Essay on Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Having observed the book from various perspectives, we found that Carson made her research on a real base of the existing ecological problem. Firstly, in a period when the book was created, data of various analyses of the pesticides’ remains in soil, plants and animals did not give a cause for alarm at a mass production and application of organic preparations in agriculture. Chemical compounds were found in such insignificant amounts that there were no grounds to talk about some danger for a man. Nevertheless, single situations of mass cases of death of birds, wild animals, useful insects, etc. in a result of poisoning by chemical treatment of sowing caused some concerns already in those years. The government tried to explain these unpleasant facts by a strong wish of many farmers to achieve fast effect in their struggle against vermin by using too high doses of chemicals. Thus, according to official data, farmers overstated the recommended dose of chemicals and made the harm to nature by own wrong deeds. Secondly, it is hard to ignore the fact that the owners of chemical industry were interested in further spread of their production and short-term perspectives to make money interested them much more than a possibility to destroy the planet.

The book created a deep resonance in society dwelling on the fact that DDT entered many kinds of food chains, as it was previously mentioned, and caused not only death of animals, fish and birds, but also affected human beings, having caused such terrible diseases as cancer or genetic diseases. The author tried to prove the fact that toxic compounds kill everything on their way, and it is a human fault that the planet is in a danger. In actual fact, the author has never called to prohibit pesticides and she never denied the utility of pesticides for elimination of insects, carrying diseases, but she was against of the wrong use of pesticides.

Thus, having read the book and making its review, it became understandable that the book’s key point is to demonstrate the fact that humanity entrusted poisonous and drastic chemical and biological substances to people who do not realize their danger. The enormous amount of people is exposed to influence of these poisons without their knowledge and consent. Moreover, Carson showed her great concern in destiny of all flesh and advocated the necessity to make the main components of American prosperity less toxic or nontoxic at all.

In conclusion, taking everything into consideration, we can state that the book Silent Spring caused a storm in the circles of biologists, agriculturists, chemists, physicians and in public of many countries of the world, where the book’s translations were sold out by enormous editions. And the book resulted the situation, when one group of ecological activists were in panic and called to the immediate stopping of productions and applications of all agricultural poisons; while others, vice versa, indulgently said that Carson decided to scare people by unreal catastrophe and named her book “dishonorable”. Despite everything that was said about the book, it seems to be right to pay attention to the fact that the book Silent Spring, being a fundamental work of wonderful scientist about the dangers of chemical era for an environment and health of man, affected sensible string in the soul of wide public. This book struck both on an innate faith in holiness and inviolability of air, waters and soils and on atavistic interest of humanity in unnoticeable and unknown poisons.