A Book Report: Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson

“The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized.”

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is and educational book about the use of pesticides and herbicides around the world in the first half of the twentieth century, as well as the harmful effects this use has caused to the environment and humans. Being that the book is a bit outdated, it was first published in the early 1960’s, it can be used only as a historical reference and for historical educational purposes. Silent Spring is credited with bringing about the environmental movement in the United States. Since its publication the government has made major changes in the use of harmful chemicals such as DDT, which is now banned. Other organizations are also the result of Carson’s work; silentspring.org is dedicated to “break the link between the environment and women’s health….”

Reading this book will open your eyes and make you think about life in a whole new way. For me, it made me grateful to be alive; I consider myself one of the “fittest” to have survived so far. Many questions came to my mind when reading this book which will require further research to be answered. I wonder which of the chemicals Carson wrote about are still in use, if any, and even if none are what new chemicals are there which are harmful to my health, future generation’s health, and the health of wild plants and animals. The book is mostly about pesticides and herbicides used on crops and forests to rid them of insect pests. There is a large section regarding carcinogens, however, which makes me wonder how much truth there is to constant allegations of products in my daily life as ‘cancer causing’. For I hardly go a day without hearing what in my world will cause cancer.

I believe our society has come a long way since the days when this book was written, yet I still believe action needs to be taken by the new generations to further improve our situation. I wonder if we as consumers could force a change by demanding our food, clothes, cosmetics, and household items be chemical free, or at least contain the least harmful of chemicals. I wonder if in my lifetime the produce section at the grocery store will be 100% organic and possibly contain a small section of chemical ridden foods reminiscent of the ‘organic section’ in my local supermarket today. In our effort to make our lives ‘greener’ we need participation from everyone. Hopefully recycling, organic foods, and ‘green’ products will become convenient to the point that the average American will take up these practices and by example and education our efforts will adopted in other countries.

The conservation of our environment is still an important topic as it was 50 years ago, this has not changed. Constant education is required yet I feel at this point the crisis we must resolve is the widespread practice of ‘green’ customs. Convenient programs for recycling and reducing waste are a step in the right direction. As well as a consumer demand for ‘green’ and organic products in our daily lives. I believe Carson’s Silent Spring isan important eye opener and reminder of where we have come from and how far we have to go in our fight to restore our environment to its native beginnings.

Carson, Rachel, Silent Spring, Houghton Mifflin, First Mariner Books edition 2002.