Environmental Movement Liberator, Rachel Carson

We often hear, and maybe have said, “I’m just one person; there’s nothing I can do.” Well, that simply isn’t true. In 1962, one woman wrote a book exposing the devastation to land, water, wildlife, and humans due to the agricultural use of the toxic pesticide DDT, and from that one book, a new consciousness arose that spearheaded our nation’s novel environmental protection regulations and safety standards. Her name was Rachel Carson, and her book was entitled Silent Spring.

Ms. Carson knew as early as 1945 the negative effects DDT had on the environment, but when she approached Reader’s Digest with an article revealing this scientific truth, she was flatly rejected. Seventeen years later, the success of Silent Spring brought ridicule from Newsweek calling it “unbalanced” and an “emotional outburst” — terms frequently used to deride and sideline women. The chemical giant Monsanto publicly questioned the authenticity of her research to which Ms. Carson responded with a list of experts who had vetted her manuscript.

Ms. Carson wasn’t intimidated by the chemical giant nor were her readers swayed from the truth. Together, through their persistent actions, the environmental movement was launched and soon led to the Clean Air Act being passed in 1963, followed by the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969, and the Clean Water Act in 1972. The Environment Protection Agency was established in 1970, and the agricultural use of DDT was banned in 1972.

The magnitude of these achievements is stunning for one person, man or woman. But as we conclude Women’s History Month, Rachel Carson stands out as a phenomenal liberator whose actions have brought much needed change to our air quality, helping countless American citizens enjoy an improved quality of life.