A presentation on

Silent Spring

By

Nishat Falgunee

Course 514: Biodiversity and Conservation

Department of Geography and Environment

• Silent spring is a book, written by Rachel

Carson in 1962

• It documented the many damaging

effects of a popular pesticide called

DDT

• The book absolutely revolutionized

environmentalism

• Upon publication, it was met with both

immense protest and admiration

Introduction

Rachel Carson

• Born on may 27, 1907

• Since childhood she loved

books and reading, and

wanted to become a writer

• She intended on majoring

English and become a

writer

• Her biology teacher

ignited her mind to

become a marine biologist

Rachel Carson

• Radio script writer for US Bureau of Fisheries

(temporary)

• Later joined US Bureau of Fisheries as a

junior scientist and rose to chief publication

officer by 1949.

• Published journal and newspaper articles

regularly

• Published 1st book in 1941

• She took early retirement from government

service to become a full time science writer

• Carson decided to write the book as a

reaction to USDA Fire Ant

Eradication Program 1957

• She was recruited by Audubon

Society for research

• The impetus for Silent Spring was a

letter written in 1958 by Olga Owens

Huckins, to The Boston Herald,

describing the death of birds from

the aerial spraying of DDT

Context of Writing the Book

Chapters of the Book

• A Fable for Tomorrow

• The Obligation to Endure

• Elixirs of Death

• Surface Water and

Underground Sees

• Realms of Soil

• Earth’s Green Mantle

• Needless Havoc

• And No Birds Sing

• Rivers of Death

• Indiscriminately from the

Skies

• Beyond the Dreams of

Borgias

• The Human Price

• Through A Narrow Window

• One in Every Four

• Nature Fights Back

• The Rumblings of an

Avalanche

• The Other Road

• Adverse impacts of insecticides

• Description of chemicals

• Death of birds, animals and children due to

bioaccumulation of DDT

• Spread in water, soil and food

• Cause of cancer and genetic damages

• Ineffectiveness due to resistant species

and destruction of natural enemies

• Everyday use chemicals are dangerous

• Corruption in the government and

responsible authorities

Findings

Recommendations

• Stop mass spraying and indiscriminate use

• Limited use of less poisonous chemicals in small doses

• Limited use of everyday chemicals

• Cancer prevention rather than cure

• Research should be focused on alternative ways that

protect environment, not on creating deadlier chemicals

• Proper information should be given to the users

regarding the side effects of all chemicals

•Male fertilization by radiation (X-ray, Gamma radiation)

•Male sterilization by chemical injection of insect food

•Utilizing insects own life process

Juvenile hormones

Sex attracting secretions

Repellant sounds

Viral and bacterial enemies

Natural enemies

Recommendations

On June 3rd, 1963, Rachel Carson gave her testimony before

president John F. Kennedy’s science advisory committee, which

submitted a report largely backing her scientific claims.

Legacy

• Deep ecology movement and eco-feminism

• Environmental defense fund in 1967

• 1970- DDT was banned

• US EPA was formed

•DDT remained the most important international issue for the next

50 years

•Silent Spring’s influence lives on in many ways

•In these regards, Carson's work continues to shake the world

Legacy

Silent Spring has been featured in many

lists of the best nonfiction books of the

twentieth century. In the Modern

Library List of Best 20th-Century

Nonfiction it was at number 5. It was at

number 78 in the National Review's 100

best non-fiction books of the 20th

century.In 2006, Silent Spring was

named one of the 25 greatest science

books of all time by the editors of

Discover Magazine.

Legacy

Positive reactions

• The book sold 500000 copies

worldwide

• Protests for environmentalism

increased

• JFK changed federal law because

of Carson’s book

• Spawned dozens of educational

and exploratory books

Negative reactions

• When CBS decided to air a special on the

book, they were flooded with letters,

asking them not to air it

• Smear campaign

• Sexism- but her reaction to this was

inspiring

Raise your Voice