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A huge eye opener provided by Rachel Carson’s The Silent Spring. Many times Carson slips into technical language that slows the flow of the nonfiction. After reading this book published over fifty years ago, I marvel that the whole population of living things has not perished due to all the harmful ingredients dropped onto the earth. In our quest for perfect yards and the elimination of insects, we have endangered our existence. Carson plows through the landscape and educates the readers on all the dangers of insecticide, and then falls victim to the dangers herself. ( )

I'm so proud of myself for finally reading this book after all this time. Written in the 1960's, it was a huge impetus in the US that led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and spurred public mobilization to limit indiscriminate and blanket use of pesticides. The following decade would see protection of endangered species, inclusive of both plants and animals. A good deal of the effects of the new toxins in circulation were still unknown in the 1960's because science has made great advances since then. As a consequence, some of the questions posed by the author have since been answered, and, indeed, the content of one or two chapters are now ubiquitous. Some of the content can be skimmed, but that's not to say I think the book isn't worth reading.

I found it hugely educational, especially since for me it's history, given I wasn't yet born for a couple more decades after the book was published. It was enlightening and infuriating to read how the Department of Agriculture ran roughshod over anything and everything with toxic chemicals without first doing the most basic of due diligence. The author never states it, but, reading between the lines, I thought to myself, "Profits over public interest. Some things never change."

This book is now considered a classic, and I wish it were required reading. One of my favorite passages from the book:

“The choice, after all, is ours to make. If, having endured much, we have at last asserted our “right to know,” and if, knowing, we have concluded that we are being asked to take senseless and frightening risks, then we should no longer accept the counsel of those who tell us that we must fill our world with poisonous chemicals; we should look about and see what other course is open to us.” ( )

Rachel Carson gives a long and detailed description of the many different ways humans, in their fight against insects, have spread poisons irresponsibly. She lets the facts speak for themselves of what was used, what the chemicals are, how it affected humans, and how it remains. A stunning portrayal of how these poisons accumulate throughout the food chain.

This book was incredibly difficult to read (or listen to as an audiobook) as the information paints a bleak picture. It has been on my to-read for years and even though it is decades old I feel it's message still rings true. We need to do better. We can learn from our mistakes. It is our responsibility as stewards of this world. It is our responsibility to ourselves. ( )

7/10/22