Voices

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Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring exposed the hazards of pesticides, particularly DDT, on the balance of nature. Carson was already a best-selling author and former marine biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service before she tackled the controversial subject of chemical pesticides. Carson was vilified by the chemical industry but her carefully prepared and scientifically-supported book raised awareness about the dangers of pesticides to both humans and the environment. Silent Spring became a catalyst for the environmental movement after its publication in 1962.