Rachel+Carson

Edited by Emily C

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 Rachel Carson’s life was full of accomplishments that she achieved through her dedications to bettering the environment. Her skills as a writer allowed her to portray the beauty and wonder of nature in ways people never experienced before. She conveyed the reality of the harm on the environment through her abundance of articles and books that she wrote in the course of her lifetime. Carson stuck to the facts that she learned as a biologist, and battled chemical companies to prove the dangers of pesticide use. She was granted a number of awards for her lifetime of dedi cation to the environment.

When Rachel became aware of the rising issues caused by pesticide usage, she began writing articles and sent them to magazines to make her concerns known. After her articles received the attention she was looking for, she eventually began writing books, which were just as successful. One of her first, //The Sea Around Us, // was on the //New York Times // bet seller list for 86 weeks. Some scientists tried to exaggerate her works about pesticide use to make her seem less credible or uneducated about the topic, but her experience and evidence didn’t stop her from conveying her points to the public. ( Jezer, Marty. Rachel Carson )

Her main focus was on the effects that followed heavy use of the pesticide DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). She was worried that it was not only killing wildlife, but also causing cancer in humans. This influenced her to write, //Silent Spring, // which highlighted cancer hazards from polluted waters as well as manmade and industrial carcinogens. The book helped her achieve her goal of making people aware of these dangers. Her efforts carried out through //Silent Spring // eventually influenced a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticides. In addition, the book led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. ( Jezer, Marty. Rachel Carson )

Over the course of Carson’s life, she was awarded a variety of honors, medals and awards. The majority of them were achieved due to her books. Her book awards included the National Book award for //The Sea Around Us, // the Book award from the Council of Women in the U.S. and the New England Outdoor Writers Association Award. From the National Wildlife Federation, she received the Conservationist of the Year Award, in 1963. She continued to be recognized even after her death and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor, in 1980. ( "Carson, Rachel Louise (1907-1964)." DISCovering Authors. )

Rachel Carson spent her entire life admiring and caring for nature. Her dedication to protecting the beauty and wonder of the environment wasn’t an easy task, especially with chemicals companies trying to lessen her credibility as a writer. She remained focused on what was important for the people of the United States by making the dangers of pesticide usage known through her books and articles. Carson’s efforts and accomplishments paved the way for a cleaner and safer environment in the future. ( Jezer, Marty. Rachel Carson )

( Jezer, Marty. Rachel Carson ; "Carson, Rachel Louise (1907-1964)." DISCovering Authors; "Carson, Rachel." Encyclopedia of Cancer and Society ) media type="custom" key="5562797"
 * Social || Economic || Political ||
 * On April 3, 1963, Carson appeared on a controversial CBS show. The show disputed the harmful effects of chemicals and encouraged people to complete more research on them. || In 1917, German submarines attacked American merchant vessels and the U.S. entered WWI. || In the early 1900s, the 19th amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote. ||
 * When Rachel was in the fourth grade, she began to send her stories to a popular magazine//, St. Nicholas Magazine.// She later claimed that her success with getting her stories published as a child paved the way for her dream of becoming a full time writer. || Rachel’s brother, Robert, joined the U.S. Army Aviation Service which inspired her to write one of her first stories || Carson wrote an article called, //The Bat Knew it First,// describing radar and how it can be used to “see” in the dark. The article was reprinted widely and distributed to the navy in its recruitment drives. ||
 * The U.S. entered the period known as, The Roaring Twenties, when Carson was 18. This was the era of flappers and ragtime music, but Rachel was focused more on the seriousness of college. || The Great Depression caused Carson’s works to decline like everyone else during the time. She still, however, managed to stand out in the male-dominant field as a biologist. || After the war, Carson joined the Fish and Wildlife Service to revive the New Deal’s efforts of conservationism. The movement was politically weak at the time and the efforts were often disregarded. ||
 * People were more focused on having a good time rather than the problems around them. Rachel saw this as an opportunity to stand out in her college and stay devoted to her studies. || Franklin Roosevelt had become president and believe that government intervention was the only way to right the economy after the stock market crash. He was a conservationist and many of the news jobs created aimed towards protecting the environment. || Carson worked for the government and edited publications after she was promoted and was made assistant to the chief of the office of information. ||
 * President Roosevelt’s wife turned out to be a powerful promoter of social justice, including women’s rights. || The New Deal Era involved protecting natural resources. This gave Carson and others in her field hope about future efforts of conservation. || Chemical companies tried to make Carson seem less credible by exaggerating the points and topics of her writing. President John F. Kennedy ordered a reevaluation of federal pesticide policy to help support Rachel’s research. ||

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 Citations

> 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. Upper Merion Area High School. 4 Dec. 2009 >  &tabID=T001&prodId=SRC-1&docId=EJ2101100207&source=gale&srcprod=SRCG > &userGroupName=king46652&version=1.0>. <span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> Picture citations--
 * 1) <span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Carson, Rachel." Encyclopedia of Cancer and Society. Ed. Graham A. Colditz. Vol. 1. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc., 2007. 175-176. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 26 Feb. 2010
 * 2) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">"Carson, Rachel Louise (1907-1964)." DISCovering Authors. Online ed. Detroit: Gale,
 * 1) <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Jezer, Marty. Rachel Carson. New York : Chelsea House, c1988.
 * 1) <span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rachel-Carson.jpg
 * 2) <span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">National Book Award Winners. 1 Jan. 1952. Ap Images. The Associated Press, 1 Aug. 2002. Web . 22 Feb. 2010. <http://apimages.ap.org/ Search.aspx?sh=14&st=k&remem=x&kw=Rachel+Carson&intv=None>.
 * 3) <span style="color: #1f6f1f; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">RHS. Rachel Carson. 14 Mar. 1963. AP Images. The Associated Press, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2010. <http://apimages.ap.org/ Search.aspx?sh=14&st=k&remem=x&kw=Rachel+Carson&intv=None>.

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