Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ Was Groundbreaking. It Inspired The Environmental Movement and Earth Day Observances
How one woman writer made a remarkable difference
April 22 is Earth Day, first observed in 1970. News coverage this year focuses on climate change optimism. "There's plenty to feel good about," reports USA Today.
The modern environmental movement was initially inspired by the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, in the early 1960s — an expose of the harm caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides, particularly DDT, since WWII. Carson, a marine biologist by training, took on the chemical industry, and its marketing claims. President Kennedy embraced the book and asked his science advisory team to look into its claims. This led to the banning of DDT and the first major national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act of 1963. It also led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, the Earth Day observances, and the modern environmental and ecology movement.
PBS American Experience did a fine documentary on Carson in 2017. The first nine minutes are available on YouTube.
There are numerous documentaries and clips on YouTube about Carson. The entire documentary can be watched on the PBS site with a passport subscription or on other streaming services.
And there’s this moving piece from the National Resources Defense Council: The Story of Silent Spring.
ProPublica:
There are lots more videos on the environmental movement on YouTube.com.
I’ve begun to collate environmental history videos on my YouTube Channel as a playlist. Click.
Related:
Public History
Taking the long view illuminates our understanding of current events; and cultures of the past, present, and future. Public history, beyond the walls of the traditional classroom, is a discipline that uses historical skills and methods outside academia. It focuses on history for the general public, rather than academics or specialists, and seeks to deepen the public's connection to and knowledge of the past. Click to peruse the full collection, for just $5 a month.
The posts below from Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson are free. The comments below her articles are always enlightening.