My Review of Carson's Silent Spring

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!]