Rachel Carson and the Enviromental Movement Research Paper

Rachel Carson and the Enviromental Movement - Research Paper ExampleShe continued her personal look for and writings about the environment and ecological issues during her federal service and subsequently published two books Under the Sea Wind (1941) and The Sea around Us (1951). Carson was conferred with two doctorate degrees national book award and a national science writing prize and excerpts from her later book were reprinted in famous magazines worry Science Digest, The Yale Review and The New Yorker. Later she left her federal employment and started to focus on third book The Edge of the Sea (1955). In primal 1957, a letter from an old friend from Duxbury, Massachusetts described declining rates of bird population in her private sanctuary after the authorities sprayed can oil and DDT. Immediately, Carson researched DDT and other chemicals toxic effects and this became the basis of her next book Silent Spring (1962) (Mahoney, 2009). Silent Spring was initially published in serialized magazine form, later it was released in the form of a book (Clapp, 2000). The book became an instant bestseller and was widely covered by media. More than 250,000 copies of her book were sold in the first four months of its release making it a bestseller (Lantier, 2009). Back then, forest and crop lands were extensively sprayed with pesticides such as DDT to eradicate insect pests. However, unpredicted consequences were witnessed due to spraying against fire ants in South and mosquitoes along the coastal line from New York to Maine. The result was successful eradication of insect pests and disease vectors merely at the cost of immense damage to local fauna, wild life and environment. Scientists documented decline in fish, birds and animal population along with water and district contamination. Also, alarming variations in the re growthive patterns and egg shells of various birds that primarily fed on fish were noticed. These changes not only indicated hormonal and repr oductive changes but withal a steep decline in avian population that could endanger the existence of certain species (Lear, 2001). Specifically, three unrelated events were extremely vital in providing prove to Carson for the detrimental effects of pesticides, chemicals and toxic wastes on human health and environment. First one, involved the USDA campaign to eradicate fire ant from Southern states by spraying with dieldrin and heptachlor. These two pesticides accumulated in water ways and soil causing wildlife damage (Lear, 1993). As a consequence of fire ant jibe program heavy invertebrate immortality, population decline, slow recovery rate and residual traces of heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide was witnessed in majority of fauna in treated area (Dunlap, 2008). Carson (2002) denominate the fire ant eradication program as ill-conceived, badly executed and thoroughly detrimental experiment in destruction of animal life. Secondly, the sprightly spraying of DDT mixed with fuel o il for mosquito control caused decline in bird population in coastal areas (Lear, 1993). Thirdly, DDT was sprayed on elm trees in Michigan State University campus aiming to eliminate bark beetle that was responsible for spreading the Dutch elm disease. However, along with pest elimination large population of robin died as a result of feeding on earthworms that fed on DDT infested leaves (Lear, 1993). Other primary events that justified Carsons claims was banning of cranberry product sale for three years (1957-59) as high levels of toxic chemicals known to cause cancer in rats was discovered