Silent Spring, By Rachel Carson - 1711 Words

An activist is defined as someone who crusades for some kind of societal change. To be considered an effective activist, the individual would need to influence a transformation in the world, causing a change and reshaping a perception. Rachel Carson, best known as the author of Silent Spring, is said to be one of the most influential women in environmental history, according to her fellow authors and conservationists. Carson has been recognized worldwide in history and science books for her campaign against DDT, her work as a conservationist, and her efforts to change society’s view of the planet. In Silent Spring Ms. Carson brought the adverse effects of a toxic commonly, used pesticide to the forefront of the environmental movement. DDT was being used commercially to treat crops and was destroying the surrounding ecosystem (Carson). She published her findings from experiments she conducted in the early 1950s in Silent Spring. However, it was not an easy piece to have published, especially not in the 1950s. Carson’s work challenged mainstream thought and went on to change it, even in a time when women were not particularly powerful or respected. Many criticized Carson for her challenging ideas and her outspokenness, but in 1962, her battle to be published was made a triumph. The book led to a presidential commission by John F. Kennedy. Through Carson’s publication, the danger of the use of DDT was realized and later banned in the United States. Without the work of RachelShow MoreRelatedSilent Spring By Rachel Carson1441 Words   |  6 PagesWith the 1960s came a need for change, as an immense amount of smog and toxic chemicals used in agriculture and industry caused, the blue to fade away from the sky and water in America. Rachel Carson provided the catalyst for this change with her book Silent Spring published in 1962, which revealed the harmful impacts of pesticides on almost all wildlife and human beings. People reading a book wouldn’t be enough, though, for twenty million Americans came together on April 22, 1970, to celebrate theRead MoreSilent Spring By Rachel Carson1354 Words   |  6 PagesSilent Spring by Rachel Carson Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is a revolutionary part of the environmentalist’s history. Caron’s last novel written, published in 1962, is a plea to the American people to look at what insecticides are doing to our nation, and with that, our earth. Her first chapter sets the scene, and brings readers to a fictitious city that all Americans can try to relate to by writing, â€Å"There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony withRead MoreSilent Spring By Rachel Carson1527 Words   |  7 PagesThe dominant theme of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is the powerful and detrimental impact humans have on the natural world. Carson s main argument is that pesticides have harmful effects on the environment and lead to a loss of biodiversity and quality of life. Carson uses the pesticide DDT throughout the book as she examines the effects of pesticides throughout the United States. Though the majority of the book is focused on the effects of pesticides on our ecosystem processes, she also touchesRead MoreSilent Spring, By Rachel Carson1823 Words   |  8 Pagesin the environment. Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, was greatly concerned about such dangers, and wrote Silent Spring to raise public awareness. In Silent Spring, Rachel Carson brought awareness of such dangers, reporting that even small doses of pesticides applied regularly can build up to enormous quantities over time. Once accumulated, pesticides present in the environment pose a threat to people and animals alike. For example, many pesticides are carcinogens that Carson attributes to the spikeRead MoreSilent Spring By Rachel Carson1083 Words   |  5 Pagesbelief in which one advocates for environmental preservation. In Rachel Carson’s narrative Silent Spring, she gives her activist insight on the use of toxic chemicals for the benefit of humanity by exposing the detrimental effects these toxins bring. In comparison to Carson, I perceive myself to have developed my perception of nature through books however, my culture did not allow me to have a one on one interaction with nature. Carson fails to comprehend how traditional values potentially promoteRead MoreSilent Spring By Rachel Carson855 Words   |  4 PagesObligation to Endure is taken from the book Silent Spring by the author Rachel Carson. This piece was written in 1962. It is a very richly worded excerpt, written with the intention of grabbing hold of the reader and opening their eyes to what she sees as a problem within the rise of humanity. The main focus of the topic is that the overuse of insecticides and chemicals which are not only a problem but also a detriment to man as well as nature. Carson makes a very effective argument, bringing awarenessRead MoreSilent Spring By Rachel Carson Essay1720 Words   |  7 PagesStates. The idea was first introduced in the United States by Rachel Carson’s book, titled Silent Spring. Rachel Carson developed a cle ar thesis inside Silent Spring where every claim made in the book is supported with enormous substantial factual evidence. The overall theme of the book is calling for awareness and addressing issues with excessive usage of man-made and natural chemicals implemented into daily human life. Although Rachel Carson focuses predominately on concerns surrounding the topic ofRead MoreSilent Spring, By Rachel Carson1487 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"On earth, the history of life is always the history of the interaction between biology and environment. To a large extent, the natural forms and habits of the plants and animals on the earth are shaped. â€Å"Said Rachel Carson, in her book silent spring, â€Å"In the environment of all invasion, air, soil, rivers and oceans are the most shocking pollution, and some of them even fatal pollution. Such pollution is largely irreversible. â€Å"The planet, which provides us food, water and shelters is being destroyedRead MoreSilent Spring By Rache l Carson952 Words   |  4 Pagesloss for many marine flora and fauna as well as the potential ecosystem services that could have been provided. In the last 50 years, there have been changes in human attitudes towards the environment and a marker for this is the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. This marked the beginning of the birthplace of environmental law that shapes the marine law of today. Carlson’s book changed the way people thought about the environment and their impacts on the environment. This is further highlightedRead MoreSilent Spring, By Rachel Carson1355 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen a part of everyday human life. It makes up all of the living and non-living factors of life, including water, air, and forests. During the 1960s, people started to realize how the environment affected their everyday life. Since Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, an environmental science book about the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on nature, people started to take a sta nd and the environmental movement was born. The environmental movement continued to gain support in the 1970s. In