Rachel Carson: Writer and Scientist
Rachel Carson: escritora y científica

A man sprays pesticide to kill mosquitos.
English | LEVEL A
A man sprays pesticide to kill mosquitos.
Do you like to draw anime, write stories, study butterflies, or play a sport? Maybe you like to do science experiments or solve tricky math problems. For some of you, these will be childhood hobbies that you might lose interest in as you grow older. That’s fine! For others of you, your childhood interests may become lifelong pursuits. That’s fine too! Rachel Carson was a scientist and writer whose childhood influenced her future career. Rachel made significant contributions to the way people think about the interconnectedness of humankind and nature.
Rachel’s love of nature and science started early in her life. She was born on a farm in Pennsylvania in 1907. She enjoyed exploring the land alone or with her mother. Rachel’s mother had a love of nature that she shared with Rachel. As a child, Rachel noticed the way human actions were changing the environment around her. She could smell the fumes from glue factories. A coal power plant was built when she was a teenager. The plant provided energy, but Rachel also thought it was an ugly contrast to the natural beauty. She also noticed how a nearby river was changing due to pollution. Rachel used her observations as ideas for writing. Two of Rachel’s stories were published in children’s magazines by the time she was ten! Rachel’s early interest in science and writing would continue as she became an adult.
Rachel started off studying writing in college, but soon she changed the emphasis of her studies to science. She had a strong interest in marine biology because she enjoyed studying the ocean and the creatures that lived within it. The first three books she wrote as an adult were about the ocean, and they were extremely popular. People appreciated how Rachel wrote about the intricate connections between humans and their environments. At a time when factories were being built and chemicals were being developed, few people were questioning the impact of these inventions on the environment. Rachel used her research and writing skills to capture people’s attention.
Rachel’s love of nature prompted her to defend nature from harm. She wanted people to think more carefully about how to protect the environment around them. For example, Rachel was interested in how human use of pesticides would impact other creatures and the environment. A pesticide is a chemical that kills pests like insects. DDT is a pesticide that was first used in World War II to kill mosquitos. Killing mosquitos was important because it would prevent the spread of a disease called malaria in the troops. After the war, another way DDT was used was on the eastern coast to kill bothersome moths. One of Rachel’s friends lived on Cape Cod where DDT was being used. She wrote to Rachel to tell her that it wasn’t just moths that were dying. Birds were dying at an alarming rate too. It seemed that DDT killed more than just mosquitos and moths. Some pesticides could only kill one or two types of insects. DDT could kill hundreds of kinds of insects all at once! When birds ate those insects, they could also be killed. Rachel was curious about how DDT impacted the complex connections between living creatures and their habitats.
Rachel put her scientific knowledge and research skills to use! She investigated the impact of DDT. She read many reports about the effects of DDT. She began to write about her careful research using her poetic style of writing. At first, some people did not want Rachel to write about DDT. The chemical industry made advertisements that only showed the benefits of DDT. Rachel accused them of spreading disinformation. Rachel wanted more people to know about DDT. However, she could not get an assignment to write about DDT for a magazine. She decided to use her research to write a book instead. In 1962, Rachel published that book called Silent Spring. It exposed the harm DDT was causing for animals and how DDT was contaminating, or polluting, the world’s water supply.
Silent Spring would go on to be Rachel’s most influential book. It captured the attention of everyday citizens by bringing awareness to how using DDT was harming nature. Importantly, the book also increased public awareness of nature conservation, or ways humankind can protect nature and living things. The release of the book also gained the attention of government officials. President John F. Kennedy ordered a committee to conduct a closer examination of the harmful effects of DDT. Eventually a nationwide ban of the use of DDT was put in place. Many people also consider Silent Spring to be an important factor that led to the eventual establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA. The EPA actively monitors the interconnected relationship between humankind and nature.
Silent Spring raised awareness that extended beyond the effects of DDT. The book brought attention to the responsibility of humans to protect nature from harmful effects of their actions. She argued that even though some inventions such as DDT have benefits, if they harm the environment, we must question how, and if they should be used. Rachel Carson left a legacy with the publication of her books. She also set an example of persistence and using her love of nature to fiercely protect it