Rachel Louise Carson
Rachel Carson, 1940 Fish & Wildlife Service employee photo
Born	May 27, 1907 (1907-05-27) Springdale, Pennsylvania
Died	April 14, 1964 (aged 56) Silver Spring, Maryland
Occupation	marine biologist, writer
Nationality	American
Writing period	1937–1964
Genres	nature writing
Subjects	marine biology, ecology, pesticides
Notable work(s)	Silent Spring

Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist and nature writer whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Springdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Silver Spring is an urbanized Unincorporated area in Montgomery County Maryland, USA Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. Marine biology is the scientific study of living Organisms in the Ocean or other marine or Brackish bodies of water A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A literary genre is a category of literary composition Genres may be determined by Literary technique, tone, Content, or even (as in the case of fiction Nature writing is generally defined as Nonfiction Prose writing about the natural environment Marine biology is the scientific study of living Organisms in the Ocean or other marine or Brackish bodies of water Ecology (from Greek grc οἶκος oikos, "house(hold" and grc -λογία -logia) is the scientific study of A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962 Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Marine biology is the scientific study of living Organisms in the Ocean or other marine or Brackish bodies of water Nature writing is generally defined as Nonfiction Prose writing about the natural environment The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green movements is a diverse scientific social and Political movement for

Carson started her career as a biologist in the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, and became a full-time nature writer in the 1950s. Her widely praised 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us won her financial security and recognition as a gifted writer. The Sea Around Us is a prize-winning 1951 Bestseller by Rachel Carson about Life in the ocean and the life of the ocean Her next book, The Edge of the Sea, and the republished version of her first book, Under the Sea-Wind, were also bestsellers. The Edge of the Sea was Rachel Carson 's third book in her sea trilogy published in 1955 Under the Sea-Wind (1941 is the first book by Rachel Carson. Originally published by Simon & Schuster, it received very good reviews but sold poorly in its first Together, her sea trilogy explores the whole of ocean life, from the shores to the surface to the deep sea.

In the late 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation and the environmental problems caused by synthetic pesticides. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. The result was Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented portion of the American public. Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962 Silent Spring spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy—leading to a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides—and the grassroots environmental movement it inspired the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. DDT (from its trivial name D ichloro- D iphenyl- T richloroethane is one of the best known synthetic Pesticides It is a chemical with a long For other meanings see Grass roots (disambiguation. A grassroots movement (often referenced in the context of a Political movement The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green movements is a diverse scientific social and Political movement for Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed

Life and work

Carson's childhood home now is preserved as the Rachel Carson Homestead

Early life and education

Rachel Carson was born on May 27, 1907, on a small family farm near Springdale, Pennsylvania, just up the Allegheny River from Pittsburgh. Rachel Carson Homestead is a National Register of Historic Places site in Springdale, Pennsylvania, United States, 18 miles northeast of Events 927 - Simeon the Great, Tsar of Bulgaria, dies 1120 - Richard III of Capua is anointed Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Springdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The Allegheny River is a principal Tributary of the Ohio River and is located in the Eastern United States. As a child, she spent many hours learning about ponds, fields, and forests from her mother, who taught Rachel and her older brother and sister the lessons of nature-study. The nature study movement (alternatively Nature Study or nature-study was a popular education movement in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries Carson was an avid reader, and, from a remarkably young age, a talented writer. She also spent a lot of time exploring around her 65-acre farm. She began writing stories (often involving animals) at age eight, and had her first published story at age ten. She especially enjoyed the St. Nicholas Magazine (which carried her first published stories), the works of Beatrix Potter, and the novels of Gene Stratton Porter, and in her teen years, Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad and Robert Louis Stevenson. The St Nicholas Magazine (1873-1941 was a successful American children's magazine published by Scribner's beginning in November 1873 and designed for Gene Stratton-Porter ( August 17, 1863 &ndash December 6, 1924) was an American author amateur naturalist wildlife photographer and one of Herman Melville (August 1 1819 &ndash September 28 1891 was an American novelist Short story writer Essayist and poet Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924 was a Polish-born English novelist Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850–3 December 1894 was a Scottish novelist poet and travel writer, and a representative of Neo-romanticism in The natural world, particularly the ocean, was the common thread of her favorite literature. Carson attended Springdale's small school through tenth grade, then completed high school in nearby Parnassus, Pennsylvania, graduating in 1925 at the top of her class of forty-four students. New Kensington is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km northeast of Pittsburgh, ^[1]

At the Pennsylvania College for Women (today known as Chatham University), as in high school, Carson was somewhat of a loner. Chatham University is an American liberal arts women's college with Coeducational graduate programs located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania She originally studied English, but switched her major to biology in January 1928, though she continued contributing to the school's student newspaper and literary supplement. Though admitted to graduate standing at Johns Hopkins University in 1928, she was forced to remain at the Pennsylvania College for Women for her senior year due to financial difficulties; she graduated magna cum laude in 1929. Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an Academic degree was earned After a summer course at the Marine Biological Laboratory, she continued her studies in zoology and genetics at Johns Hopkins in the fall of 1929. The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL is an international center for research and education in biology and ecology Zoology (from Greek ζῷον, zoon, "animal" + λόγος, " Logos " "knowledge" is the branch of Genetics (from Ancient Greek grc-Latn genetikos, “genitive” and that from grc-Latn genesis, “origin” a discipline of Biology, is ^[2]

After her first year of graduate school, Carson became a part-time student, taking an assistantship in Raymond Pearl's laboratory, where she worked with rats and Drosophila, to earn money for tuition. Raymond Pearl ( 3 June 1879 &ndash 17 November 1940) was an American Biologist, regarded as one of the founders of Drosophila is a Genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" After false starts with pit vipers and squirrels, she completed a dissertation project on the embryonic development of the pronephros in fish. Common names: pit vipers pitvipers The Crotalinae, or crotalines are a subfamily of venomous vipers found A squirrel is one of the many small or medium-sized Rodents in the family Sciuridae. Pronephros the most primitive of the three excretory organs that develop in Vertebrates corresponding to the first stage of Kidney development She earned a master's degree in zoology in June 1932. She had intended to continue for a doctorate, but in 1934 Carson was forced to leave Johns Hopkins to search for a full-time teaching position to help support her family. In 1935, her father died suddenly, leaving Carson to care for her aging mother and making the financial situation even more critical. At the urging of her undergraduate biology mentor Mary Scott Skinker, she settled for a temporary position with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries writing radio copy for a series of weekly educational broadcasts entitled "Romance Under the Waters". The series of fifty-two seven-minute programs focused on aquatic life and was intended to generate public interest in fish biology and in the work of the bureau—a task the several writers before Carson had not managed. Carson also began submitting articles on marine life in the Chesapeake Bay, based on her research for the series, to local newspapers and magazines. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest Estuary in the United States. ^[3]

Carson's supervisor, pleased with the success of the radio series, asked her to write the introduction to a public brochure about the fisheries bureau; he also worked to secure her the first full-time position that became available. Sitting for the civil service exam, she outscored all other applicants and in 1936 became only the second woman to be hired by the Bureau of Fisheries for a full-time, professional position, as a junior aquatic biologist. The United States Civil Service consists of all appointive positions in the executive judicial and legislative branches of the Government of the United States except positions in the ^[4]

Early career and publications

At the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, Carson's main responsibilities were to analyze and report field data on fish populations, and to write brochures and other literature for the public. Using her research and consultations with marine biologists as starting points, she also wrote a steady stream of articles for The Baltimore Sun and other newspapers. The Baltimore Sun (officially just The Sun) is Maryland ’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides comprehensive coverage However, her family responsibilities further increased in January 1937 when her older sister died, leaving Carson as the sole breadwinner for her mother and two nieces. ^[5]

In July 1937, the Atlantic Monthly accepted a revised version of an essay, "The World of Waters", that she had originally written for her first fisheries bureau brochure; her supervisor had deemed it too good for that purpose. The Atlantic (formerly known as The Atlantic Monthly) is an American Magazine founded in Boston in 1857 The essay, published as "Undersea", was a vivid narrative of a journey along the ocean floor. It marked a major turning point in Carson's writing career. Publishing house Simon & Schuster, impressed by "Undersea", contacted Carson and suggested that she expand it into book form. Simon & Schuster Inc, a division of CBS Corporation, is a Publisher founded in New York in 1924 by Richard L Several years of writing resulted in Under the Sea-Wind (1941), which received excellent reviews but sold poorly. Under the Sea-Wind (1941 is the first book by Rachel Carson. Originally published by Simon & Schuster, it received very good reviews but sold poorly in its first In the meantime, Carson's article-writing success continued—her features appeared in Sun Magazine, Nature, and Collier's. Nature is a prominent Scientific journal, first published on 4 November 1869 Collier's Weekly was an American Magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957 ^[6]

Carson attempted to leave the Bureau (by then transformed into the Fish and Wildlife Service) in 1945, but few jobs for naturalists were available as most money for science was focused on technical fields in the wake of the Manhattan Project. The World War II Manhattan Project developed the first Nuclear weapon (atomic bomb In mid-1945, Carson first encountered the subject of DDT, a revolutionary new pesticide (lauded as the "insect bomb" after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) that was only beginning to undergo tests for safety and ecological effects. DDT (from its trivial name D ichloro- D iphenyl- T richloroethane is one of the best known synthetic Pesticides It is a chemical with a long The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks near the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United States at DDT was but one of Carson's many writing interests at the time, and editors found the subject unappealing; she published nothing on DDT until 1962. ^[7]

Carson rose within the Fish and Wildlife Service, supervising a small writing staff by 1945 and becoming chief editor of publications in 1949. Though her position provided increasing opportunities for fieldwork and freedom in choosing her writing projects, it also entailed increasingly tedious administrative responsibilities. By 1948, Carson was working on material for a second book and had made the conscious decision to begin a transition to writing full-time. That year, she took on a literary agent, Marie Rodell; they formed a close professional relationship that would last the rest of Carson's career. Marie Freid Rodell ( January 31, 1912 &ndash November 1975 was a literary agent and author who managed the publications of much of environmentalist Rachel Carson ^[8]

Oxford University Press expressed interest in Carson's book proposal for a life history of the ocean, spurring her to complete the manuscript of what would become The Sea Around Us by early 1950. The Sea Around Us is a prize-winning 1951 Bestseller by Rachel Carson about Life in the ocean and the life of the ocean ^[9] Chapters appeared in Science Digest and the Yale Review—the latter chapter, "The Birth of an Island", winning the American Association for the Advancement of Science's George Westinghouse Science Writing Prize—and nine chapters were serialized in The New Yorker. Science Digest was a monthly American magazine published by the Hearst Corporation from 1937 through 1986 The Yale Review is the self-proclaimed oldest literary quarterly in the United States. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (or AAAS) is an organization that promotes cooperation between Scientists defends scientific freedom encourages The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry The Sea Around Us remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 86 weeks, was abridged by Reader's Digest, won the 1952 National Book Award and the Burroughs Medal, and resulted in Carson being awarded two honorary doctorates. Reader's Digest is a monthly general-interest family Magazine co-founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace. The National Book Awards are among the most eminent literary prizes in the United States. The John Burroughs Medal, named for nature writer John Burroughs (1837-1921 is awarded each year in April by the John Burroughs Association to the author of a book She also licensed a documentary film to be based on The Sea Around Us. The book's success led to the republication of Under the Sea-Wind, which also became a best-seller. With success came financial security, and Carson was able to give up her job in 1952 to concentrate on writing full time. ^[10]

Carson was inundated with speaking engagements, fan mail and other correspondence regarding The Sea Around Us, along with work on the documentary script that she had secured the right to review. See Fanmail (album for the 1999 TLC album Fan mail is Mail sent to a public figure especially a ^[11] She was extremely unhappy with the final version of the script by writer, director and producer Irwin Allen; she found it untrue to the atmosphere of the book and scientifically embarrassing, describing it as "a cross between a believe-it-or-not and a breezy travelogue. Irwin Allen ( June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was a television and film producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work "^[12] She discovered, however, that her right to review the script did not extend to any control over its content. Allen proceeded in spite of Carson's objections to produce a very successful documentary. It won the 1953 Oscar for Best Documentary, but Carson was so embittered by the experience that she never again sold film rights to her work. The Academy Award for Documentary Feature is among the most prestigious awards for Documentary films Controversies ^[13]

Relationship with Dorothy Freeman

Carson moved with her mother to Southport Island, Maine in 1953, and in July of that year met Dorothy Freeman (1898–1978)—the beginning of an extremely close relationship that would last the rest of Carson's life. Southport is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census The nature of the relationship between Carson and Freeman has been the subject of much interest and speculation. It is probably best described as a romantic friendship. The term romantic friendship refers to a very close but non- Sexual relationship between friends often involving a degree of physical closeness beyond Carson met Freeman, a summer resident of the island along with her husband, after Freeman had written to Carson to welcome her. Freeman had read The Sea Around Us, a gift from her son, and was excited to have the prominent author as a neighbor. Carson's biographer Linda Lear writes that "Carson sorely needed a devoted friend and kindred spirit who would listen to her without advising and accept her wholly, the writer as well as the woman. "^[14] She found this in Freeman. The two women had a number of common interests, nature chief among them, and began exchanging letters regularly while apart. They would continue to share every summer for the remainder of Carson's life, and meet whenever else their schedules permitted. ^[15]

Though Lear does not explicitly describe the relationship as romantic, others (such as the encyclopedia glbtq^[16]) have noted that Carson and Freeman knew that their letters could be interpreted as lesbian, even though "the expression of their love was limited almost wholly to letters and very occasional farewell kisses or holding of hands. glbtqcom is an Online Encyclopedia that presents detailed biographies of notable Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women "^[17] Freeman shared parts of Carson's letters with her husband to help him understand the relationship, but much of their correspondence was carefully guarded. ^[18] Shortly before Carson's death, she and Freeman destroyed hundreds of letters. The surviving correspondence was published in 1995 as Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman, 1952–1964: An Intimate Portrait of a Remarkable Friendship, edited by Freeman's granddaughter. According to one reviewer, the pair "fit Carolyn Heilbrun's characterization of a strong female friendship, where what matters is 'not whether friends are homosexual or heterosexual, lovers or not, but whether they share the wonderful energy of work in the public sphere'". ^[19]

The Edge of the Sea and transition to conservation work

In early 1953 Carson began library and field research on the ecology and organisms of the Atlantic shore. ^[20] In 1955, she completed the third volume of her sea trilogy, The Edge of the Sea, which focuses on life in coastal ecosystems (particularly along the Eastern Seaboard). The Edge of the Sea was Rachel Carson 's third book in her sea trilogy published in 1955 The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern It appeared in The New Yorker in two condensed installments shortly before the October 26 book release. By this time, Carson's reputation for clear and poetical prose was well-established; The Edge of the Sea received highly favorable reviews, if not quite as enthusiastic as for The Sea Around Us. ^[21]

Through 1955 and 1956, Carson worked on a number of projects—including the script for an Omnibus episode, "Something About the Sky"—and wrote articles for popular magazines. Omnibus was an American commercially-sponsored educational TV series broadcast live primarily on Sunday afternoons at 400 pm Eastern time from November Her plan for the next book was to address evolution, but the publication of Julian Huxley's Evolution in Action—and her own difficulty in finding a clear and compelling approach to the topic—led her to abandon the project. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS ( 22 June 1887 &ndash 14 February 1975) was an English Evolutionary biologist Instead, her interests were turning to conservation. She considered an environment-themed book project tentatively entitled Remembrance of the Earth and became involved with The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups. The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable Environmental organization working to preserve the Plants, Animals, and natural communities She also made plans to buy and preserve from development an area in Maine she and Freeman called the "Lost Woods". ^[22]

Early in 1957, family tragedy struck a third time when one of the nieces she had cared for in the 1940s died at the age of 31, leaving a five-year-old orphan son, Roger Christie. Carson took on that responsibility, adopting the boy, alongside continuing to care for her aging mother; this took a considerable toll on Carson. She moved to Silver Spring, Maryland to care for Roger, and much of 1957 was spent putting their new living situation in order and focusing on specific environmental threats. Silver Spring is an urbanized Unincorporated area in Montgomery County Maryland, USA ^[23]

By fall 1957, Carson was closely following federal proposals for widespread pesticide spraying; the USDA planned to eradicate fire ants, and other spraying programs involving chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphates were on the rise. The red imported fire ants ( Solenopsis invicta) or simply RIFA, is one of over 280 members of the widespread Genus Solenopsis. Applications The simplest form of organochlorides are chlorinated Hydrocarbons These consist of simple Hydrocarbons in which one or more hydrogen atoms have An organophosphate (sometimes abbreviated OP) is the general name for Esters of Phosphoric acid. ^[24] For the rest of her life, Carson's main professional focus would be the dangers of pesticide overuse.

Silent Spring

Main article: Silent Spring

See also: Timeline of environmental events and DDT

Research and writing

Starting in the mid-1940s, Carson had become concerned about the use of synthetic pesticides, many of which had been developed through the military funding of science since World War II. Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962 The timeline of environmental events is a historical account of events that have shaped humanity's perspective on the environment DDT (from its trivial name D ichloro- D iphenyl- T richloroethane is one of the best known synthetic Pesticides It is a chemical with a long The military funding of science has had a powerful transformative effect on the practice and products of scientific research since the early 20th century World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including It was the USDA's 1957 fire ant eradication program, however, that prompted Carson to devote her research, and her next book, to pesticides and environmental poisons. The fire ant program involved aerial spraying of DDT and other pesticides (mixed with fuel oil), including the spraying of private land. DDT (from its trivial name D ichloro- D iphenyl- T richloroethane is one of the best known synthetic Pesticides It is a chemical with a long Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from Petroleum Distillation, either as a distillate or a residue Landowners in Long Island filed a suit to have the spraying stopped, and many in affected regions followed the case closely. Though the suit was lost, the Supreme Court granted petitioners the right to gain injunctions against potential environmental damage in future; this laid the basis for later successful environmental actions. A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some Jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's ^[25]

The Washington, D. C. chapter of the Audubon Society also actively opposed such spraying programs, and recruited Carson to help make public the government's exact spraying practices and the related research. The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit Environmental organization dedicated to conservancy ^[26] Carson began the four-year project of what would become Silent Spring by gathering examples of environmental damage attributed to DDT. Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962 She also attempted to enlist others to join the cause: essayist E. B. White, and a number of journalists and scientists. Elwyn Brooks "E B" White ( July 11, 1899 – October 1 1985) was an American writer By 1958, Carson had arranged a book deal, with plans to co-write with Newsweek science journalist Edwin Diamond. Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City. However, when The New Yorker commissioned a long and well-paid article on the topic from Carson, she began considering writing more than simply the introduction and conclusion as planned; soon it was a solo project. (Diamond would later write one of the harshest critiques of Silent Spring. )^[27]

As her research progressed, Carson found a sizable community of scientists who were documenting the physiological and environmental effects of pesticides. She also took advantage of her personal connections with many government scientists, who supplied her with confidential information. From reading the scientific literature and interviewing scientists, Carson found two scientific camps when it came to pesticides: 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. Biological control of pests in Agriculture is a method of controlling pests (including Insects Mites Weeds and plant diseases ^[28]

By 1959, the USDA's Agricultural Research Service responded to the criticism of Carson and others with a public service film, Fire Ants on Trial; Carson characterized it as "flagrant propaganda" that ignored the dangers that spraying pesticides (especially dieldrin and heptachlor) posed to humans and wildlife. The Agricultural Research Service ( ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Dieldrin is a Chlorinated hydrocarbon originally produced in 1948 by J Heptachlor is an Insecticide that usually comes in the form of a white or tan powder the tan powder being of lower purity 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. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D ^[29] That was also the year of the "Great Cranberry Scandal": the 1957, 1958, and 1959 crops of U. S. cranberries were found to contain high levels of the herbicide aminotriazole (which caused cancer in laboratory rats) and the sale of all cranberry products was halted. Cranberries are a group of Evergreen dwarf Shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos 3-Amino-124-triazole ( 3-AT) is a heterocyclic Organic compound that consists of a 124-triazole substituted with an amino group Carson attended the ensuing FDA hearings on revising pesticide regulations; she came away 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. She also wondered about the possible "financial inducements behind certain pesticide programs". ^[30]

Research at the Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health brought Carson into contact with medical researchers investigating the gamut of cancer-causing chemicals. The United States National Library of Medicine ( NLM) operated by the United States federal government, is the world's largest Medical library. "NIH" redirects here For other meanings of NIH see NIH (disambiguation. 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. The National Cancer Institute (NCI is part of the United States Federal government's National Institutes of Health. 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. Carcinogenesis (meaning literally the creation of Cancer) is the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells ^[31]

By 1960, Carson had more than enough research material, and the writing was progressing rapidly. In addition to the thorough literature search, she had investigated hundreds of individual incidents of pesticide exposure and the human sickness and ecological damage that resulted. However, in January, a duodenal ulcer followed by several infections kept her bedridden for weeks, greatly delaying the completion of Silent Spring. As she was nearing full recovery in March (just as she was completing drafts of the two cancer chapters of her book), she discovered cysts in her left breast, one of which necessitated a mastectomy. In Medicine, mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both Breasts partially or completely Though her doctor described the procedure as precautionary and recommended no further treatment, by December Carson discovered that the tumor was in fact malignant and the cancer had metastasized. Malignant (from the Latin roots mal- = "bad" and -genus = "born" is a medical term used to describe a severe and progressively worsening disease Metastasis ( Greek: displacement μετά=next + στάσις=placement, plural metastases) sometimes abbreviated mets, ^[32] 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. ^[33] Most of the research and writing was done by the fall of 1960, except for the discussion of recent research on biological controls and investigations of a handful of new pesticides. Biological control of pests in Agriculture is a method of controlling pests (including Insects Mites Weeds and plant diseases However, further health troubles slowed the final revisions in 1961 and early 1962. ^[34]

It was difficult finding a title for the book; "Silent Spring" was initially suggested as a title for the chapter on birds. By August 1961, Carson finally 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. ^[35] With Carson's approval, editor Paul Brooks at Houghton Mifflin arranged for illustrations by Louis and Lois Darling, who also designed the cover. Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. The final writing was the first chapter, "A Fable for Tomorrow", which was intended to provide a gentler introduction to what might otherwise be a forbiddingly serious topic. By mid-1962, Brooks and Carson had largely finished the editing, and were laying the groundwork for promoting the book by sending the manuscript out to select individuals for final suggestions. ^[36]

Argument

As biographer 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. The word paradigm ( Greek:παράδειγμα (paradigmacomposite from para- and the verb δείχνυμι "to show" as a whole -roughly- meaning "example" Scientific progress is the idea that Science increases its problem solving ability through the application of some Scientific method. Post-War is the fifth studio album by M Ward. It was released on August 22 2006 by Merge Records. " The overriding theme of Silent Spring is the powerful—and often negative—effect humans have on the natural world. ^[37]

Carson's main argument is that pesticides have detrimental effects on the environment; they are more properly termed "biocides", she argues, because their effects are rarely limited to the target pests. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. A biocide is a Chemical substance capable of killing living organisms, usually in a selective way DDT is a prime example, but other synthetic pesticides come under scrutiny as well—many of which are subject to bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at ftudruinsubstance is lost Carson also accuses the chemical industry of intentionally spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically. The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals Disinformation is the deliberate dissemination of false Information. Most of the book is devoted to pesticides' effects on natural ecosystems, but four chapters also detail cases of human pesticide poisoning, cancer, and other illnesses attributed to pesticides. ^[38] About DDT and cancer, the subject of so much subsequent debate, Carson says only a little:

Carson predicts increased consequences in the future, especially as targeted pests develop resistance to pesticides while weakened ecosystems fall prey to unanticipated invasive species. Pesticide resistance is the Adaptation of pest species targeted by a Pesticide resulting in decreased susceptibility to that chemical Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions The book closes with a call for a biotic approach to pest control as an alternative to chemical pesticides. ^[40]

Promotion and reception

Carson and the others involved with publication of Silent Spring expected fierce criticism. They were particularly concerned about the possibility of being sued for libel. Carson was also undergoing radiation therapy to combat her spreading cancer, and expected to have little energy to devote to defending her work and responding to critics. Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of Ionizing radiation as part of Cancer treatment to control Malignant In preparation for the anticipated attacks, Carson and her agent attempted to amass as many prominent supporters as possible before the book's release. ^[41]

Most of the book's scientific chapters were reviewed by scientists with relevant expertise, among whom Carson found strong support. 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 New Yorker serialization. Among many others, Carson also sent a proof copy to Supreme Court 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 who had provided Carson with some of the material included in her chapter on herbicides). William Orville Douglas ( October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was a United States Supreme Court Associate Justice. ^[42]

Though Silent Spring had generated a fairly high level of interest based on pre-publication promotion, this became much more intense with the serialization in The New Yorker, which began in the June 16, 1962 issue. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This brought the book to the attention of the chemical industry and its lobbyists, as well as a wide swath of the American populace. Around that time Carson also learned that Silent Spring had been selected as the Book-of-the-Month for October; as she put it, this would "carry it to farms and hamlets all over that country that don't know what a bookstore looks like—much less The New Yorker. The Book of the Month Club (founded 1926) is a United States Mail-order business customers of which are offered a new Book each month "^[43] Other publicity included a positive editorial in The New York Times and excerpts of the serialized version in Audubon Magazine, with another round of publicity in July and August as chemical companies responded. The story of the birth defect-causing drug thalidomide broke just before the book's publication as well, 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. Thalidomide is a Sedative - Hypnotic, and Multiple myeloma Medication. Frances Kathleen Oldham Kelsey, PhD MD (born 24 June 1914 is a Naturalized American Pharmacologist, most famous as the reviewer for the U ^[44]

The Book-of-the-Month Club edition of Silent Spring, including an endorsement by William O. Douglas, had a first print run of 150,000 copies, two-and-a-half times the combined size of the two conventional printings of the initial release ^[45]

In the weeks leading up to the September 27 publication there was strong opposition to Silent Spring. The Book of the Month Club (founded 1926) is a United States Mail-order business customers of which are offered a new Book each month Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin in September 1962 William Orville Douglas ( October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was a United States Supreme Court Associate Justice. DuPont (a main manufacturer of DDT and 2,4-D) and Velsicol Chemical Company (exclusive manufacturer of chlordane and heptachlor) were among the first to respond. E I du Pont de Nemours and Company (,) is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a Gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée 24-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (24-D is a common systemic Herbicide used in the control of broadleaf weeds Velsicol Chemical Corporation is a Rosemont Illinois based Chemical company founded in 1931 that specializes in Plasticizers It has approximately 450 Chlordane is a manufactured chemical that was used as a Pesticide in the United States from 1948 to 1988 Heptachlor is an Insecticide that usually comes in the form of a white or tan powder the tan powder being of lower purity DuPont compiled an extensive report on the book's press coverage and estimated impact on public opinion. Velsicol threatened legal action against Houghton Mifflin as well as The New Yorker and Audubon Magazine unless the planned Silent Spring features were canceled. Chemical industry representatives and lobbyists also lodged a range of non-specific complaints, some anonymously. Chemical companies and associated organizations produced a number of their own brochures and articles promoting and defending pesticide use. However, Carson's and the publishers' lawyers were confident in the vetting process Silent Spring had undergone. The magazine and book publications proceeded as planned, as did the large Book-of-the-Month printing (which included a pamphlet endorsing the book by William O. Douglas). ^[46]

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. American Cyanamid is a large diversified American chemical manufacturer founded by Frank Washburn in 1907 Thomas Hughes Jukes ( August 26, 1906 &ndash November 1, 1999) was a British-American biologist known for his work in Nutrition, ^[47] 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. "^[48] Others went further, attacking Carson's scientific credentials (because her training was in marine biology rather than biochemistry) and her personal character. White-Stevens labeled her "a fanatic defender of the cult of the balance of nature",^[49] while former Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson—in a letter to Dwight D. Eisenhower—reportedly concluded that because she was unmarried despite being physically attractive, she was "probably a Communist". Ezra Taft Benson ( August 4, 1899 &ndash May 30, 1994) was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (October 14 1890 – March 28 1969 was President of the United States from 1953 until 1961 and a five-star general ^[50]

Many critics repeatedly asserted that she was calling for the elimination of all pesticides. Yet Carson had made it clear she was not advocating the banning or complete withdrawal of helpful pesticides, but was instead encouraging responsible and carefully managed use with an awareness of the chemicals' impact on the entire ecosystem. ^[51] In fact, she concludes her section on DDT in Silent Spring not by urging a total ban, but with advice for spraying as little as possible to limit the development of resistance. ^[52]

The academic community—including prominent defenders such as H. J. Muller, Loren Eisley, Clarence Cottam, and Frank Egler—by and large backed the book's scientific claims; public opinion soon turned Carson's way as well. Hermann Joseph “HJ” Muller ( December 21 1890 &ndash April 5 1967) was an American Geneticist, educator and Loren Corey Eiseley ( September 3, 1907 – July 9, 1977) was a highly respected Anthropologist, science writer Ecologist Frank Edwin Egler ( 26 April, 1911 – 26 December, 1996) was an American Plant ecologist and pioneer in the study of vegetation science The chemical industry campaign backfired, as the controversy greatly increased public awareness of potential pesticide dangers, as well as Silent Spring book sales. Pesticide use became a major public issue, especially after the CBS Reports TV special "The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson" that aired April 3, 1963. Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The program included segments of Carson reading from Silent Spring and interviews with a number of other experts, mostly critics (including White-Stevens); 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. "^[53] Reactions from the estimated audience of ten to fifteen million were overwhelmingly positive, and the program spurred a congressional review of pesticide dangers and the public release of a pesticide report by the President's Science Advisory Committee. In 1951 President of the United States Harry S Truman established the Science Advisory Committee as part of the Office of Defence Mobilization (ODM ^[54] Within a year or so of publication, the attacks on the book and on Carson had largely lost momentum. ^[55]

In one of her last public appearances, Carson had testified before President Kennedy's Science Advisory Committee. The committee issued its report on May 15, 1963, largely backing Carson's scientific claims. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[56] Following the report's release, she also testified before a Senate subcommittee to make policy recommendations. Though Carson received hundreds of other speaking invitations, she was unable to accept the great majority of them. Her health was steadily declining as her cancer outpaced the radiation therapy, with only brief periods of remission. She spoke as much as she was physically able, however, including a notable appearance on The Today Show and speeches at several dinners held in her honor. Today, also referred to as The Today Show, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. In late 1963, she received a flurry of awards and honors: the Paul Bartsch Award (from the Audubon Naturalist Society), the Audubon Medal (from the American Geographical Society), and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The American Geographical Society (AGS is an organization of professional Geographers It was founded in 1851 in New York City. The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 250-member organization whose goal is to "foster assist and sustain excellence" in American Literature, ^[57]

Weakened from breast cancer and her treatment regimen, Carson became ill with a respiratory virus in January 1964. Her condition worsened from there: in February, doctors found that she had severe anemia from her radiation treatments, and in March they discovered that the cancer had reached her liver. She died of a heart attack on April 14, 1964, at the age of 56. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. ^[58]

Legacy

Collected papers and posthumous publications

Carson bequeathed her manuscripts and papers to Yale University, to take advantage of the new state-of-the-art preservations facilities of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Yale University 's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (BRBL was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family Her longtime agent and literary executor Marie Rodell spent nearly two years organizing and cataloging Carson's papers and correspondence, distributing all the letters to their senders so that only what each correspondent approved of would be submitted to the archive. Marie Freid Rodell ( January 31, 1912 &ndash November 1975 was a literary agent and author who managed the publications of much of environmentalist Rachel Carson ^[59]

In 1965, Rodell arranged for the publication of an essay Carson had intended to expand into a book: A Sense of Wonder. The essay, which was combined with photographs by Charles Pratt and others, exhorts parents to help their children experience the "lasting pleasures of contact with the natural world", which "are available to anyone who will place himself under the influence of earth, sea and sky and their amazing life. "^[60]

In addition to the letters in Always Rachel, in 1998 a volume of Carson's previously unpublished work was published as Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson, edited by Linda Lear. All of Carson's books remain in print. ^[60]

Grassroots environmentalism and the EPA

Carson's work had a powerful impact on the environmental movement. Silent Spring, in particular, was a rallying point for the fledging social movement in the 1960s. According to environmental engineer and Carson scholar H. Patricia Hynes, "Silent Spring altered the balance of power in the world. No one since would be able to sell pollution as the necessary underside of progress so easily or uncritically. "^[61] Carson's work, and the activism it inspired, are at least partly responsible for the deep ecology movement, and the overall strength of the grassroots environmental movement since the 1960s. Deep ecology is a recent branch of ecological Philosophy ( Ecosophy) that considers Humankind an integral part of its environment. It was also influential on the rise of ecofeminism and on many feminist scientists. Ecofeminism is a social and political movement which attempts to unite Environmentalism and Feminism, with some currents linking Deep ecology and ^[62]

Carson's most direct legacy in the environmental movement was the campaign to ban the use of DDT in the United States (and related efforts to ban or limit its use throughout the world). Though environmental concerns about DDT had been considered by government agencies as early as Carson's testimony before the President's Science Advisory Committee, the 1967 formation of the Environmental Defense Fund was the first major milestone in the campaign against DDT. Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a US -based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The organization brought lawsuits against the government to "establish a citizen's right to a clean environment", and the arguments employed against DDT largely mirrored Carson's. By 1972, the Environmental Defense Fund and other activist groups had succeeded in securing a phase-out of DDT use in the United States (except in emergency cases). ^[63]

The creation, in 1970, of the Environmental Protection Agency addressed another concern that Carson had brought to light. Until then, the same agency (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. A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust such as a Lawyer, Insurance adjuster, a Politician, executive or director Fifteen years after its creation, one journalist described the EPA as "the extended shadow of Silent Spring". 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. The Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (or FIFRA) Et seq. ^[64]

Criticisms of environmentalism and DDT restrictions

Carson and the environmental movement were—and continue to be—criticized by some conservatives, who argue that restrictions placed on pesticides have caused needless deaths and hampered agriculture, and more generally that environmental regulation unnecessarily restricts economic freedom. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined Economic freedom is freedom to produce trade and consume any goods and services acquired without the use of force fraud or theft ^[65][66][67] For example, the conservative magazine Human Events gave Silent Spring an honorable mention for the "Ten Most Harmful Books of the 19th and 20th Centuries". Human Events is a weekly conservative Magazine founded in 1944. ^[68] In the 1980s, the Reagan administration sought to undo as much of the environmental legacy of the 1960s and 1970s as possible, and Carson and her work were obvious targets. The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, was a Republican administration headed by ^[69]

Carson's attack on DDT has come under the most intense fire. Political scientist Charles Rubin was one of the most vociferous critics in the 1980s and 1990s, though he accused her merely of selective use of source and fanaticism (rather than the more severe criticism Carson received upon Silent Spring's release). In the 2000s, critics have claimed that Carson is responsible for millions of malaria deaths, because of the DDT bans her work prompted. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Biographer Mark Hamilton Lytle finds these estimates unrealistic, even assuming that Carson can be "blamed" for worldwide DDT policies, and suggests that malaria is much less significant than a number of other widespread preventable public health problems in Africa. ^[70] Carson never actually called for an outright ban on DDT. ^[71]

Some experts have argued that restrictions placed on the agricultural use of DDT have increased its effectiveness as a tool for battling malaria. According to pro-DDT advocate Amir Attaran the result of the 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. Amir Attaran is a Canadian lawyer immunologist and law professor Stockholm Convention is an international legally binding agreement on persistent organic pollutants (POPs "^[72] But though Carson's legacy has been closely tied to DDT, Roger Bate of the DDT advocacy organization Africa Fighting Malaria warns that "A lot of people have used Carson to push their own agendas. Roger Bate is an economist who has held a variety of positions in free market and conservative think tanks and Lobby groups. Africa Fighting Malaria (AFM is an NGO based in Washington DC and South Africa which states it "seeks to educate people about the scourge of We just have to be a little careful when you're talking about someone who died in 1964. "^[73]

Posthumous honors

A variety of groups ranging from government institutions to environmental and conservation organizations to scholarly societies have celebrated Carson's life and work since her death. Perhaps most significantly, on June 9, 1980 Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, in recognition of her influence on President Kennedy and her foundational role in the environmental movement. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed ^[74] A U.S. postage stamp was issued in her honor the following year; several other countries have since issued Carson postage as well. This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the United States of America (USA. ^[75]

The Rachel Carson Bridge in Pittsburgh

Carson's birthplace and childhood home in Springdale, Pennsylvania—now known as the Rachel Carson Homestead—became a National Register of Historic Places site, and the nonprofit Rachel Carson Homestead Association was created in 1975 to manage it. Springdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Rachel Carson Homestead is a National Register of Historic Places site in Springdale, Pennsylvania, United States, 18 miles northeast of The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage ^[76] Her home in Colesville, Maryland where she wrote Silent Spring was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991 ^[77]. Colesville is a Census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland in the USA. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Near Pittsburgh, a 35. 7 miles (57 km) hiking trail, maintained by the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, was dedicated to Carson in 1975. ^[78] A Pittsburgh bridge was also renamed in Carson's honor as the Rachel Carson Bridge. Rachel Carson Bridge, also known as the Ninth Street Bridge, spans the Allegheny River in Downtown Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. ^[79] The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection State Office Building in Harrisburg is named in her honor. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (often abbreviated PA DEP or just DEP is state agency in the U Harrisburg is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America An elementary school in Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, MD, built in 1990, was named in her honor^[80], as was a middle school in Herndon, VA^[81]. Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland. As of 2005, the city had an estimated total population of 57698 making it the fourth largest in Montgomery County of the US state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington D Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.

A number of conservation areas have been named for Carson as well. A conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded Between 1964 and 1990, 650 acres (3 km²) near Brookeville in Montgomery County, Maryland were acquired and set aside as the Rachel Carson Conservation Park, administered by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Brookeville is a town located twenty miles (32 km north of Washington D Montgomery County of the US state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington D The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission ( M-NCPPC) is bi-county agency that administers Parks and planning in Montgomery and ^[82] In 1969, the Coastal Maine National Wildlife Refuge became the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge; expansions will bring the size of the refuge to about 9,125 acres (37 km²). The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge made up of several parcels of land along of Maine 's southern coast ^[83] In 1985, North Carolina renamed one of its estuarine reserves in honor of Carson, in Beaufort. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open Beaufort (ˈboʊfɚt "BO-furt" is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. ^[84]

Carson is also a frequent namesake for prizes awarded by philanthropic, educational and scholarly institutions. The Rachel Carson Prize, founded in Stavanger, Norway in 1991, is awarded to women who have made a contribution in the field of environmental protection. The Rachel Carson Prize is an international Environmental award, established in Stavanger, Norway in 1991 to commemorate the achievements of is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional ^[85] The American Society for Environmental History has awarded the Rachel Carson Prize for Best Dissertation since 1993. The American Society for Environmental History ( ASEH) is a professional society for the field of Environmental history. ^[86] Since 1998, the Society for Social Studies of Science has awarded an annual Rachel Carson Book Prize for "a book length work of social or political relevance in the area of science and technology studies. The Society for Social Studies of Science (often abbreviated as 4S) is a nonprofit scholarly association devoted to the studies of Science and Technology "^[87]

Centennial events

The celebration of the 100th anniversary Carson's birth in Springdale, Pennsylvania

2007 was the centennial of Carson's birth. Springdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River. On Earth Day (April 22, 2007), Courage for the Earth: Writers, Scientists, and Activists Celebrate the Life and Writing of Rachel Carson was released as "a centennial appreciation of Rachel Carson's brave life and transformative writing", thirteen essays by prominent environmental writers and scientists. Earth Day is one of two Observances both held annually during spring in the Northern hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern hemisphere. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[88] Democratic Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland, had intended to submit a resolution celebrating Carson for her "legacy of scientific rigor coupled with poetic sensibility" on the 100th anniversary of her birth. Benjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin (born October 5 1943) is a Democratic member of the United States Senate representing the state of The resolution was blocked by Republican Senator Tom Coburn, Oklahoma,^[89] who said that "The junk science and stigma surrounding DDT—the cheapest and most effective insecticide on the planet—have finally been jettisoned. Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, MD (born March 14 1948 is an American Politician and medical doctor. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. "^[90] The Rachel Carson Homestead Association held a May 27 birthday party and sustainable feast at her birthplace and home in Springdale, Pennsylvania, and planned several other events throughout the year. Rachel Carson Homestead is a National Register of Historic Places site in Springdale, Pennsylvania, United States, 18 miles northeast of Springdale is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River.

List of works

• Under the Sea Wind, 1941, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Group, 1996, ISBN 0-14-025380-7
• The Sea Around Us, 1951, Oxford University Press, 1991, ISBN 0-19-506997-8
• The Edge of the Sea, 1955, Mariner Books, 1998, ISBN 0-395-92496-0
• Silent Spring, Houghton Mifflin, 1962, Mariner Books, 2002, ISBN 0-618-24906-0
  • Silent Spring initially appeared serialized in three parts in the 16 June, 23 June, and 30 June 1962 issues of The New Yorker magazine
• The Sense of Wonder, 1965, HarperCollins, 1998: ISBN 0-06-757520-X published posthumously
• Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman 1952–1964 An Intimate Portrait of a Remarkable Friendship, Beacon Press, 1995, ISBN 0-8070-7010-6 edited by Martha Freeman (granddaughter of Dorothy Freeman)
• Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson, Beacon Press, 1998, ISBN 0-8070-8547-2

Notes

References

• Hynes, H. Patricia. The Recurring Silent Spring. New York: Pergamon Press, 1989. ISBN 0-08-037117-5
• Lear, Linda. Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature. New York: Henry Holt, 1997. ISBN 0-8050-3428-5
• Lytle, Mark Hamilton. The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007 ISBN 0-19-517246-9
• Murphy, Priscilla Coit. What a Book Can Do: The Publication and Reception of Silent Spring. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2005. ISBN 978-1-55849-582-1

See also

• Women and the environment through history

Further reading

• Brooks, Paul. The House of Life: Rachel Carson at Work. Houghton Mifflin, 1972. ISBN 0395135176. This book is a personal memoir by Carson's Houghton Mifflin editor and close friend Paul Brooks.
• Jezer, Marty. Marty Jezer (Nov 21 1940 - June 11 2005 was a well-known activist and author Rachel Carson: Biologist and Author. Chelsea House Publications, 1988. ISBN 155546646X
• Matthiessen, Peter (ed. ). Courage for the Earth: Writers, Scientists, and Activists Celebrate the Life and Writing of Rachel Carson. Mariner Books, 2007. ISBN 0618872760
• Quaratiello, Arlene . Rachel Carson: A Biography. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2004. ISBN 0-313-32388-7
• Moore, Kathleen Dean and Sideris, Lisa H. (ed. ). Rachel Carson: Legacy and Challenge. Albany, New York: SUNY Press, 2008.

External links

Biographical resources

• Rachel Carson papers - Yale University Library finding aid for Carson's papers
• New York Times obituary
• RachelCarson.org—website by Carson biographer Linda Lear
• Time magazine's "100 most important people" article on Carson
• Revisiting Rachel Carson—Bill Moyer's Journal, PBS. org, 9-21-2007
• "A Sense of Wonder"—a two-act play about Carson, written and performed by Kaiulani Lee based on the posthumous work of the same name.
  • YouTube Clip of Bill Moyers television on Lee's one woman show

Carson-related organizations

• The Rachel Carson Council
• The Rachel Carson Homestead
• Silent Spring Institute
• Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy
• Rachel Carson Institute

Criticism

• Rachel Was Wrong—an anti-Carson website by the Competitive Enterprise Institute
• Silent Spring at 40: Rachel Carson's classic is not aging well. The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI is a Non-profit public policy organization founded in 1984 by Fred L Reason Online, 12 June 2002