Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson
“The Pain of Persecution – One Person CAN Make a Difference”
Rachel Carson has made an impact on how people now care for the environment. She has made better the health and future of our world. We must continue to finish what Rachel has left us with- the conservation of the environment.

A.) –Who are the people whose lives are

EVERYONE’S lives are affected

affected?
-What is the history? What were the

Pesticides called DDT were being sprayed on

circumstances?

everything (crops, grass, etc.) to kill bugs. At the same time, DDT was getting into the water supply. Carson wrote her book “Silent Spring” to aware people of her findings. “…her book provoked a firestorm of controversy as well as personal attacks on her professional integrity.”
(fws.gov)

-When did this happen? Where did this take

This happened around the 1940’s-1960s. It

place?

took place mainly in Maryland in the United
States.

-What are some effects of pollution?

Air pollution has an impact on human health.
It can lead to tragedy, as many have died and become ill due to the poor quality of the air.
Acid rain pollutes water resources. It can make its way into bodies of water, like oceans, rivers, and streams. It harms water and organisms that depend on that water.

-What effects do pesticides have on the

Exposure to these pesticides can kill or sicken

ecosystem?

wildlife. This can have a chain reaction within the ecosystem. The banning of DDT, a chemical that can cause “chronic poisoning”, has been the lead cause of the reproduction of birds greatly increasing. It also has health effects in people. It affects the nervous system. Humans become in contact with pesticides through the skin, lungs, or mouth.

Summary: Carson took a stand to save the environment by informing citizens on the effects of DDT and other pesticides have on the environment. She is a very intelligent woman, possessing titles such as a biologist, best-selling writer, and ecologist.

B.) –Who was the person who made a

Rachel Carson- not only a founder of the

difference? Describe the life of the person

environmental movement and an informative

who exemplifies improving the quality of

author, but a woman who saved our

someone’s life?

environment and health of our future. She had a love for nature and living things ever since she was younger. She informed readers of the dangers of pesticides and impacts they have on the environment and their own lives in the

future.
-What did this person do?

Carson was the founder of the environmental movement. She wrote her inspirational book
“Silent Spring” to inform people of dangers about pesticides and DDT. Rachel was the first woman to pass the civil services test. She worked at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
She wrote informative and best seller books which received many awards.

-When did she make her contribution?

She made her big contribution in 1962, after she produced “Silent Spring” and that’s when the whole controversy went down. EPA
(Environmental Protection Agency) was created in 1970; her contribution lead to this.

-Where did she live when making this

While most of this was happening she was

contribution?

living in Maryland, United States.

-Why did she risk doing this?

Carson risked doing this for the sake of the future. This may sound exaggerated but she knew that practically the world depended on her just one action of getting the word out about the dangers pesticides pose to the overall environment. It can eventually lead to

death among the world.
-How did the person manage to accomplish

Carson managed to accomplish what she did

what she did?

by developing the research needed to expose the harms pesticides and DDT was causing towards the overall environment. She wrote
“Silent Spring” with the help of her friend,
Shirley Briggs, who also worked at the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. The government reviewed its policy and had Carson testify, and
DDT was banned. Rachel Carson was credited with the first step to environmental movement. Summary: Rachel Carson knew that the future depended on what actions she took right then and there. She wrote “Silent Spring”, which spoke to everyday people of the dangers of
DDT and other pesticides.

C.)-What impact did the person have on the

Carson was “personally attacked on her

life of the persecuted people and their

professional integrity” (fws.gov). The pesticide

persecutors?

industry broke into a campaign to “discredit”
Carson, but who would believe them over

best-selling writer and biologist? Rachel
Carson “awakened the concern to Americans for the environment”.
-What historical significance does this action

Because Carson took this action, she bettered

have?

our environment and the lives and health of others due to the banning of DDT. She has raised awareness to the world with the environment. She’s also created “a change in the way humankind viewed the natural world”. -How has the topic changed since the world

EPA was created. More people are aware of

has become more aware of it?

their actions and what harms the environment. There is less pollution due to the banning of DDT.

Summary: Rachel Carson is a very important woman who made both a difference and impact on the world. She is someone who fondly cares for the environment and is known to be the mother of environmental movement.