When I picked up “Ray” Carson’s Silent Spring, I did not realize the impact such a small book would have on the way I think and feel about the environment. Nestled between illustrations of crabs and leaves are strong powerful words, that not only inform a reader, but also call them to action. The main reason Silent Spring leaves such a mark on the lives of all who read it, is primarily due to the fact that it deals with a subject that affects the public and deals with it in such a way that empowers citizens of the world. I hope through this essay I can begin to discuss how Silent Spring has influenced the way I think about the environment and the solutions that I have come up with from reading the novel. I think that in some ways Rachel Carson would be proud of the progress we have made, but in other respects she might have wondered if her book had ever been read and her message had ever been heard.

 

When Silent Spring was first published, major chemical companies and other sources accused Rachel Carson of being “extremist” and creating a problem from a virtual non issue. However, people read her book and she received great public support and encouragement; she became a prophet of truth and a voice for all those without one. Carson’s DDT campaign began when she received a letter form a woman named Olga Huckins from Duxbury, Massachusetts telling her that the chemical was killing birds and other animals around her home. Silent Spring helped to eliminate the use of DDT and because of her effects countless species have been saved. As mentioned above environmental problems are not getting any better; we live in a more “aware” and open minded society yet we are still finding it difficult to coexist with other living things. Since the ban of DDT pesticide use on farms has increased to 1.1 billions tons a year and production of chemical pesticides has increased by 400 percent. Of the chemicals we can [[??]] in the United States (found in household cleaning supplies) we freely send off to other countries in hopes of making a profit. The Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1970 primarily to deal with some of the issues that Rachel Carson wrote in her book; however the department has essentially failed at environmental regulations (Micheal Pollan, XXX). Congress has been continuously calling on the department to regulate pesticides, but the EPA has been able to postpone and ignore these requests. When examining a pesticide, Congress does not only focus on its toxicity, but also how cost efficient the pesticide is. Even after Silent Spring pesticides are protect in an exceptionally loving way; on average it takes about five to ten years to remove a deadly pesticide from the market and only several months to put a newer more efficient one on the market. THESE COSTS ARE USUALLY LEFT OUT OF THE ANALYSIS. When I read about Congressional attitudes towards the environment and various environmental policies, I understand why people are less protective of the world around them. We live in a society where we take our protection and the protection of the environment for granted. For most people, Congress knows what is best and that is enough. Over the years this way of thinking has proved to be extremely false and even negligent on our part and we need to stop relying on agencies, departments and far off politicians and rely on ourselves and our neighbors to make a difference.

Al Gore seems to capture the essence of the problem of politics and the environment when he said, “cleaning up politics is essentially cleaning up the environment.” (Gore) Many of the problems that we face today are in direct result because of negligent environmental policies. I'D RATHER NOT WAIT FOR THAT MYSELF.. Another problem that our world is facing is the inability to see into the future BUT ESPECIALLY TO DISCOUNT IT WHEN WE CAN. We can only see the direct benefit of using pesticides, but we fail to see how these same pesticides will interact with the environment around us in the years to come. In 1999, the United States alone used 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides- eight pounds for every man, woman and child. Although we no longer use DDT, one can argue that we rely on copies of the chemical in large ways (MICHAEL Pollan?). When Congress is presented with a harmful chemical, it should not take into account the efficiency and economic benefit, but the long term affects of the pesticide ON AND OFF FARM, AND HOW ITS MADE. To me being responsible for our actions today is one of the most important values humans need to possess.

Silent Spring has been called one of the most influential books of our time. People have encountered it in almost all fields of work and most Americans own a copy. Rachel Carson realized something we still have a hard time grasping- if we do not protect the land we have now, little will remain for the future. For some Carson remains a visionary, someone whose ideas and thoughts are great, but not practical ina a real world sense; however I feel that her words could not be more applicable. Today, the U.S. NO LONGER USES DDT, but  IS plagued with other carcinogenic pesticides that are damaging the earth. In order for people to make a difference, we need to not solely rely on the judgment of politicians and experts, but rely on our abilities and judgments. THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT IS A BRIGHT EXAMPLE. Until Congress and people realize the sacrifices we are making to save and make money our world is essentially doomed and spring will not be the only season that is silenced.

 

 Sources

Silent Spring, Rachel Carson.

The Omnivore's Dilemma. Michael Pollan.

Earth in the Balance. Al Gore