Silent Spring disrupted the widespread narrative that pollution was the necessary side effect of progress. Carson’s most direct legacy is the successful campaign to ban DDT, a toxic pesticide that was in widespread agricultural use, in the United States, but her cultural and political impact was profoundly vast and long-lasting. In 1962, the Environmental Protection Agency did not yet exist, there was little public awareness about environmental issues, and corporate polluters practiced unfettered use of pesticides with little regulation. Sixty years since Silent Spring was published, Rachel Carson’s voice echoes in the work of contemporary environmental activists. Carson documented the devastating environmental and human health impacts of widespread pesticide use, and challenged the efforts of the powerful chemical industry to minimize these risks. Today marks the 60th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson’s pivotal book that is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Science and tech Rachel Carson Helped Launch the Environmental Movement With ‘Silent Spring’: Taking Stock After 60 Years Rachel Carson’s work challenged the powerful chemical industry.
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