A presentation on

Silent Spring
By
Nishat Falgunee
Course 514: Biodiversity and Conservation
Department of Geography and Environment
 Introduction

• Silent spring is a book, written by Rachel

Carson in 1962

• It documented the many damaging

effects of a popular pesticide called
DDT

• The book absolutely revolutionized

environmentalism

• Upon publication, it was met with both

immense protest and admiration
 Rachel Carson
• Born on may 27, 1907

• Since childhood she loved

books and reading, and

wanted to become a writer

• She intended on majoring

English and become a

writer

• Her biology teacher

ignited her mind to

become a marine biologist

 Rachel Carson

• Radio script writer for US Bureau of Fisheries

(temporary)

• Later joined US Bureau of Fisheries as a

junior scientist and rose to chief publication
officer by 1949.

• Published journal and newspaper articles

regularly

• Published 1st book in 1941

• She took early retirement from government

service to become a full time science writer
 Context of Writing the Book

• Carson decided to write the book as a

reaction to USDA Fire Ant

Eradication Program 1957

• She was recruited by Audubon

Society for research

• The impetus for Silent Spring was a

letter written in 1958 by Olga Owens

Huckins, to The Boston Herald,

describing the death of birds from

the aerial spraying of DDT

 Chapters of the Book

• A Fable for Tomorrow • Indiscriminately from the

• The Obligation to Endure Skies

• Elixirs of Death • Beyond the Dreams of

• Surface Water and Borgias

Underground Sees • The Human Price

• Realms of Soil • Through A Narrow Window

• Earth’s Green Mantle • One in Every Four

• Needless Havoc • Nature Fights Back

• And No Birds Sing • The Rumblings of an

• Rivers of Death Avalanche

• The Other Road

 Findings

• Adverse impacts of insecticides

• Description of chemicals

• Death of birds, animals and children due to

bioaccumulation of DDT

• Spread in water, soil and food

• Cause of cancer and genetic damages

• Ineffectiveness due to resistant species

and destruction of natural enemies

• Everyday use chemicals are dangerous

• Corruption in the government and

responsible authorities
 Recommendations

• Stop mass spraying and indiscriminate use

• Limited use of less poisonous chemicals in small doses

• Limited use of everyday chemicals

• Cancer prevention rather than cure

• Research should be focused on alternative ways that

protect environment, not on creating deadlier chemicals

• Proper information should be given to the users

regarding the side effects of all chemicals
Recommendations

•Male fertilization by radiation (X-ray, Gamma radiation)

•Male sterilization by chemical injection of insect food
•Utilizing insects own life process
Juvenile hormones
Sex attracting secretions
Repellant sounds
Viral and bacterial enemies
Natural enemies
Legacy
On June 3rd, 1963, Rachel Carson gave her testimony before
president John F. Kennedy’s science advisory committee, which
submitted a report largely backing her scientific claims.
 Legacy

• Deep ecology movement and eco-feminism

• Environmental defense fund in 1967

• 1970- DDT was banned

• US EPA was formed

•DDT remained the most important international issue for the next

50 years

•Silent Spring’s influence lives on in many ways

•In these regards, Carson's work continues to shake the world

Legacy Silent Spring has been featured in many
lists of the best nonfiction books of the
twentieth century. In the Modern
Library List of Best 20th-Century
Nonfiction it was at number 5. It was at
number 78 in the National Review's 100
best non-fiction books of the 20th
century.In 2006, Silent Spring was
named one of the 25 greatest science
books of all time by the editors of
Discover Magazine.
 Positive reactions

• The book sold 500000 copies

worldwide
• Protests for environmentalism
increased
• JFK changed federal law because
of Carson’s book
• Spawned dozens of educational
and exploratory books
 Negative reactions

• When CBS decided to air a special on the

book, they were flooded with letters,
asking them not to air it

• Smear campaign

• Sexism- but her reaction to this was

inspiring
Raise your Voice