Essay on Environmental Protection: Silent Spring by Carson

The recommendations of the report were that there had to be a limit on the use of insecticides and pesticides. There had to be research on pesticides on the market and the hazards they were causing to human health and the ecology. Silent Spring is cited as the book which inspired and promoted the environmental movement which started in the 1960s. This movement has been gaining momentum nationally and globally. After the publication of book, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed. This body was tasked with formulating laws which protected the environment and human health. EPA later banned the use of DDT and the DDI which were some of the chemicals highlighted by Carson as it had harmful effects on human health and the environment 6.

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Carsons work had both short term and long term beneficial impacts and Silent Spring succeeded more than Carson or anyone else would have anticipated7. Soon after its publication, it impacted on the states policies. All the toxic chemicals which were mentioned in Silent Spring were outlawed while others became restricted for use in the United State.

Insecticides, pest-control chemicals, farm and plant chemicals were now scrutinized deeply. Regulations and policies governing them became stricter and this resulted in a reduction in the amount of chemicals used, especially those deemed hazardous.

The book created a shift in attitude as well. The authority of scientific experts was brought into question.

The public had entrusted these experts to protect their health and well-being. Rachel was able to show how experts depended on their own creations so much and most were after their private gains6. Many were concerned with making profits from the sale of these chemicals and did not have the interests of the public at heart.

Silent Spring started the modern global environment movement. The term modern environment refers to development in the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administration which led to the formation of the EPA and the banning of DDI. This was the most important achievement of Carsons work. The book described the connection and ecological relationship between human beings and nature. It was clear that the relationship was greater than just mere conservation of forests, water resources, soil and natural resources. Silent Spring also widened the perspectives of the public and it inspired activism throughout the nation.

It raised awareness about the environment and led to the foundation of the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. In 2009, an international center for scholarly study in the United States was named after Carson. This showed the appreciation of her work and the respect that she still gets nationally and globally. Her book touched a core among people.

Before Silent Spring was published, there was a natural and organic foods movement. However, it was a small movement and it did not have any support or resources. Because of the awareness raised by Carson, the movement has grown and big global supermarket chains such as Wal-Mart now carry organic foods. The concerns she raised about the hazardous substances and chemicals in food became mainstream concerns. Currently, the agricultural sector has grown and organic foods account for a big percentage of that growth.

Conclusion

This paper has addressed the significance of the Silent Spring, significant responses to Carsons work by political and industrial leaders and finally, the long term achievements which resulted from Carsons work. Silent spring it has changed the design, development and use of chemical products. There has been a reduction in the use of chemical substances which are harmful to the environment and the human health as well as that of animals. In 2007, BPA came under scrutiny. This is a chemical compound which is used in preservation of canned food. Several countries, such as Japan and Canada, restricted exposure to BPA. The use of BPA has been known to affect and disrupt fish and wildlife. Although these chemicals were not present in Carsons time, their effects are the same ones which were mentioned in her book. Therefore, more regulations are needed since no one is aware of the long-term use of these chemicals. They affect the ecosystem upon which human and animal life is dependent on8

The book resulted in the formation of EPA which now regulates environment policies. Silent Spring is the reason why the modern global environment movement began and raised awareness about the environment.

However, the issues that were addressed in the book still affect the world currently. Concern about the use of chemicals in water and food has become widespread. In 1994, there was a lot of concern about endocrine disruptors1. These are harmless substances which mimic hormones and only cause slight disruptions to the health system. There were suspicions that the use of these disruptors in food and water resulted in genital deformities, reduced sperm count, premature puberty in girls, and increase in testicular and prostate cancer, obesity and abnormal development of the brain among other issues7.

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Bibliography

Campbell Brown, Environmental Protection Agency, Dictionary of American History, the Gale Group, 2003

Environmental Protection, accessed April 2, 2017, http://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-and government/us-government/environmental-protectionLinda Lear, Rachel Carsons Silence, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 13, 2014

Rachel Carsons life, accessed April 2, 2017, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/nyregion/21udall.htmlRachel Carson, accessed on April 2, 2017, http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0527.htmlSilent Stories, Rachel Carson, accessed April 2, 2017, http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2014/04/13/THE-NEXT-PAGE-Rachel Carsons-silence/stories/201404130058Stewart L. Udall, Conservationist in Kennedy and Johnson Cabinets, Dies at 90, New york Times, March 20, 2010

Silent Stories. Part 2, Rachel Carson, accessed April 2, 2017, http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2014/04/13/THE-NEXT-PAGE-Rachel Carsons-silence/stories/201404130058