Rachel Carson is a notable environmentalist and author. She was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania on May 27, 2907. Through her education at Chatham University and John Hopkins University, Carson gained a background in both English and biology. This unique skill set allowed her to become one of the most influential voices in environmental consciousness in the 1960's. Her most famous contribution to the field was her 1962 book Silent Spring. This shocking tale of the dangers of many common pesticides, such as DDT, brought to light very important environmental health concerns.
Before the publication of Silent Spring, DDT and other harsh chemical pesticides were in common usage in the agricultural sector of the United States. Carson's book opened the dialogue about the harmful effects of such pesticides on human health. Although there has been controversy, both in her lifetime and after her death in 1964, over the effect her book had on the pesticide industry and the agricultural impact of banning highly effective pesticides, most people now agree that Carson's contribution to environmental health was substantial and much needed. Although she died only two years after the publication of her book, her legacy lives on in the new breed of environmentalists who even today strive to make sure that human health is not sacrificed in the name of output or productivity.
