Author: Rachel Carson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Year of Publication: 27th September, 1962
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Foreword
- A Fable for Tomorrow
- The Obligation to Endure
- Elixirs of Death
- Surface Waters and Underground Seas
- Realms of the Soil
- Earth’s Green Mantle
- Needless Havoc
- And No Birds Sing
- Rivers of Death
- Indiscriminately from the Skies
- Beyond the Dreams of the Borgias
- The Human Price
- Through a Narrow Window
- One in Every Four
- Nature Fights Back
- The Rumblings of an Avalanche
- The Other Road
Summary:
“There was a strange stillness. The birds, for example—where had they gone? Many people spoke of them, puzzled and disturbed. The feeding stations in the backyards were deserted. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh.” [1]
Silent spring, written by Rachel Carson exposes the devastating impacts of pesticides on “The Earth’s green mantle” and highlights the irresponsibility of an industrialised and technology driven society towards the natural world. She was a marine biologist, environmentalist and writer having an insight of various ecosystems and their inter connections. Her philosophy of conservation and desire for people to co-exist peacefully with nature guided her contributions to the preservation of the environment and human race. Her love for nature and eloquent literary style laid the ground work for modern day environmental movement. As a direct result of the message in Silent Spring, President Kennedy set up a special panel to study the problem of pesticides. The panel’s report was a complete vindication of her thesis. Her work not only became the catalyst for an environmental philosophy that sought to promote the respectful co-existence of mankind and the environment but also helped make ecology one of the most popular causes of our time.
In the era post World War II when chemical pesticides had become the most important consciously-applied form of pest management in every part of the world, Silent Spring tried to highlight the adverse effects of using these ‘safe’ chemicals to both man and the environment. The “first generation” pesticides were largely toxic compounds and hence their use was abandoned. The “second generation” pesticides largely included safe synthetic organic compounds – hydrocarbons and organic phosphates. These were effective at killing pests, thus boosting crop yield. They were also so inexpensive to make that their use quickly spread over the globe. However, their impact on the other forms of life besides insects remained unknown or rather ignored resulting in mass killing of birds, fishes, insects and mammals.
Rachel Carson has tossed serious charges on the careless use of pesticides based on detailed analysis of various case studies. These include the various pest control programs adopted by the Government agencies. These programs resulted in the immediate death of not only the pests but also the birds, fishes and mammals. While the pests that were killed produced progeny that were more resistant to these chemicals, the other animals started losing their capacity to reproduce creating an imbalance in the ecosystem. The irony of the situation was that the pesticide failed to eliminate the pests, instead eliminated the avifauna – the natural regulators of insect population.
These ‘safe’ chemicals now contaminate our soil, water, and food. As much as Man continues to be in denial, he remains a part of nature and cannot escape from the clutches of the pollution that seems to be taking over our world. These ‘safe’ inventions of the laboratory possess the power of mutating the human chromosome too. The author has drawn a living portrait of the role human activities have played in creating an imbalance in nature which will ultimately result in mankind’s doom if he continues irresponsibility in his dealings with the environment.
Review:
The author creates two distinct images in the reader’s mind – one where everything is harmoniously balanced; the other where everything beautiful has disappeared and a dark shadow like that of a Dark Lord from some fable tightens its grip on the Earth – the scenario that will come to be if the use of pesticides is continued. The book should be read by every citizen before giving in to the ‘safe’ chemicals used for pest control. The attempt made by Rachel Carson to spread awareness against the use of chemicals in an age when chemical industries were booming is truly courageous and inspiring. Silent Spring shall forever remain a reminder of the fact that in an over-organized and over mechanized age, individual initiative and courage still count: change can be brought about by altering the direction of our thinking about the world we live in.
REFERENCES:
1. Extract from ‘Silent Spring’ – Rachel Carson
Impact:
- Sparked the modern environmental movement
- Led to the ban of DDT in the US (1972)
- Inspired legislation: Clean Air Act (1970), Clean Water Act (1972), Endangered Species Act (1973)
- Raised public awareness about environmental issues
Recommendation:
I read ‘Silent Spring’, during the course of my Masters program in Landscape Architecture and was to me an eye-opener regarding the impact insensitive human actions have on the natural world. This book aptly explains the butterfly effect i.e. how small events can result in unpredictable consequences. I would personally recommend this book to:
- Anyone concerned about the natural world
- Environmentalists
- Scientists
- Policy makers
- Landscape architects
Terrain Tapestry 
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