By: Loranne Abel

“Conservation is a cause that has no end.  There is no point at which we will say ‘our work is finished.’” --Rachel Carson

In today’s world, the environment is one of our main concerns.  Prior to the 1950’s, many people had never given it much thought, however the environment presently is a major component of our lives.  We now see companies, laws, government agencies and jobs that deal specifically with our earth.  Rachel Carson played a major role in bringing about change, for without her conservation and ecology would almost be unheard of.

 Rachel Carson was born on May 27, 1907 in a small town in Western Pennsylvania.  She was the youngest of three children and at a very young age, while her older brother and sister were off at school, she developed a keen interest for the outdoors.  After completing grade school, Rachel Carson attended Pennsylvania College for Women, now known as Chatham College.  It was there that she graduated with high honors from the department of biology.  Rachel chose to do her graduate work at Johns Hopkins University where she completed her masters in 1932.

Although Rachel always held a love for the outdoors, her favorite part of nature was the sea.  It was this love that inspired her to write her first novel ‘The Sea Around Us’, followed by ‘Under the Sea Wind’ and ‘The Edge of the Sea’.  After publishing these works, Rachel quit her job at the United States Bureau of Fisheries to become a full time writer. 

Rachel Carson’s life was about to take a major turn upon a letter she received from a close friend from Massachusetts in 1958.  The letter described a plane spraying pesticides over a bird sanctuary to kill mosquitoes.  Carson’s friend went on to describe in detail all of the birds that had been dying because of it.  She believed that the dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a common pesticide, was responsible.  Carson decided to investigate this issue further and even wrote an article to the New Yorker about the deadly pesticide. 

Rachel Carson decided to write a novel describing the harmfulness of DDT.  The book tells about the pesticides disability to break down.  The pesticide’s persistence prevents the insects or animals that ingest it from digesting it.  The pesticides are then stored in the animal’s fat and passed up the food chain. Not only was this information harmful to the manufacturers of the pesticides, but it also offended the United States Department of Agriculture, who was proud of what DDT was accomplishing.

Rachel Carson’s book, ‘The Silent Spring’ caused a major outcry from all facets of society.  She was named a troublemaker and a hero.  Despite these labels, the government recognized the importance of her words and developed the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970.  This new agency tested all substances such as DDT before they were to be used.  Carson also won many awards for her work in the field of ecology and conservation. 

Unfortunately, Rachel Carson never lived long enough to see the effects that her work had on society.  She died of breast cancer on April 14, 1964.  Her book ‘Silent Spring’ is still one of the world’s best sellers.