Silent Spring: Science, the environment and society

Abstract

Rachel Carson's expose of the catastrophic impact on the environment of the aerial spraying of pesticides in the United States in the 1950s celebrated its 40th birthday in September 2002. The book Silent Spring is widely credited with being a major influence on public opinion at the time and is often cited as an inspiration for environmentalists in the US and elsewhere. Unlike many who write about science's failures. Carson did not argue against the value of science as a way of knowing. This article argues that Carson's important message, about the misuse of science, sustained by individual greed and market forces, has got lost. The message of Silent Spring and its role in the history of the environment movement worldwide make it especially relevant to post-16 students studying biology, chemistry or science for public understanding.