The Influence of Rachel Carson on the Environmental Movement

It is almost impossible to assess the impact that Rachel Carson had on the environmental movement. In all probability, many of the issues raised through her book "Silent Spring" would have eventually been brought to the surface by other means. However, the timing of the book leaves little doubt that it's influence in the sixties was enormous. Her examination of the residual and direct affects of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides became groundbreaking in the way they were portrayed.

Before "Silent Spring," the effects of environmental pollutants on later generations received little consideration. The revelation that this type of bug poison was not only toxic to us, but to our great-great grandchildren was startling. Following this book, things like the build up of lead in the global ecosystems became causes for concern.

The century long remnants of insecticides lurk in the ground and become concentrated in organic tissue as it moves up the food chain. So, a bug eats the insecticide from a plant. The poison gets inside the bug. A bird eats many bugs. The poison gets concentrated in the liver and fat of the bird. This affects the quality of egg shells as well as the life span of the bird. Condors in California were found to be victims of this type of problem.

While only serious environmentalists worry about condors, if it is a chicken that eats the bugs, a human is the next in line. Years of consumption create problems in humans. Because of the concentrations of these insecticides in the fat, by the mid-seventies, some were even advocating that losing weight could be hazardous to your health. As bodies release fat, the poisons stored in the fat cells begin to circulate with negative effects on the body.