Ecology Hall of Fame: Rachel Carson

Yadira Toledo
Soul of Eco-Art
Rachel Carson Hall Fame

"The more clearly we can focus our attention on
the wonders and realities of the universe about us,
the less taste we shall have for destruction."
-- Rachel Carson © 1954

Rachel Carson was born May 27,1907 and died in Silver Spring, Maryland on April 14,1964.

Her Background:
Rachel Carson, writer, scientist, and ecologist, grew up simply in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania. As a scientist she was very keen to her surroundings. Although she was a scientist she really believed that nature was a force beyond mans hands. In 1952 after her first book, Silent Spring, hit bestseller, she left the Fish and Wildlife organization where she held a high position being as though she was a women to pursue her writing.
Her Accomplishments:
She also wrote several articles designed to teach people about the wonder and beauty of the living world, including "Help Your Child to Wonder," (1956) and "Our Ever-Changing Shore" (1957), and planned another book on the ecology of life. Embedded within all of Carson's writing was the view that human beings were but one part of nature distinguished primarily by their power to alter it, in some cases irreversibly.

Her Motivation:
Disturbed by the profligate use of synthetic chemical pesticides after World War II, Carson reluctantly changed her focus in order to warn the public about the long-term effects of misusing pesticides. In Silent Spring (1962) she challenged the practices of agricultural scientists and the government, and called for a change in the way humankind viewed the natural world.
Looking into what she did and how strong of a writer she was in just astonishing. The one important thing I admired from her is that she is a woman who was single minded in her purpose. She worked hard to get what she wanted and didn’t care if she got in trouble. She wanted to warn people of all the chemicals and toxins that were surrounding them. She stopped at nothing and that’s the type of inspiration and influence I want to give when I become a teacher.

References:

1. Carson, Rachel (2002). Silent spring. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company.
2. Weiss, D.(2002). Rachel Carson. Retrieved May 1, 2007 from http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/carson/
3. Carson, Rachel. (1951) The sea around us. New York, Oxford University Press.