During her years of work and throughout her research, Rachel started becoming concerned with the number of pesticides being sprayed during that period. Things got especially bad when the synthetic pesticide, DDT, was developed and sprayed broadly across the United States.
Its intended use was to prevent diseases like malaria, but it ended up being detrimental to the environment, bird populations, and human life.
Rachel conducted research for years to write a book that would educate the American public on how harmful these pesticides and chemicals were, considering many citizens needed to understand their long-term effects.
Rachel fell ill during the writing process, but she hid the severity of her condition so she could finish her book with no issues. Her book Silent Spring was published in 1962.
Although she received backlash from many critics and was consistently based by chemical companies, Silent Spring did its job of causing public awareness.
As a result, President John F. Kennedy conducted a President’s Science Advisory Committee to look into the effects of DDT, and all of Rachel’s research was proven to be true.
Silent Spring was a significant influence in the eventual nationwide ban on pesticides, including domestic use of DDT, in 1972.
Tragically, Rachel did not live to see this day, as she succumbed to breast cancer and died of a heart attack in 1964 at the age of 56. Yet her legacy lives on as environmental organizations continue to research and work in her honor today.
It is safe to say our lives may not have been the same without Rachel’s powerful words.
If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe
Clover Lawns Are Trendy Right Now, And Here’s What You Need To Know About Them