“Many people have commented with surprise on the fact that a work of science should have a large popular sale. In her acceptance speech she outlined her beliefs about the public’s interest in science: The book was a bestseller at the outset, selling 250,000 copies in its first year of publication, and the following year, Carson was awarded the National Book Award for nonfiction for the work. In 1951, The Sea Around Us elevated Carson to fame and cemented her credentials as a successful interpreter of science for the public. She completed a master’s degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932.Ĭarson’s fascination and skill with science coupled with her love of and desire to protect natural areas inspired the rest of her life and is revealed in the work she embraced, both for FWS and personally. In 1925, she entered the Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University) to pursue a writing career, but after classes in biology Carson changed majors, graduating with honors in 1929. Carson’s mother Maria encouraged her daughter to write, and by age 11, Carson was winning writing competitions. Carson was born in 1907 in Springdale, Pa., a rural river town outside of Pittsburgh. Rachel Carson may have been one of the few people capable of writing with the scientific thoroughness her subject required and the sincerity and engaging writing style that riveted a nation’s attention. Carson was moved by the relationship between humans and the natural world and worried about the effects of scientific interventions on the environment. In her view, government leaders and industry were eager to create sweeping change, but advanced new technologies without knowing the full implications of their decisions. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) from 1936 until 1952 as a field scientist and writer, was acutely aware of the policies and practices of the day. production of DDT leaped from 4,366 tons in 1944 to a peak of 81,154 tons in 1963.Ĭarson, who was employed with the U.S. DDT’s widespread use is reflected by the range of products in which it was sold, from large-scale aerial sprays to insecticidal paint and wallpaper. Department of Agriculture and corporations promoted DDT and other powerful chemicals to increase domestic productivity and combat a variety of ills. A potent insecticide, DDT was effective at preventing the spread of typhoid, malaria, and other diseases transmitted by insects, and it saved countless lives during the war. After the war, science and industry translated these developments and others into commercial products aimed at improving the quality of life for civilians.ĭDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-di(4-chlorophenyl)ethane, also known as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) is one such example. New technologies flourished during the war as biologists, chemists, physicists, andothers were enlisted to aid the military. To understand how radically her book changed the modern mindset, we have to go back to the time between World War II and the late 1950s when Carson first decided to write Silent Spring. Silent Spring introduced a paradigm shift in how chemists practice their discipline and how society at large relates to science. Specifically, Silent Spring explained how indiscriminate application of agricultural chemicals, pesticides, and other modern chemicals polluted our streams, damaged bird and animal populations, and caused severe medical problems for humans. If a civilization is judged by the wisdom of its ways, the 21st century owes considerable gratitude to one woman, Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring, published in 1962, revolutionized how people understand their relationship with the natural environment. Landmark Designation and Acknowledgments.The legacy of Silent Spring continues today in the chemistry community’s increased focus on green chemistry practices and the public’s heightened support for sustainability in all areas of our lives. Carson’s book promoted a paradigm shift in how chemists practice their discipline and helped to establish a new role for chemists in investigating the impact of human activity on the environment. These discussions led to new policies that protect our air, our water, and, ultimately, our health and safety. Carson’s scientific perspective and rigor created a work of substantial depth and credibility that sparked widespread debate within the scientific community and the broader public about the effect of pesticides on the natural world. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in 1962, was a landmark in the development of the modern environmental movement. Designated October 26, 2012, at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |