Rachel Carson and the Modern Environmental Movement - Essay Sample

The book Silent Spring was published in 1962. It became a landmark in the propagation of the modern environmental movement. This paper is going to look into the significance of the Silent Spring, the significant responses to Carsons work by political and industrial leaders and finally, the long term achievements which resulted from Carsons work.

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Her book has since caused debate and discussions between the public and the scientific community with regards to the impact that pesticides have on the environment and the natural world. Silent spring led to the creation of policies and guidelines which aim to protect water bodies prevent air pollution and protect the health and safety of people1. It also promoted and enhanced a big change in the manner which chemists practice their discipline and bringing to core one of their current major rules; assessing and evaluating the effects and repercussions of human activities on the environment. Currently, there is emphasis on green and sustainable chemistry practices. In addition to that, the public is now engaged in sustainability issues in all areas of their lives. The significance of silent spring

In Silent Spring, there is an in depth and detailed analysis of the chemicals used in industrial settings, to spray plants and in the preservation of food. Rachel explains the effects of these chemicals on the environment and the ecology system rather than the solutions they bring.

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0527.htmlRachel built her entire case on science after carrying out an extensive research, did interviews with people well conversant in the field and using other scientific reports which focused on the same issue2.

Chemicals were being used to kill insects but then birds were dying after eating the dead insects. Rachel pointed out that chemicals travel through food chains and through the environment. Chemicals which were used as food preservatives ended up accumulating in fat tissues and later result in diseases which were transferrable from a mother to her child. The public did not know these issues by then and Carson was able to point out that life was interconnected and interdependent in ways unknown to people. It is important to note that Carson did not want all agricultural chemicals to be outlawed, she advocated for the development of biological alternatives which were safe and less harmful to the environment.

From the time the book was published, there has been a tremendous growth in green chemistry. The book has had an impact on 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. The book also provided chemist with another role that of assessing the effects of human actions on the environment. Policy makers people and chemists have become aware of the weigh trade-offs of new technologies. Rachels ideals such as the protection of the environment, the conservation of the environment and ecological awareness have become widespread. 3Carson pointed out that even though technological innovations and inventions are crucial, this development is fundamentally at odds with natural activities and, as such, there is need for it to be controlled. The adverse effects raised in Silent Spring, for example, spread of cancer, the damage of genetics, the contamination of food chains, the disappearance and extinction of species could not be ignored. There had to be regulations which protect the environment. This resulted to the birth of environmentalism. Rachel brought about a new and important paradigms of thinking, people are now aware that life on earth is not merely about humanity but nature as well. To date, the legacy of Rachel Carson still lives through the increase in focus on use of environmentally friendly products and increase in support of sustainability issues by the public.

Carsons work had an impact on political leaders as well as industrial leaders. Upon the publication of the book in 1962, the book was encountered with a lot of public interest and criticism as well. Top state officials, such as President John F. Kennedy together with Stewart L. Udall, who was the then secretary of Interior, were among the first people to comment on the book. However, there were others who publicly criticized her work vehemently4. A review of Silent Spring was done by Dr. William J. Darby, the article was titled Silence, Miss Carson and it was published in Oct. 1, 1962. Some of criticisms leveled against Carson by Darby were that she had not adopted the views of other scientists who were knowledgeable.Williams recommendations were that:

In view of her scientific qualifications in contrast to those of our distinguished scientific leaders and statesmen, this book should be ignored .

Despite criticisms from several quarters, the book became a landmark. In 1963, in a Presidential Science Advisory Committee Report, Carsons book was the central and primary testimony in two congressional hearings that had taken place that year.

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.

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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