesting ::T ten$e$ to la" t#in>s#elle$ eggs !#ic# !o%l$ in t%rn breapremat%rel" in t#e nest* res%lting in mare$ pop%lation $eclines. T#e problem $rove

bal$ eagles* o%r national s"mbol* not to mention peregrine 1alcons an$ ot#er bir$

pop%lations* to t#e brin o1 e?tinction* !it# pop%lations pl%mmeting more t#an @5

percent.

L%cil" 1or t#e bir$s* Silent Spring ca%se$ a stir* an$ man" cre$it it !it# la%nc#ing

t#e mo$ern environmental movement. In$ee$* one o1 t#e !orl$=s lea$ing

environmental non>pro9ts* t#e Environmental :e1ense mont# #earings to prove its point in regar$ to t#e $angers o1 ::T. In

+,)( environmentalists pra"ers !ere ans!ere$0an$ t#eir #ar$ !or vin$icate$0

!it# t#e 1e$eral government 9nall" banning ::T.

B%t !it# lots o1 t#e pestici$e alrea$" $isperse$ t#ro%g# ecos"stems 1ar an$ !i$e*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carsonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houghton_Mifflinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDThttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houghton_Mifflinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDThttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson

8/16/2019 Rachel Carson 'the Silent Spring'

2/5

not to mention m"ria$ ot#er t#reats to bir$ #abitats an$ t#e environment in

general* no one co%l$ be s%re !#et#er pop%lations o1 eagles* 1alcons an$ ot#er

pre$ator" an$ 9s#>eating bir$s !o%l$ come bac 1rom t#e brin. #ile t#e 1e$eral

En$angere$ Species Act !ent a long !a" to protect t#ese at>ris species an$ some

o1 t#eir #abitat* non>pro9ts also pla"e$ a e" role in #elping speci9c species recover.

 To !it* t#e Peregrine 1ol$ pop%lation

increase in D%st 1o%r $eca$esF In (55) t#e 1e$eral government remove$ t#e bal$

eagle 1rom t#e En$angere$ Species List. it#o%t t#e +,)( ban on ::T an$ ens%ing

protections* t#e bal$ eagle* let alone $oens o1 ot#er bir$ species* !o%l$ liel" be

gone no! in t#e continental ;.S. An$ !it#o%t t#e song o1 t#e bir$s* t#e spring !o%l$

be a ver" silent time in$ee$.

SILENT SPRING RELATE: TO ENIRON&ENT

 T#e overri$ing t#eme o1 Silent Spring is t#e po!er1%l0an$ o1ten negative0e/ect

#%mans #ave on t#e nat%ral !orl$. Carsons main arg%ment is t#at pestici$es #ave

$etrimental e/ects on t#e environment6 s#e sa"s t#ese are more properl" terme$

bioci$es beca%se t#eir e/ects are rarel" limite$ to t#e target pests. ::T is a prime

e?ample* b%t ot#er s"nt#etic pestici$es0man" o1 !#ic# are s%bDect

to bioacc%m%lation0are scr%tinie$. Carson acc%ses t#e c#emical in$%str" o1 

intentionall" sprea$ing $isin1ormation an$ p%blic o2cials o1 accepting in$%str"

claims %ncriticall". &ost o1 t#e boo is $evote$ to pestici$es e/ects on nat%ral

ecos"stems* b%t 1o%r c#apters $etail cases o1 #%man pestici$e poisoning* cancer*

an$ ot#er illnesses attrib%te$ to pestici$es. Abo%t ::T an$ cancer* Carson sa"s

onl"

In laborator" tests on animal s%bDects* ::T #as pro$%ce$ s%spicio%s liver t%mors.

Scientists o1 t#e

8/16/2019 Rachel Carson 'the Silent Spring'

3/5

t%mors !ere %ncertain #o! to classi1" t#em* b%t 1elt t#ere !as some D%sti9cation

1or consi$ering t#em lo! gra$e #epatic cell carcinomas. :r. H%eperJa%t#or

o1 Occ%pational T%mors an$ Allie$ :iseasesK no! gives ::T t#e $e9nite rating o1 a

c#emical carcinogen.

Carson pre$icts increase$ conse3%ences in t#e 1%t%re* especiall" since targete$pests ma" $evelop resistance to pestici$es an$ !eaene$ ecos"stems 1all pre" to

%nanticipate$ invasive species. T#e boo closes !it# a call 1or a biotic approac# to

pest control as an alternative to c#emical pestici$es.

Carson never calle$ 1or an o%trig#t ban on ::T. S#e sai$ in Silent Spring t#at even i1 

::T an$ ot#er insectici$es #a$ no environmental si$e e/ects* t#eir in$iscriminate

over%se !as co%nterpro$%ctive beca%se it !o%l$ create insect resistance to

pestici$es* maing t#em %seless in eliminating t#e target insect pop%lations

No responsible person conten$s t#at insect>borne $isease s#o%l$ be ignore$. T#e

3%estion t#at #as no! %rgentl" presente$ itsel1 is !#et#er it is eit#er !ise or

responsible to attac t#e problem b" met#o$s t#at are rapi$l" maing it !orse. T#e

!orl$ #as #ear$ m%c# o1 t#e tri%mp#ant !ar against $isease t#ro%g# t#e control o1 

insect vectors o1 in1ection* b%t it #as #ear$ little o1 t#e ot#er si$e o1 t#e stor"0t#e

$e1eats* t#e s#ort>live$ tri%mp#s t#at no! strongl" s%pport t#e alarming vie! t#at

t#e insect enem" #as been ma$e act%all" stronger b" o%r e/orts. Even !orse* !e

ma" #ave $estro"e$ o%r ver" means o1 9g#ting.

Carson also sai$ t#at &alaria programe$ are t#reatene$ b" resistance among

mos3%itoes* an$ 3%ote$ t#e a$vice given b" t#e $irector o1 Hollan$s Plant

Protection Service Practical a$vice s#o%l$ be Spra" as little as "o% possibl" can

rat#er t#an Spra" to t#e limit o1 "o%r capacit" ... Press%re on t#e pest pop%lations#o%l$ al!a"s be as slig#t as possible.

EMA&PLE O< SILENT SPRING

&ore imme$iatel"* Silent Spring a/ecte$ government polic". Ever" one o1 t#e to?ic

c#emicals name$ in t#e boo !as eit#er banne$ or severel" restricte$ in t#e ;nite$

States b" +,)4. control c#emicals* an$ #o%se#ol$ c#emicals

%n$ergo m%c# greater scr%tin"* reg%lation* an$ control t#an be1ore Rac#el Carson

p%blis#e$ t#e boo* an$ t#e c#emicals allo!e$ are less $ea$l" an$ %se$ in smaller

amo%nts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_to_pesticideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotic_materialhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_to_pesticideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotic_material

8/16/2019 Rachel Carson 'the Silent Spring'

4/5

 

&ost importantl" Silent Spring la%nc#e$ t#e mo$ern global environmental

movement. T#e ecological interconnections bet!een nat%re an$ #%man societ" t#at

it $escribe$ !ent 1ar be"on$ t#e limite$ concerns o1 t#e conservation movement

abo%t conserving soils* 1orests* !ater* an$ ot#er nat%ral reso%rces. A generation o1

Americans 1o%n$ t#eir perspectives !i$ene$ an$ t#eir activism inspire$ b" Carson=s

po!er1%l !or. Alt#o%g# never s%c# a e" te?t in environmental movements o%tsi$e

t#e ;nite$ States* Silent Spring $i$ pla" a role in creating an environmental

a!areness. It remains in print in man" lang%ages* a1ter 91t" "ears still inspiring

rea$ers across t#e globe.

No better evi$ence o1 Carson=s signi9cance e?ists t#an t#e Rac#el Carson Center 1or

Environment an$ Societ". T#e $ecision in (55, to name an international center 1or

sc#olarl" st%$" a1ter Carson acno!le$ge$ t#e prominence an$ respect s#e still

comman$s aro%n$ t#e !orl$ an$ also recognie$ t#e po!er #er !riting #as #a$ to

move people an$ bring abo%t c#ange.

EENT O< SILENT SPRING

Grassroots environmentalism an$ t#e EPA Carsons !or #a$ a po!er1%l impact

on t#e environmental movement. Silent Spring became a rall"ing point 1or t#e ne!

social movement in t#e +,-5s. Accor$ing to environmental engineer an$ Carson

sc#olar H. Patricia H"nes* Silent Spring altere$ t#e balance o1 po!er in t#e !orl$.

No one since !o%l$ be able to sell poll%tion as t#e necessar" %n$ersi$e o1 progress

so easil" or %ncriticall". Carsons !or an$ t#e activism it inspire$ are partl"

responsible 1or t#e $eep ecolog" movement an$ t#e strengt# o1 t#e grassroots

environmental movement since t#e +,-5s. It !as also in%ential on t#e rise

o1 eco1eminism an$ on man" 1eminist scientists. Carsons most $irect legac" in t#e

environmental movement !as t#e campaign to ban t#e %se o1 ::T in t#e ;nite$

States* an$ relate$ e/orts to ban or limit its %se t#ro%g#o%t t#e !orl$. T#e +,-)

1ormation o1 t#e Environmental !as t#e 9rst maDor milestone in t#e campaign

against ::T. T#e organiation bro%g#t la!s%its against t#e government to

establis# a citiens rig#t to a clean environment* an$ t#e arg%ments against ::T

largel" mirrore$ Carsons. B" +,)(* t#e Environmental :e1ense

8/16/2019 Rachel Carson 'the Silent Spring'

5/5

activist gro%ps #a$ s%ccee$e$ in sec%ring a p#ase>o%t o1 ::T %se in t#e ;nite$

States* e?cept in emergenc" cases.J 

 T#e creation o1 t#e Environmental Protection Agenc" b" t#e Ni?on A$ministration in

+,)5 a$$resse$ anot#er concern t#at Carson #a$ !ritten abo%t. ;ntil t#en* t#e

;S:A !as responsible bot# 1or reg%lating pestici$es an$ promoting t#e concerns o1 t#e agric%lt%re in$%str"6 Carson sa! t#is as a conict o1 interest* since t#e agenc"

!as not responsible 1or e/ects on !il$li1e or ot#er environmental concerns be"on$

1arm polic".