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Rachel Carson

Published by in pollution of environment ·
Tags: SlientSpring
Nov. 7, 2019, Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson, May 27, 1907-April 14, 1964, an American marine biologist and conservationist and is most famous for her book Silent Spring. She also wrote The Sea Around Us and The edge of the sea and Under the Sea Wind.

Rachel alerted the American people to the dangers of pollution and was instrumental in a nationwide ban on DDT and other pesticide and the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Rachel's mother, an educator, encouraged Rachel to read, explore and learn. Rachel explored her family's 65-acre farm and began writing stores, often about animals.  At age eight she began writing and was first published at age ten. Her two loves were writing and biology. She attended Pennsylvania College for Women and graduated magna cum laude in 1929.  She continued her studies in  zoology and genetics at Johns Hopkins. She earned a master's degree in zoology in June 1932. She had intended to continue for a doctorate, but in 1934 she was forced to leave Johns Hopkins to search for a full-time teaching position to help support her family during the Great Depression.

Rachel discovered DDT and other pesticides were devastating to the ecology and caused cancer. Even when she was dying from cancer herself, she continued to fight her chosen battle.

When Rachel first got cancer, she had surgery and the doctor told her she was fine. However, the doctor lied, he knew he did not get all the cancer and it would spread. He did not tell her because doctors at that time did not discuss such things with women whom they believed could not deal with such serious issues. The doctors would discuss the problem and possible treatment with the husband. But she had no husband so she was not told and she was denied treatment that may have saved her life.


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