Remembering Rachel Carson

Rachel Louise Carson

Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964) who is remembered on her 107th birthday, was one of the pioneering women in the research field of science. The fact that, she was a student of literature before she took up biology, explains the reason behind her lyrical prose writing style. She had post-graduation from Johns Hopkins University in Marine Zoology. She taught at the university of Maryland besides publishing a number of research articles on natural history. She served as an aquatic biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which provided her with greater insight into the marine ecology. She gave up all her positions for the love of writing science.

Carson had a unique combination of flowingly beautiful language that reaches every layman and accurate science that is appreciated by professional biologists. This quality earned her international fame in science literature. Her book The Sea Around Us (1951) bagged her National Book Award for Non-fiction and many more awards and medals. This made Carson to get elated into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind (1941) describes the behaviour of fish and seabirds accurately, but in story form, often using the scientific names of species as character names. Carson's stated goal in doing so was "to make the sea and its life as vivid a reality for those who may read the book as it has become for me during the past decade." The first of her characters is introduced this way:

With the dusk a strange bird came to the island from its nesting grounds on the outer banks. Its wings were pure black, and from tip to tip their spread was more than the length of a man's arm. It flew steadily and without haste across the sound, its progress as measured and as meaningful as that of the shadows which little by little were dulling the bright water path. The bird was called Rynchops, the black skimmer.

The middle section of the book follows the life-story of Scomber, the mackerel, while the last part describes pond creatures such as eels and ducks. A glossary at the end of the book provides additional detail.

In the mid-1940s, Carson became concerned about the use of synthetic pesticides, many of which had been developed through the military funding of science since World War II. The USDA's 1957 fire ant eradication program, which involved aerial spraying of DDT and other pesticides mixed with fuel oil and included the spraying of private land, prompted Carson to devote her research, and her next book, to pesticides and environmental poisons. Landowners in Long Island filed a suit to have the spraying stopped, and many in affected regions followed the case closely. Though the suit was lost, the Supreme Court granted petitioners the right to gain injunctions against potential environmental damage in the future, laying the basis for later environmental actions.

Spraying DDT indiscriminately

Poster promoting DDT

In the late 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation; especially environmental problems that she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. The result was Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to the American public. Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, but it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, led to a nationwide ban on DDT for agricultural uses, and inspired an environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The book documented the detrimental effects on the environment—particularly on Birds—of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims unquestioningly.

Poster promoting DDT

Mass Spray of DDT and other pesticides

Disinfecting a woman by spraying DDT

The book “The Edge of the Sea” gives some historical perspective on the discovery of certain species by scientists, and different anecdotes about these naturalists. The text provides research conclusions from different sources to explain the morphology and behaviour of organisms. The author instils in the reader a true appreciation for the mystery of life. She keeps you in awe about the time scale of the processes, for example ocean currents, reef building, sea level rise during interglacial times and classical food webs in the ocean. What is striking is that you come away from the reading with an appreciation of the intricacies and delicate nature of life.

She is an exemplary biologist for today’s youth who wonder about the possibilities in pure science, especially, life sciences. She remains an inspiration for biologists, environmentalists and conservationists even today! 

Geetha H