SILENT SPRING

HOW I WAS BORN

MARINE BIOLOGIST | AUTHOR | MOTHER OF ENVIRONMENTALISM

Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, led directly to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and gave birth to the sustainability movement we know today.

Rachel was curious, read voraciously and took an active interest in all manner of flora and fauna. Her studies in Marine Biology made her aware of the harmful environmental effects of synthetic chemicals leading her to write her most famous book, Silent Spring. It sold over two million copies, catapulted the environment to the top of the political agenda and turned untold millions into environmentalists. It also played a major part in persuading governments to restrict and/or ban the use of DDT and other pesticides.

As her graduate work began, Rachel’s parents, older sister and two nieces moved in with her and soon after, her father and sister died. She was forced to earn income as the family’s sole breadwinner. She worked days and wrote at night. Carson was diagnosed with breast cancer that metastasized and ravaged her body for the next four years as she continued to work tirelessly on Silent Spring and other projects.

More than any other person, Rachel Carson opened the public’s eyes to the complexities of the natural world and she is credited with launching the environmental movement. Jimmy Carter awarded her posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Silent Spring represented a paradigm shift that changed the world.