Earth & Sky

Considering Rachel Carson, "mother of environmentalism"

Environmentalists say they owe a great deal to Rachel Carson, a scientist and author of the book Silent Spring. Published in 1962, the book warned of the dangers to ecosystems from the overuse of pesticides.

May 27, 2007, marks the 100th anniversary of Carson’s birth.

In the 9–minute podcast above, you’ll hear Earth & Sky’s Jorge Salazar speaking with Linda Lear, author of Carson’s biography called Witness for Nature. Lear spoke of Rachel Carson’s enduring legacy and of the recent push–back against her work by conservatives, who argue that banning DDT has caused needless malaria deaths.

Written by Jorge Salazar

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2 Comments for Considering Rachel Carson, "mother of environmentalism"

1. 1

   May 29, 10:35 AM #

   Spring says:

   My book The Dynamic Great Lakes cites Silent Spring. After reading Silent Spring, I worked on grassroots committees to ban the widespread spraying of DDT in my town, Grand Haven, MI, then worked at MSU to ban DDT statewide. Rachel Carson has caused eagles, peregrine falcons and ospreys to return to the shores of the Great Lakes and other places.
   Barbara Spring, author
   The Dynamic Great Lakes
   www.geocities.com/barbaraspring

2. May 29, 12:25 PM #

   Deborah Byrd says:

   Barbara … thank you for commenting …