Silent Spring

Silent Spring was written by Rachel Carson and published in September, 1962. The book claimed detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment, particularly on birds. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically. She proposed instead an alternative biotic approach to pest control.

Related Topics:
Rachel Carson - 1962 - Pesticide - Bird - Chemical industry - Disinformation

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Many credit the book with launching the environmentalist movement. Prof. Gary Kroll commented, "Rachel Carson's Silent Spring played a large role in articulating ecology as a "subversive subject"— as a perspective that cut against the grain of materialism, scientism, and the technologically engineered control of nature."

Related Topics:
Materialism - Scientism

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When Silent Spring was published, Rachel Carson was already a well-known writer on natural history, but had not previously been a social critic. The book was widely read, spending several weeks on the New York Times best-seller list, and inspired widespread public concerns with pesticides and pollution of the environment. Silent Spring is credited with the ultimate banning of the pesticide DDT in the United States.

Related Topics:
Pesticides - Pollution - Environment - Pesticide DDT

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