Rachel Carson was born in a small village near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1907. She was the youngest child and was reared in a rural setting. Her mother, Maria Carson had much interest in theology and natural history and she also inspired her children to observe nature. She gained first-hand knowledge of nature as well as wildlife at the Pennsylvania farm. Furthermore, she got graduation degree from the Pennsylvania College for Women in 1929 as she was interested in the natural world ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"07wmO52e","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Quaratiello, 2004)","plainCitation":"(Quaratiello, 2004)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2717,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4RLGW4QP"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4RLGW4QP"],"itemData":{"id":2717,"type":"book","title":"Rachel Carson: a biography","publisher":"Greenwood Publishing Group","ISBN":"0-313-32388-7","author":[{"family":"Quaratiello","given":"Arlene Rodda"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2004"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Quaratiello, 2004). Initially, she aimed to become a writer but later she changed her mind and went with her interest. She then went to Johns Hopkins University for further education. Moreover, in 1932 she also joined the University of Maryland and taught for five years. She became a marine biologist and environmentalist. Afterwards, she brought awareness to the world regarding the environmental influence of fertilizers and insecticides. Her famous book, known as “Silent Spring”, played a significant role in this regard and condemned the usage of pesticides, specifically DDT ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"VcLk5gNN","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Murphy, 2019)","plainCitation":"(Murphy, 2019)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2713,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/82YMVX38"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/82YMVX38"],"itemData":{"id":2713,"type":"article-journal","title":"Scientific argument without a scientific consensus: Rachel Carson's rhetorical strategies in the Silent Spring debates","container-title":"Argumentation and Advocacy","page":"194-210","volume":"55","issue":"3","author":[{"family":"Murphy","given":"Mollie K."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Murphy, 2019). Thus, the book created awareness about environmental pollution. The effect of the book was also the establishment of a presidential commission that proved a source of environmental consciousness.
In addition, she worked hard to save the world for future generations and joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1936. Here her position was of an aquatic biologist and she wrote an article in The Atlantic Monthly in 1937. She gave the world her valuable book, “Under the Sea-Wind” in 1941 and this book provided information about marine life in very non-technical prose ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"wHoVqjFC","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Quaratiello, 2004)","plainCitation":"(Quaratiello, 2004)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2717,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4RLGW4QP"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4RLGW4QP"],"itemData":{"id":2717,"type":"book","title":"Rachel Carson: a biography","publisher":"Greenwood Publishing Group","ISBN":"0-313-32388-7","author":[{"family":"Quaratiello","given":"Arlene Rodda"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2004"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Quaratiello, 2004). Then in the 1950s she started working on the effects of pesticides on the food chain and published her another book, “The Sea Around Us” in 1951. The book won a National Book Award and was a national bestseller book, which was also translated into 30 languages. In 1955, there came her third book, “The Edge of the Sea”. Accordingly, she played a crucial role in the creation of environmentalism in the 20th century. However, she could not live to see any substantive result of her work and died in 1964 because of cancer and will always be remembered as a primary environmental activist who had worked to the realm the world for forthcoming generations.
Rachel Carson working period analysis
Rachel was a biologist, writer and role model of her time. She gave many groundbreaking books such as Under the Sea Wind and The Sea Around Us and won different awards like the National Book Award and the John Burroughs Medal. On the other hand, she also faced many obstacles as a scientist in the 1950s. She worked to convert large numbers of people to environmentalism and for this purpose, she used her book, Silent Spring. It proved a shriek to sanction DDT which was corrupting the environment on an exceptional gage. Conversely, there were also opponents of these views and they attacked her personally. They considered her as radical, unfaithful as well as unscientific. Furthermore, they also considered her as communist because of her stressing over not to use any pesticide ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"A20hUN4b","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(DeMarco, 2017)","plainCitation":"(DeMarco, 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2714,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/P8I8UKKQ"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/P8I8UKKQ"],"itemData":{"id":2714,"type":"article-journal","title":"Rachel Carson's environmental ethic–a guide for global systems decision making","container-title":"Journal of Cleaner Production","page":"127-133","volume":"140","author":[{"family":"DeMarco","given":"Patricia M."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (DeMarco, 2017). They had a view that this would reduce their supply of food and would be a loss for them. The popular press and pages of chemical and agricultural trade journals of that time were containing all these allegations of a hysterical woman.
Her views were also rejected initially as she had no institutional affiliation. It was thought that she had no understanding of the subject and lack professionalism. Her frequent use of terms such as nature and natural was reflected as only her lover of nature and no professional aim behind the struggle.
Rachel Carson personal beliefs
Rachel Carson had a birth in rural Pennsylvania and she experienced true nature. She loved nature and also encouraged Americans to love and protect nature. She was also interested in exploring the marine environment since from an early age. In her childhood home, she used to explore and collect the ocean shells. Moreover, she also has a love for reading and writing. This love can be seen in her published books. Likewise, she was also interested in the animals in the context of the natural world.
Overcoming the barriers and issues
Carson was very enthusiastic and wanted to work for the protection of the natural world. However, her financial condition did not allow her to have a Ph.D Degree. Therefore, she left it and started professional life. She did not find any acceptable teaching position and joined the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries as a science writer. She was fond of writing and used this position to work for nature. She was not the only author of books but also wrote articles in regional newspapers. Her diligence resulted in her a full-time position at the Bureau of Fisheries as an aquatic biologist ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"nc0FQE4L","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Quaratiello, 2004)","plainCitation":"(Quaratiello, 2004)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2717,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4RLGW4QP"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/4RLGW4QP"],"itemData":{"id":2717,"type":"book","title":"Rachel Carson: a biography","publisher":"Greenwood Publishing Group","ISBN":"0-313-32388-7","author":[{"family":"Quaratiello","given":"Arlene Rodda"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2004"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Quaratiello, 2004). When she faced severe criticism from government and industrialist, then she devoted her next 4 years for research work. The main criticism was over her book, “Silent Spring”. She rightly addressed all the criticism with her research ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"eIgdEW5c","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Murphy, 2019)","plainCitation":"(Murphy, 2019)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2713,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/82YMVX38"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/82YMVX38"],"itemData":{"id":2713,"type":"article-journal","title":"Scientific argument without a scientific consensus: Rachel Carson's rhetorical strategies in the Silent Spring debates","container-title":"Argumentation and Advocacy","page":"194-210","volume":"55","issue":"3","author":[{"family":"Murphy","given":"Mollie K."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2019"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Murphy, 2019).
Contribution to public health
Rachel Carson worked hard for the protection of the environment. As a result of her efforts, in 1970, “The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)” was established. The agency canceled all Federal registrations of DDT products and banned its usage in the US. Moreover, she also gave a call to the Food and Drug Administration to establish the safe limits of chemical pesticides in food. She also stressed over the need of for public education about the nature of household chemicals. This resulted in the founding of different links between pesticides and cancer.
Importance of the contribution to public health
Publication of Carson’s book resulted in packaging on chemicals as well as pesticide warning labels. Besides, the Endangered Species Act was also passed in 1973 for protecting the endangered species. The Act identified and protected many species such as American alligator, the peregrine falcon, and the bald eagle. These were going to end as a result of the use of different chemicals.
Importance for nation
Rachel Carson was an initiator of the environmental movement. Her mother inculcated in her the love for nature. For the sake of this love, she penned her famous books that were built on her researches as a biologist ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ESrqoNCv","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Battaglin et al., 2018)","plainCitation":"(Battaglin et al., 2018)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2718,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/A8GWG5E5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/A8GWG5E5"],"itemData":{"id":2718,"type":"article-journal","title":"Contaminants of emerging concern in the environment: Where we have been and what does the future hold?","container-title":"Water Resources Impact","page":"8-11","volume":"20","issue":"6","author":[{"family":"Battaglin","given":"William A."},{"family":"Kolpin","given":"Dana W."},{"family":"Furlong","given":"Edward T."},{"family":"Glassmeyer","given":"Susan"},{"family":"Blackwell","given":"Brett R."},{"family":"Corsi","given":"Steven"},{"family":"Meyer","given":"Michael T."},{"family":"Bradley","given":"Paul M."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2018"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Battaglin et al., 2018). She was the greatest advocator of environmental safety. She had surely concreted the way for future women scientists along with birthing future generations of nature-lovers.
Carson’s contributions had made society understand the interconnections between the environment and economy ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"ZofXEgEB","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Lytle, 2017)","plainCitation":"(Lytle, 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":2715,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/QANU5MTF"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/KZl8ZL3A/items/QANU5MTF"],"itemData":{"id":2715,"type":"article-journal","title":"Rachel Carson","container-title":"Human Ecology Review","page":"55-64","volume":"23","issue":"2","author":[{"family":"Lytle","given":"Mark Hamilton"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Lytle, 2017) Now people know about changes in their environment and also work to remove the adverse effects of these changes. Four decades have passed to Carson's revolutionary call and nation is still appreciating her efforts and debating over the questions that she raised.
Hence, today as a result of her Silent Spring, the nation celebrates Earth Day. Now people know the accountability of science and the restrictions of technical progress. Moreover, the chemical industry is also advancing its safe management of chemicals from manufacture to disposal as an effect of the Responsible Care program in 1988.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Battaglin, W. A., Kolpin, D. W., Furlong, E. T., Glassmeyer, S., Blackwell, B. R., Corsi, S., … Bradley, P. M. (2018). Contaminants of emerging concern in the environment: Where we have been and what does the future hold? Water Resources Impact, 20(6), 8–11.
DeMarco, P. M. (2017). Rachel Carson's environmental ethics–a guide for global systems decision making. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 127–133.
Lytle, M. H. (2017). Rachel Carson. Human Ecology Review, 23(2), 55–64.
Murphy, M. K. (2019). Scientific argument without a scientific consensus: Rachel Carson’s rhetorical strategies in the Silent Spring debates. Argumentation and Advocacy, 55(3), 194–210.
Quaratiello, A. R. (2004). Rachel Carson: a biography. Greenwood Publishing Group.