by Rachel Louise Carson is an extremely important figure in conservational science, helping prevent people from doing irreversible damage to the environment with pesticides and other chemicals. Carson was born in the small town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in 1907 where she was raised. While growing up in this town Carson grew fond of nature. To focus her studies surrounding nature and what it has to offer Carson got a masters in zoology from John Hopkins University preceded by a degree in marine biology.
After finishing her education, Carson worked her way up in the fish and wildlife industry. Carson started off by writing radio scripts and articles eventually working her way to a federal scientist and then to be the Editor-in-Chief for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During her career she also published multiple books that incorporated her government research into books to entertain readers while also informing on the ocean and the effects people have on it. Although Carson quit to focus on writing she continued to study and inform people on the natural world around them.
Rachel Louise Carson’s most important contribution to science was her book Silent Spring which was written in 1962. This book sought to warn people about what using pesticides and other chemicals would do to the world, irreversibly changing it. Carson was inspired to write this book after World War II where the synthetic chemical pesticides were abundantly used. The book became extremely controversial eventually causing the chemical industry to attack her. Although attacks would not stop Carson as she continued to campaign for the natural world. A year after writing Silent Spring Carson testified in front of Congress to propose new policies that would not only protect the environment, but also the people who used chemicals. Carson inspired not onlyinspired a ban on chemicals such as DDT but also a grassroots movement to protect the environment which eventually led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
As a pioneer in conservation Rachel Louise Carson used her writing skills to compose her scientific research in a different way, portraying her knowledge in the form of books. These books not only informed people on the dangers to the natural world but also inspired people to help prevent irreversible damage to our planet. Carson also refused to stand down to big corporations such as the chemical industry and pushed forward to demand regulations surrounding chemicals and pesticides. These policies not only protected the planet but also those who have been using these chemicals not knowing the damage it can do to them.
After her death in 1964, Rachel Carsons legacy lives on at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refugee in Maine and all the environmentalists she inspired with her work.