Rachel Carson's book examined the harmful effect of unrestricted chemical pesticides into the environment. Although the use of pesticides had raised much anxiety at the time among various groups -- there was little factual data. Carson's detailed study on the effects of the pesticide DDT made an earth shattering difference. Everywhere grass root groups protested aerial spraying by the government and run off. Rachel Carson's name became associated with the use of pesticides throughout rural America---in the halls of Congress --and throughout the world.

In her book--Carson described the post World War II industry as being "Intoxicated with a sense of his own power...(mankind) seems to be going farther and farther away into more experiments for the destruction of himself and his world." She accused Science and Technology as being handmaidens of the chemical Industry in their rush for profits and control of the markets."

Carson noted that the proliferation use of toxic chemicals -- pesticides -- was the ultimate act of destruction to all life. She argued that the widespread use of the pesticide DDT "permeated" animal and human tissue--a claim the chemical Industry vehemently disputed. (The Chemical Industry argued human "thresholds' and "assimilative capacities" on permeability.) She challenged the government's wisdom to allow the use of DDT in the environment without knowing the long term consequences. "Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life?"

Although the Chemical Industry attempted to portray Rachel Carson as "a hysterical woman" they eventually placed her argument on the "wrong side" of the issue and tried to discredit her study and claims. Luckily Carson's book came to the attention of JFK who ordered a state and federal investigations into her claims. Although Rachel Carson died 18 months later of breast cancer (April 1964) it wasn't until 6 years later that the Environmental Protection Agency became government policy and Earth Day was established.

Perhaps the most daunting part of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring -- is her Fable for Tomorrow. Carson wrote about a town -- it could have been any town, "A strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community, mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens, the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was a shadow of death. The farmers spoke of much illness among their families, In the town the doctors had become more and more puzzled by new kinds of sickness appearing their patients. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths, not only among adults deaths but even young children, who would be stricken suddenly while play and die within a few hours."

"The birds, for example -- where had they gone? The feeding stations in the backyard were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund, they trembled violently and could not fly.

It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was no sound, only silence lay over head the fields and woods and marshes. On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. the farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs--the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit...No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves."

Silent Spring can be purchased on Amazon.com

Doris Cadigan is a long time activist for peace and a regular reader of Axis of Logic.  Like this book review, her essays have contributed significantly to building a broad and compassionate world view.  Over the years, she has written letters to editors of the corporate media, taking them to task over their failure to inform the masses of the whole truth.  - LMB

Doris can be reached at DCadigan01@aol.com