Rachel Carson, Founding Mother of the Environmentalist Movement

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In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson published her book A Silent Spring. This book was not any old book, but a warning. After many years of research, Carson noticed the impact of pesticides, especially DDT, on the environment. She wrote her book as a warning, and her research led to a nationwide ban of DDT. She would later be revered as the founding mother of the environmentalist movement, but who is Rachel Carson, and what did she do to influence the world and make it a better place?

Carson had a simple childhood. She was born in 1907 in Pennsylvania and grew up on her parents’ farm, and developed an affinity for nature. She was a reserved girl and was initially inspired to become a writer because of her mother. Under the guidance of her mother, Carson became quite skilled in writing.

In high school, she was an intelligent student and was motivated to become a writer. However, her ambitions changed when her biology professor in college helped her discover her love for nature, and she redirected her focus towards biology. Shortly after, she switched majors from English to biology and proceeded to get her master’s degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University.

Carson’s greatest discovery was that pesticides can have harmful effects on the environment. After realizing this, she decided to warn people about it in her book, A Silent Spring. The book showed how much the environment is compromised through the use of pesticides. Once synthesized pesticides, especially DDT, enter the ecosystem, they make their way up through the food chain and sicken birds, fish, and even small children. This book inspired many and was the catalyst for the environmentalist movement that spent half a decade convincing people of the harms of DDT. Her work resulted in a nation-wide ban of the pesticide, although this did not happen instantaneously. Because she released her book at a time when men were valued more than women, she received much criticism. At the time, sexist critics labeled her hysterical and witchy, and gave her an overall lack of respect. Furthermore, Carson’s thoughts on eliminating DDT were turned down because pesticides were short-term solutions to many problems, including malaria. Eliminating DDT meant finding another way to eliminate malaria, and politicians did not like that.

In April of 1964, Carson passed away from breast cancer and unfortunately could not witness her book’s effect on the world. She was known as the mother of the environmentalist movement and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980. Her most outstanding achievement was publishing A Silent Spring, which became one of the most influential books about the environment. Carson died an environmentalist, writer, and scientist.