American pesticide production, is incorporated as evidence.
American ChemicalSociety. “Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring National Historic ChemicalLandmark.” American Chemical Society, American Chemical Society, 26 Oct.2012, www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/rachel-carson-silent-spring.
html.The author of this source discusses Rachel Carson and the ways inwhich her book, Silent Spring, transformed public perspective andthe field of science. Context concerning the period in which the book waspublished is included to describe Carson’s purpose in writing her book.
Duringthe years between the end of World War II andthe late 1950s, scientific war technologies such as chemical pesticides wereintegrated into the lives of civilians. Many people were unaware of the risksthat these pollutants brought. As a result, Carson sought to inform the publicof the hazards associated with these commercially used chemicals. Theauthor goes on to explain the shift in public perspective that occurred as aresult of the book’s principal themes concerning pesticide usage. The article alsoincludes the extent to which the book influenced government policy as well asmodern chemistry. The main ideas expressed are supported by historical events suchas the dates of public testimonies and the years in which environmentalrestrictions were enacted. Additionally, statistical data, including the trendof pesticide production, is incorporated as evidence. A limitation of this textis the existing bias in favor of Carson’s ideas.
The author dismisses opposing viewpointspertaining to the book’s claims. Nonetheless, this article serves as an appropriatesource for this topic of research because it highlights the importance andextent of Silent Spring’s influence. Carson,Rachel. “The Obligation to Endure.” Silent Spring, FawcettPublications, 1964, pp. 12-16. PDF.This chapter in the book, Silent Spring, byRachel Carson, discusses the dangers of pesticides and chemical sprayingpractices.
The author points out the violent nature of chemical pesticides towardsall living organisms, regardless of the designated target. Carson further explainsthe lack of awareness concerning this topic and the ignorance displayed bymultiple industries. Many corporations only seek to earn profit and do notacknowledge the dangers of chemical pollutants. Among these destructive factorsare radioactive toxins from nuclear power plants and industrial biocides. Theignorance and the continuation of unregulated pesticide usage will lead toharmful consequences not only to the environment, but the health of humanity.The author urges the public to reevaluate these damaging procedures and addressthe situation before it worsens.
Carson validates her assertions by includingstatistical data relating to American pesticide production and analyzing theruinous effects of individual substances. In the text, there is a firm attackon the practices of the chemical industries which serves as a limitation sincethe viewpoint of the other party is not voiced. However, this source remainssubstantial in research because it clearly outlines an environmental call toaction stimulated by inappropriate chemical usage. Poffet, Gérard. “50Years of Silent Spring.” GAIA: Ecological Perspectives for Science& Society, vol. 21, no.
3, Sept. 2012, p. 161. EBSCOhost, proxygsu-sfor.galileo.usg.
edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eih&AN=84314143&site=eds-live&scope=site. This scholarly article regards Silent Spring as one of themost influential publications in the fields of toxicology and environmentalscience. It discusses the ways in which the book altered the generalperspective of how chemicals affect the environment. The author claims that SilentSpring was a pivotal factor in establishing further regulation of chemicalpollutants and in initiating various environmental laws.
Over the past 50years, numerous regulatory practices have been implemented to control the useof insecticides, industrial chemicals, and other environmental pollutants.Plans to reduce hazards to both the environment and human health have beenexamined and integrated into government policy. Laws to regulate theimportation and exportation of chemicals have also been implemented.
Poffetsupports central claims by referencing specific conventions and conferences inwhich regulations were developed and examined. He also mentions the years thatcorrespond to initiation of certain government codes. The foremost limitationof this article is that many of the government meetings mentioned are slightlyoutdated. However, this text remains a credible source since it accuratelyexpresses the political effects of SilentSpring. It relates well to the thesis in that it emphasizes book’s importancein changing public perspective and government legislation. Stoll, Mark. “RACHELCARSON’S SILENT SPRING, A BOOK THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.” Environment &Society Portal, Environment & Society Portal, 2012, www.
environmentandsociety.org/exhibitions/silent-spring/us-federal-government-respondsAs seen in this article,Mark Stoll highlights the impact of Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, in relation to several aspects of thepublic’s response. Specifically, Stoll claims that the book elicited widespreadinfluence as evidenced by alterations in government policy, changes in generalperception of the environment, and impressions left on modern culture. Theauthor relays the central message of the book which discussed chemicalpollutants and how these substances negatively affected humanity.
According to Stoll,the problems outlined in Silent Springprompted the United States Department of Agriculture, as well as the PublicHealth Service to reexamine certain chemical practices. Additionally, as thebook’s influence spread, numerous aspects of popular culture including comics,magazines, music, and television shows began to integrate Carson’s core claims.The author of this article supports the main ideas by using historicaloccurrences such as Congressional hearings and the passage of certainregulations. References to related works, and documented quotations are alsoutilized. The main limitation of the article is that it harbors some biastoward the novel’s beneficial impacts since it rejects related criticisms.
Nevertheless,the article maintains relevance to the thesis in that it explores variouscontributing factors of the book’s impact.
