Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following article on the Opinion Page titled "Celebrating "Silent Spring" at 60" written by John Gibb. This book written by Rachel Carson was a watershed. Her previous three books (1941, 1950, 1955) were also classics and I might add that when I graduated from MacGregor Public School (grade 8 approx. 1962) with the highest mark in the graduating classes in Geography I was presented with Rachel Carson's second book (1950) titled "The Sea Around Us". That book is still in my library today (as is Silent Spring).
Ms. Carson was attacked relentlessly by the chemical industry after 1962 as they were both horrified and incensed that their profits could be construed as wonderful for their shareholders and murderous to so many lifeforms other than intended mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, weeds etc. Nothing whatsoever has changed regarding the chemical industry's attitudes albeit their strategies have been much more subtle. Furthermore their political lobbying and public relations have become world class.
Ms. Carson was an academic, a writer, a lover of nature and a leading and honest voice for the natural environment. The chemical industry was and is none of those things. They are a profit centre which continues to put those profits ahead of both human health and the health of our environment. Far too many ignorant and or self-serving politicians are proud fellow travellors with them.
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