Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. (Published 1962 Mariner Books)
I was attracted
to Silent Spring mostly because of the title. Springs should be free and
flowing, not dry and silent. I wanted to know what stilled their flow and
silenced their voices. I knew from the very first page, I was holding a
significant book; that the author had something important to say. Silent Spring
is a powerful book. It was intensely written, and I could hear Rachael Carson's
clear and confident voice through the pages. The information, situations and
warnings were all adequately laid out. In the end, I knew I made an excellent
choice.
Rachael Carson
makes it clear through this book, that we live in a beautiful world, but that
man could, through his actions, intentionally or not, destroy this beauty.
Nature is ours to preserve and no part of it should be cut out without good
cause. The thesis is that we (mankind, the environment and other animals) are
all part of the web of life and the role of man as custodian should be to
uphold and balance, not to intimidate and wipe out. Carson's intention is
obvious: to alert the public about the dangers of chemicals, especially
pesticides; to inform industries they are subjugating the environment to
poisoning by manufacturing dangerous chemicals and misusing them; to educate
policy makers on their obligations; and to discuss who makes decisions for the
human race. The book is divided into 17 chapters with expressive titles and in
each she gives stories of trembling birds and dying cattle, and chemicals with
potential to harm. In the first chapter, which to me is the most striking, she
gives an imaginary circumstance of a beautiful and serene countryside destroyed
after a strange blight crawls upon them, and everything dies. She goes on to
explain that the damage was caused by the people themselves and that the
imagined tragedy could easily become real.
In other
chapters, she brings into analysis the terrors of war that man has undertaken
against himself and the environment. She explains how pesticides, even though
they are designed to protect, could be very harmful; to the environment, to
plants, animals and even to humans. She describes how these chemicals could
have long-term effects yet unknown to science. She talks about the passage of
chemicals through underground streams and the food chain, to kill vegetation
and sicken herds of animals. Not only do these pesticides kill insects, they
affect other animals, not just the ones targeted because they have the power to
still life. Even worse, they linger in the soil for years. She suggests they be
called biocides, not insecticides, because of the danger they cause to all life
forms. She talks about the manufacture and release of the pesticide DDT and how
it caused an escalation process, how companies strive to discover more toxic
materials after the last discovery and how these spraying processes could be
caught up in an endless coil of poisons. She further states that it is wrong
and even surprising that man would seek to destroy the environment and put his
own species in danger.
Carson tells
what happens to the ecosystem when you try to eradicate one pest species with
DDT, of course the ecosystem is more important than one species of insects. The
chemicals change the ecology and there are not many investigations about them.
What makes it even more dangerous is that their entire effects are unknown. She
further states these synthetic pesticides have been so thoroughly distributed
that they occur virtually everywhere, and this is generally because their
residues remain. She talked about the industry that produced these chemicals.
On Page 16, Carson refers to the industry as a child of the second world war
because as chemical warfare agents were developed, many were found to be potent
insecticides. Furthermore, Carson talks about water being the most valuable of
natural resources but ironically, most of the abundant water is not usable for
agricultural or human consumption so parts of the world still experience water
shortages. Sadly, chemical sprays applied to cities affect water and these
waters have become contaminated. On page 41, she describes how a sample of
water from an orchard area in Pennsylvania was tested on fish in a lab and the
water killed all the fish in only 4 hours. She explains that in nature nothing
exists alone and as man depends on all of nature, his attitude towards it
should be protective, not destructive.
In "Needless Havoc", she illustrates
how dangerous spray guns are, and how wildlife can be destroyed with just a
single spray. She gives instances where spray guns were used, and citizens
reported afterwards that animals were dying. In the Michigan spraying, Aldrin
was used, and citizens were reassured that the spraying was safe but birds were
killed and dogs and cats were sickened, leading to a widening wave of
calamities. Carson laments that these
insecticides are not selective, they do not single out the one species desired
to be rid. Using spray guns is like raining down poisons upon land. She raises the
question of who has the right to decide for others, who made the decision that
sets in motion the chains of poisoning. In "Rivers of Death", she
talks about the waters. She says that pesticides contained in runoffs from
farms and forests get carried to the sea or many rivers causing death of
fishes. Fishing is a major source of recreation and denying people of this
sport by contaminating the fishes will affect their interests. From California
to Louisiana, fishes have been killed in numbers. She tells how these chemicals lodge in the
fatty tissues of the body because storage of chlorinated hydrocarbons begins
with the smallest intake.
In the ending
chapter, Carson presents possible and welcome alternatives to use of
pesticides. She suggests the use of the least dangerous agricultural chemicals
like pyrethrins and rotenones so that hazards from chemical misuse would be
reduced. She mentions the use of non-chemical methods, of which more extended
tests are being carried out. Also, biological controls and destroying only
targeted species to spare the ecosystem unintended deaths. She gives the
methods and benefits of the new approaches. It is clear from the book,
especially the last chapter, that Carson is not against insect control, she
only emphasizes what is wrong in the methods being used. She suggests research,
policies and investigations on these chemicals because they are poisonous and
states that citizens should be secure against all forms of harm. And I agree
with her on every level.
Silent Spring is so poetic and absorbing. It was well written with a famous opening chapter.
Carson's choice of verbs is superb. It's nearly impossible not to be moved or
enthralled by the book when you are drawn in from the first chapter. Her words
flow beautifully, the situations and examples are well presented. She has a way
of making you picture the situations that leaves you wondering if she has a
degree in creative writing. She lays out her argument with magnetic certainty
that convinces you of their authenticity. She gives clear explanations of
scientific terms and adverse consequences of chemicals, she gives structures
too. She gives case studies and real-life examples of how pesticides affect
negatively and how they kill other forms of life. The book explains in detail
what has silenced the voices of birds. It is crammed with scientific data and
complete with references. At the back of the book, she gives a comprehensive
list of her sources.
Carson writes
with an intense ardor towards defending nature and she did defend nature. The
introduction of the book, written by Linda Lear, gives an insight into her
early life, her career and her passion for the environment. It is even more
endearing to know that she battled cancer while writing the book. The book
illustrates that humans are not separated from nature but connected to the
earth and environment. It is not surprising that her argument made an impact,
that most of the chemicals were banned and people became aware and alert. Even
though Carson dies 18 months after the book is published, it is gratifying to
know that the book attained the purpose for which it was written. Mankind is
consoled.
However, the
book is aged. Fifty-one years is a long time, a lifetime. Not many people would
want to read a book written decades before their birth, and some could see it
as out-of-date. Many of the pesticides Carson talked about have either been
banned or stopped from domestic production. Most of the research she talked
about as being undertaken has been completed. Carson comes on too strong with
the ills of pesticides in the early chapters of the book, which can drive the
reader to fury and horror. Fury against the persons who invented these
chemicals or use them and horror that the earth is doomed to destruction. She
waits till the last chapter to introduce the other road, the alternatives to
use of insecticides. There is also a lot of repetition in the book, almost
every chapter begins the same way, with Carson lyrically bemoaning lifeless
streams and withered vegetation. In a way, that strategy made the book more striking.
If truth be
told, Silent Spring is still as important as it was 51 years ago. It's
insightful and educating. I found it interesting, captivating and definitely
worth reading. It should be read by all environmentalists, by all public health
professionals, by all scientists, policy makers and everyone who cares about
the environment. Individuals should read it to know the right they have to be
secure against poisons applied by other persons, to know that we deserve not to
be poisoned. The government should read it to know that through ignorance or
negligence, poisons could fall arbitrarily into the hands of the wrong persons.
They should read it because it makes a great read. More than that, it was well
crafted and fearless. It remains one of the most important books of the 20th
century. Through its facts, it changed the way people viewed the environment
and it is still relevant in the world today. The book is listed for $11 on Amazon. It was worth my money and my time. And would remain on my shelf for
ages.
[Haha, found this from years back. Making the switch from creative to scientific writing has been a journey. But that is story for another day. Enjoy!]
