Primary Sources
Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1962.
Silent Spring is the most well known of Rachel Carson’s books. It was published to strong national reaction. Silent Spring protested the unnecessary inundations of dangerous pesticides that were killing off more than just pests. It also offers other solutions to pest control that are less environmentally hazardous and more efficient. Silent Spring also supplies over 50 pages of sources, showing Carson’s authenticity of research. Silent Spring played a key part in launching the Modern Environmental Movement. Part of the reason I chose to honor Rachel Carson with my website was that I had read Silent Spring. I took excerpts of this book to use in several of my pages. The cover of the 2002 edition was put onto the gallery of my website.
Carson, Rachel. The Sea Around Us. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1951.
The Sea Around Us, published in 1951, was the book that brought Carson international fame and recognition, and also helped launch her successful writing career. The Sea Around Us, similar to Under the Sea-Wind, is a book about the life in the ocean. Unusual for a book relating to science, The Sea Around Us became an instant bestseller and has since been translated into over 30 languages. A documentary based off of it has won an Oscar for best documentary. I was able to read excerpts from this book, and this gave me a better since of Carson’s writing style, which has often been described as “poetic”. Like Under the Sea-Wind, this book also demonstrates Carson’s love for nature, particularly the sea. I used the cover of this book in my gallery page.
Carson, Rachel. Under the Sea-Wind. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1941.
Under the Sea-Wind was Carson’s first book and her own personal favorite. It was published in 1941 to very little success but much critical acclaim from fellow authors and scientists. It contained several stories about the lives of creatures of the ocean. Although I was unable to read all of it, I was able to read excerpts of it. It especially demonstrates Carson skill at creating pictures with her words. I also added the cover of the book to my picture gallery.
"Excerpts From Writings of Rachel Carson." U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Services 29 Nov 2008 <http://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson
/excerpts.html>.
This website contains quotes from several of Rachel Carson’s books. These quotes are reliable primary sources and express Carson’s standpoints on certain issues in her own words. People can learn a lot by simply reading quotes. From these quotes made by Carson it was apparent that she cared a lot about the environment and was very opinionated and passionate on that topic. This was also a source provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, a former employer of Carson’s. With the quotes provided by the website I created a quotes page in my website that contained several of the ones mentioned in this website.
Freeman, Martha. Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson
and Dorothy Freeman, 1952-1964 - The Story of a Remarkable
Friendship. Boston:
Beacon Press, 1995.
This book contains a collection of letters written from Rachel Carson to her close friend Dorothy Freeman up until the death of Carson. It is an important firsthand source because Carson’s letter to Freeman contains much of her personal feelings and thoughts that she wouldn’t have shared in any of her public books. Because of its length (567 pages), it is obvious that Carson and Freeman had a very affectionate relationship. For a woman who strove to keep her private life out of the public’s eye, this book offers an insightful idea on Carson’s fears, hopes, and worries while writing her books, particularly Silent Spring.
Lear, Linda. Lost Woods: The Discovered Writings of Rachel
Carson. Boston: Beacon
Press, 1998.
This book contains several important essays written by Carson for various magazines and journals, and also those in her own field notebook, comprised by Linda Lear, a noted Carson biographer. It is an important primary source, offering Rachel Carson’s views on other environmental topics not relating to pesticide use, for which she is most well known for. The articles that make up this book have been less widely read than her books like Silent Spring and The Sea Around Us. These articles cover things from the habitat on Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refugee to Chesapeake Eels. These articles are on topics that Carson herself was not particularly known for.
Lee, John. "Silent Spring is Now Noisy Summer." The New York
Times (22 July 1962)
This newspaper article that appeared in the New York Times focuses on the public outcry following the publication of Silent Spring. Several of Carson’s biographies including Rachel Carson by Mary Jezer mentions this newspaper article because of its accurate depiction of the chaos that followed the publication of Silent Spring. The author, John M. Lee, was there to witness firsthand how people reacted to Carson’s most controversial book.
“Legacy of ‘Silent Spring’”. CBS News. 22 April 2008.
<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/22/sunday
/main2714532.shtml#ccmm>
This brief, 10-minute documentary provided me with a useful clip of Carson’s illustrious CBS interview with reporter Eric Sevareid on “The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson”, a CBS show that aired despite the withdrawal of two of their key sponsors. It also provides shocking footage of the excess use of DDT (sprayed from airplanes over thousands of acres) that helped me better understand how dire the conditions were.
Leonard, Jonathan. "Rachel Carson Dies of Cancer; 'Silent Spring'
Author Was 56." The New York Times (15 April 1964)
This is the obituary of Rachel Carson. Ironically, Carson died of breast cancer, something likely caused by contact with harmful chemicals in pesticides. In Silent Spring Carson comments on research brought up by several renowned scientists about the obvious link between pesticide use and cancer. This article contains some of her accomplishments that she was best known for during her time and remembers her as the key figure in the prevention of the excess use of pesticides. The author of this article was there to witness the public reactions and impacts of her books, most notably of Silent Spring.
Lewis, Jone. "Rachel Carson Quotes." 7 Oct 2008
<http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes
/a/rachel_carson.htm>.
Theses quotes in this webpage are important quotes made by Carson that illustrates her beliefs and her fascinations with the natural world. It is also apparent from reading these quotes that Carson believed it was important for children especially to appreciate the beauty of nature. Today, many of the children of that generation continue to live out and honor Carson’s legacy by being environmentally conscious. I used several of these quotes in the page of my website for Rachel Carson’s quotes.
"Living on Earth: April 22 2005." Living on Earth (2008) 29 Nov
2008 <http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.htm?programID=05-
P13-00016>.
This website contains a photograph of the first ever Earth Day rally, on April 22, 1970. Although Carson never lived to see the lasting impact of her work on today’s society, it is obvious that she has played a tremendous part in getting people to be more aware of the impact of their actions on the Earth. Earth day especially, was launched partly due to the environmental realization that Carson unleashed through her books. This particular photograph was especially catching. It depicts masses and masses of people rallying in Washington D.C. Seeing this sea of people really makes it clear the sheer numbers of people that Carson managed to affect, directly or indirectly, through her writings. I used this photo in my gallery and in my header picture.
Moyers, Bill. "Rachel Carson: A Crusading Environmentalist." 1
Nov 2008
<http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09212007/photoessay
/1.html>.
This has many helpful pictures of Rachel Carson and her books. Along with the picture, it also has corresponding quotes made by Carson and others. The photos depict Carson in her research, her writings, photos of the newspaper articles about her, and her exploring natures with fellow scientists and friends. One particular photograph shows her observing trees with several children. These children have doubtless felt Carson’s impact somewhere during their adult life. This webpage serves as a useful primary source, not only because of the pictures but also because of the quotes.
Rachel Carson: Pen Against Poison 4 Oct 2008
<http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/carson/carson.pdf>.
This page, published on the 100th year anniversary of Carson’s birth, contains many important photographs of Carson that document the events of her life. One of the most stirring images here was the photograph of a plane spraying a thick cloud of DDT over a pasture full of sheep. It showed just how intimate and everyday the contact with lethal chemicals were for people before the publication of Silent Spring called for the responsible use of pesticides. This was useful in understanding the circumstances during her life. Several of the photographs portrayed here were added to the gallery section of the website.
“Rachel Louise Carson: Mother of the Environmental Movement.”
Supreme Master Television. 23 April 2008.
<http://suprememastertv.com/bbs/board.php?bo_table=mos&
wr_id=54>
This is a video about Rachel Carson’s life, books, and impact. It has a lot of primary sources such as photographs, and videos of her giving speeches. It also provides beautiful footages of the natural environment that Carson worked so hard to preserve. There are also interviews with notable people in the world today who have felt Carson’s impact and strove to carry on her legacy like former Vice-President Al Gore.
“Taking a Stand in History: Rachel Carson's Silent Spring."
Kristen Cronon. 18
May 2007. <http://www.fws.gov/rachelcarson/kristen_cronon.html.>
This is a video made by a high school student that contains a lot of primary sources like videos of Carson’s speeches, pictures of Carson, and clips of people in history that have contributed to the fire surrounding Silent Spring. It contains shocking footage of the excess spraying of DDT, including scenes where clouds of pesticides are sprayed onto an open street and around playing children. Another particularly horrific photograph depicts what appears to be an army recruiter spraying pesticides onto the heads of an enlistee. It also gives some information about the scientific properties of DDT.
Secondary Sources
Beyl, Caula. "Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Environmental
Movement." (1991) 29 Nov 2008 <http://www.hort.purdue.edu
/newcrop/history/lecture31/r_31-3.html>.
This webpage contains a biography of Rachel Carson. It focuses a lot on Silent Spring’s impact on the world and the negative reaction surrounding Silent Spring. For example the authors states that Carson was “accused of ‘worrying about the death of cats but not caring about the 10,000 people who die daily from malnutrition and starvation in the world’” It also contains information on her personal life, such as her family and her adopted son Roger.
"Carson's Malaria Legacy." Rachel Was Wrong (2007) 29 Nov
2008 <http://www.rachelwaswrong.org/malariapageone.htm>.
This article is an argument against the effects of Silent Spring. In it, the author accuses Silent Spring of being responsible for the malaria-caused deaths in Africa and urges the reestablishment of DDT use in many parts of the world. This article is a good example of a counter-argument to the positive affects of Carson’s book. When I interviewed Professor Mark Lytle, he stated that “[The biggest misconception about Carson today is] …that Carson has prevented the use of DDT in Africa. They sometimes claim she called for a total ban when in fact she called for responsible use.”
"Commemorating Carson: Rachel Carson Leadership Award." 1
Nov 2008
<http://www.chatham.edu/rci/rci_leadership.html>.
This is from the Rachel Carson Institute webpage and is about the Rachel Carson Leadership award, which is a biannual award giving to women who have shown leadership when it comes to preserving the environment. This contributes to the legacy of Rachel Carson and shows how people today continue to honor her for her achievements. I mentioned this award in my “Legacy” page.
Gore, Albert. "Silent Spring: An Introduction by Vice President Al
Gore." 19 Jan 2009 <http://www.uneco.org/ssalgoreintro.html>.
Al Gore, former vice president of the United States and an honored environmentalist wrote the introduction to the 1992 edition of Silent Spring. In it he praises Carson’s work, saying that they “stand not only as powerful arguments for limiting the use of pesticides but as powerful proof of the difference that one individual can make”. He also relates much of what happened during Carson’s time to what is currently happening now in terms of environmental issues. Mr. Gore also mentions that Carson inspired himself to write his book, Earth in the Balance, and also become more aware of the impact his actions had on the environment.
Jezer, Marty . Rachel Carson. New York : Chelsea House
Publishers, 1988.
This book provides descriptive detail on the life of Rachel Carson, and contains many quotes made by her. This book also contains a good number of pictures of Carson’s life that gave me a better idea visually of life in her time. It also indirectly targets the women’s movement, and puts some emphasis on Carson’s breaking of gender barriers in her career and works. Another good thing about this biography is that it gave me a lot of information about all of Carson’s books, not just Silent Spring. This book provided a direct and to-the-point summary of Carson’s life and accomplishments, and was not biased in its statements.
Lear, Linda. E-Mail interview. 7 Dec. 2008
The author of many articles and books about Rachel Carson, Ms. Lear has helped me recognize Carson’s message and how it continues to be expressed today. Ms. Lear has said that “the most important thing to Carson was that we understand how we do nothing in isolation and that everything is related to everything else. So that the least change in the ecosystem has its concomitant change elsewhere. What we do is not in isolation but in community.”
Lear, Linda. "Books Written By Rachel Carson." 1 Nov 2008
<http://www.rachelcarson.org/BooksBy.aspx>.
This webpage provides a list of books written by Rachel Carson such as Silent Spring, Under the Sea-Wind, and, The Sea Around Us. It also gives an introduction to the books and tells briefly about what each book focuses on. I used the images provided on this website for the covers of Rachel Carson’s books on my website.
Lear, Linda. "Rachel Carson and the Awakening of Environmental
Consciousness."
1 Nov 2008 <http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans
/ntwilderness/essays/carsonb.htm>.
This internet article gives information about the negative environmental effects of pesticides and how Rachel Carson worked to end them. It also provides valuable photos of the impact of pesticides, such as eggs that had been poisoned by DDT. One of the photos, the one depicting the crushed ibis eggs, I added to my gallery to help viewers understand the extent of the harmful impact the toxic chemicals unleashed upon the Earth. I also added the photograph of two men applying a seemingly endless stream of toxic chemicals to the ground with the ease of spraying water from a hose. Their proximity to the chemical as well as their casual, impulsive postures shows the extent of the ignorance the general public was to the health hazards of DDT. Especially shocking is the quantity of DDT being applied, very rarely today do we see so much toxic chemical applied over such a small space.
Lear, Linda. “Rachel Carson’s Biography.” 1 Oct 2008
<http://rachelcarson.org/Biography.aspx>.
This webpage offers a brief summary of Carson’s life and major accomplishments. The author, Linda Lear, is also the author of a biography of Rachel Carson titled Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature, as well as many other books and articles concerning Rachel Carson. It contains all of the necessary information needed to have an adequate understanding of Carson’s positions on the environment. However, it does not go into much detail about her books other than Silent Spring.
Lytle, Mark. E-Mail interview. 15 Mar. 2009
A noted Carson biographer who has consulted many primary sources on Carson and author of The Gental Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement, Prof. Lytle helped answer some of my questions on Carson's contribution to the world today and how Carson continues to inspire people.“[Carson] had a powerful impact on my generation because she taught us to think ecologically. In addition she wrote beautifully about nature so enjoyed reading her books.”
Lytle, Mark . The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring,
and the Rise of the Environmental Movement. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2007.
This book goes through Carson’s life in four main stages and it effectively breaks down Carson’s accomplishments. It is also a relatively new book, having been published in 2007; so much of the facts should be up-to-date and credible. This book also contains many footnotes. Much of this book focuses largely on Silent Spring and Carson’s personal life, including her family members like her mother and adopted son.
Matthiessen, Peter. "The TIME 100: Rachel Carson." TIME March
29 1999 2 Oct 2008
<http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/carson.html>.
This online article is about Carson’s impact on society and the environment in helping prevent the use of pesticides. By being from TIME magazine, it is a credible source and confirms Carson’s importance today by adding her to their TIME 100 People of the Century list. It also provided me with a helpful understanding of Carson’s life before she published Silent Spring.
"Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge." U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Services 29 Nov 2008
<http://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/>.
The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge honors Carson’s accomplishments by naming a sanctuary for birds in the Maine marshlands after her. Covering almost 10,000 acres of land, this wildlife refuge protects life-sustaining salt marshes which serve as major habitats for birds, reptiles, fish, and other creatures. This webpage also offers a brief biography of Carson’s life and the significance of Silent Spring and a history of the land the refugee once occupied. The United States Fish and Wildlife Services was also a former employer of Carson’s. This webpage and wildlife refuge is an example of how Carson had been honored and remembered today.
Sherman, Jerome. "Environmentalist Rachel Carson's legacy
remembered on Earth Day." April 23, 2006 1 Nov 2008
<http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06113/684423-85.stm>.
This article addresses the legacy that Rachel Carson has left, especially as an environmentalist. In this article, Carson is honored during a 2006 Earth Day rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her role as the “mother of the modern environmental movement”. This article also covers the new naming of a bridge from “Ninth Street Bridge” to “Rachel Carson Bridge”. It talks about Professor Esther Barazzone, an instructor at Carson’s Alma Mater, Chatham College, and her campaign to create a statue of Carson. It illustrates how the city of Pittsburgh, once described as “hell with the lid off” due to it’s smoke-filled skies, has been changed by the environmental movement that Carson helped start.
"Pesticide Use Linked to Brain Cancer." Medical News Today 5
Jun 2007 19 Mar 2009 <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
/articles/73013.php>.
Studies have shown that exposure to pesticides can cause cancers like brain cancer. Agricultural workers and those who have faced routine exposure to these dangerous chemicals have had a greater risk of developing brain cancers. Applying pesticides towards houseplants also increases the risk of developing cancer because of the proximity of the pesticide to the person applying it.
"What is a Pesticide?." Sept. 4, 2008 1 Nov 2008
<http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/>.
This article from the United States Environmental Protection Agency gives background information on pesticides and pests. It also addresses the hazards of using these chemicals because “they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms”. Biologically based pesticides are also regarded as safer to use than chemical pesticides that Carson advocated against in Silent Spring. It also discusses some common household products that contain pesticides such as hand sanitizers, weed killers, and swimming pool chemicals.
