We have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, a book that had dramatic worldwide repercussions particularly in light of a growing environmental movement. Silent Spring was Rachel Carson's 4th book and really made her an icon of the 20th century. Before the publication of Silent Spring Carson's success from her second book, The Sea Around Us, effectively changed her vocation from aquatic biologist (for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to science writer. William Souder tackles the larger than life character of Rachel Carson in his new book 'On a farther shore: the life and legacy of Rachel Carson' published by Crown.
This is a story about a well read and soft-spoken women who spent much of her quiet life with her mother and adopted grandnephew, writing. She wrote slowly and edited and rewrote for long periods. Carson was a meticulous writer, deciding, long after publisher due dates that parts of a book needed to be redone, and rewriting them. In letters to friends she confesses that her writing took over her life – seemingly because she put some much of herself into it.
Throughout this book the author travels off on side stories some of which I liked – one on William Beebe the deep sea explorer was far to short for my liking. Most of the side stories, however, detract from the story of Rachel Carson's life and the flow of the narrative. In general I found the book well put together, however, and the distractions of the side stories didn't block my desire to learn more about Rachel Carson - and we do learn much about her in this book.
In the late 1940’s Carson took her first trip to Maine. It would not be her last. She fell in love with the Maine coast – from personal experience this is an easy thing to do - and after her writing became successful she bought land and had a cottage build (in 1952), on Southport Island in Boothbay harbor. She found a love of the coast and perhaps the love of her life – a married women and summer neighbor - on the Maine coast. Thus began her inseparable connection with the coast of Maine.
Because of Silent Spring, Carson is best known for bringing to light the overuse of DDT and other pesticides and their influence on the environment. An important side note here; Silent Spring was not a call to ban DDT, but a call for reasonable use based on science.
A few DDT connections are interlaced throughout the Souder’s book - for example before Carson left the FWS she had edited many pamphlets and notices about the dangers of uncontrolled use of DDT. Though it’s not until the second half of the book that the author really digs into DDT and the writing of Silent Spring. Carson was, as stated earlier, a reader – and for years had kept newspaper articles about pesticide issues. (Particularly of an account of Long Island residents filing a suit against the federal government in 1957 to stop spraying there).
In the run up to the writing of Silent Spring the author gives us a peak at the publishing world, the potential collaborations, advances and meetings leading up to Carson getting down to work on a book with a running title ‘control of nature’ in 1958. Four years later Silent Spring was published. Carson, again, a slow and meticulous writer, was also a thorough researcher. Her research included lengthy correspondences with many people concerning pesticides. During this period Carson had several health problems and was battling cancer.
Silent Spring has been acknowledged as beginning the environmental movement though before its publication environmental awareness had grown: She certainly increased public awareness and thus pressure - the gathering interest after the publication of Silent Spring was enormous. After completing the book – which was then serialized in the New Yorker before publication - Carson and her grandnephew (Roger Christie) went to Maine. But even in Maine Carson could not escape the storm of concern and detraction that followed. William Sounder takes us through the major repercussions – including involvement by the Kennedy White House, chemical industry blowback, and school children’s concerns – that Rachel Carson encountered.
The Kennedy administration went from its first position of “Carson had made much out of nothing” to launching an investigating which essentially came back with the results of – what Carson had written was essentially correct.
After Silent Spring, Sounder reveals, that although ailing, Carson kept her interest and activity in environmental issues – one in particular you may be aware of was that of the connection between atmospheric CO2 and increased surface warming of our planet.
Having read Silent Spring and dabbled with several other books by Carson I was very interested to learn more about her and this book does a good job of telling us about Carson’s too short life - plagued by cancer she died at 56 in 1964.
On a father Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson by William Souder. Published by Crown.
Other notes:
William Souder speculates on what actually sparked the writing of Silent Spring – E.B. White’s correspondence? – Carson’s Acknowledgments - at beginning of Silent Spring reads:
In a letter written in January 1958, Olga Owen Huckins told me of her own bitter experience of a small world made lifeless, and so brought my attention sharply back to a problem with which I had long been concerned. I then realized I must write this book.
Environmental Notes:
Dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT)
Paul Ehrlich - had already written on DDTs effects on insects - Later (1968) he would write the Population Bomb (repercussion of human population).
Water Pollution control act strengthened, 1949
Organizations like the Sierra Club were already formed by the time Silent Spring was written.
Time Line of some environmental milestones after publication:
Silent Spring published in 1962
Silent Spring investigations began in 1962 - JFK. (Chemistry industry denounced as distortion of facts). Conclusion of the investigations was that the books facts were generally correct.
Clean Air Act: 1962
First earth Day: April 1970
DDT banned in US: 1972
Clean water act: 1972 also Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972