RESEARCH: Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Impact on the Environment

THE HOAX WE LIVE THROUGH, Christie Jones, oil on canvas, 2024

After this week’s EPA announcement, I can’t help but reflect on my research paper from Fall 2024 semester about the formation of the EPA and Rachel Carson’s impact on the environment. Remember WHY it was formed, and the steps that led to its formation are important. Part of my intention with my art is to merge it with real research, concrete findings, to be able to depict artwork inspired from this mutual place of both beauty and horror as we experience (in real time) the impacts of climate change on our world. The fact that Lee Zeldin is from Long Island, living in coastal communities and acting in exact opposition of what environmental protections we need is appalling. I spent the past few channeling my anger into art. Art and activism are intertwined in my brain. This is going to be something I share more and more about.

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IN PROGRESS CERAMIC SCULPTURE BY CHRISTIE JONES

OYSTERS & CLAMS, ceramic sculpture bisque fired in progress, Christie Jones, 2025

DRILL BABY DRILL, ceramic sculpture in progress, Christie Jones, 2025

DRILL BABY DRILL, ceramic sculpture in progress, Christie Jones, 2025

By the way, my professor wrote a raving recommendation based on this paper, small excerpt below;

“Christie’s ability to utilize all of her strengths places her in elite intellectual territory. Her primary source analyzations are on par with those of experienced historians, and her research of varied historical perspectives sheds new light on narratives that are sinking into unchallenged territories. Furthermore, Christie regularly seeks to gather a more diverse and inclusive understanding of the past by consuming history through the lenses of race, gender and ethnicity. This tenacity for historical comprehension has led to some of the most profound scholarships that I have ever read during my time as a professor.” Professor Fabio Montella, Suffolk Community College.

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Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring Impact on the Environment

The topic of climate change entered society’s conversation in the early 1960s in the United States. A variety of factors led to the environment receiving extra attention during this period. One of the leading examples to bring awareness to this issue was the release of Rachel Carson’s book, called Silent Spring in 1962. This book played a critical role in the way citizens and the government responded by protecting and advocating for the health of the environment. In Carson’s book she shed light on the harmful effects of chemicals that did not have regulations. She was educated, and an authority on the topic yet as a woman she was not always respected as a viable source (Taylor).

However controversial, and despite being criticized, her book was a catalyst for change and is now viewed as one of the pivotal pieces of information that impacted society’s interaction with environmental protection. Silent Spring argued the impacts of toxic herbicides and pesticides, like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane or DDT, would disrupt the environment which would lead to negative human and wildlife repercussions. Silent Spring addresses the need for environmental protections; yet the gender of the author stymies the progress of the movement.

To set the tone of the early 1960s, it is important to discuss monumental events that contributed to the rise of public awareness. The oil spill in Santa Barbara harbor, the contaminated Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio that caught fire, and a temperature inversion in the city due to the steel mills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania brought public attention and outcry to confront the use of chemicals.

Along with the environmental issues, society in the 1960s still did not have many opportunities for women in roles of leadership. Many women were not pursuing further education. Most women did not have careers. During this time women still needed to open credit cards and bank accounts under their husband’s names. The juxtaposition of Carson; a single, childfree, and educated woman created a constant scrutiny for her life choices, but she did not let that stop her from publishing. Whereas men like John Muir, and long-time Audubon Society president T Gilbert Pearson were writing and advocating for nature for years whether they were educated or not (Taylor). This was not something they had to explain or validate as a topic they could speak about, and they were viewed as experts in this field.

Silent Spring argued the impacts of toxic herbicides and pesticides would disrupt the environment which would lead to negative human and wildlife repercussions. “Carson was an editor at the US Bureau of Fisheries (forerunner of the US Fish and Wildlife Service); as a consequence, she was privy to information about the oceans as well as the effects of pesticides like DDT on wildlife” (Taylor).

As an example, Carson describes streams that became chemical soups, laden with the outpourings of chemical treatment plants. She describes runoff from fields treated with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, killing algae, plant life, fish, and animals. With this book, Carson educated the public about the hazards of environmental contamination and made the case for careful consideration of both short-and long-term impacts of human-generated chemical contamination of our waterways (Dasch).

Unable to keep these things morally or ethically she knew them to be true; Carson wrote Silent Spring. Her book ignited an almost immediate public reaction. It was a New York Times bestseller for 31 weeks (about 7 months) after release between 1962-1963. As a result, Suffolk County, New York residents gathered to sue the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the spraying of DDT. Evidence continued to show that DDT did impact the wildlife and water supply. Residents observed dead fish in ponds, their crops were impacted, and this alarming visual was centered in the lawsuit. Despite the proof, including the artwork portraying the effects on wildlife, and strategically referencing the judge’s own beloved local parks, the rulings did not land in favor of the concerned citizens (The Long Island Advance). The judge acknowledged some of the negative impacts but still did not restrict use of DDT. The legislature to restrict DDT would take another ten years to regulate.

“Carson’s argument was compelling to many Americans, including President Kennedy, but was virulently opposed by chemical industries that suggested the book was the product of an emotional woman, not a scientist” (American Yarp). This poses the question: if Carson were a man, would this information be received differently? “Critics also suggested that Carson, a woman who had no children of her own, did not have any right to speak on behalf of future generations. Yet, childless men like Henry David Thoreau could articulate visions of the future and remain unquestioned. Opponents also mistook the passion and confidence with which Carson wrote as signs of hysteria and irrationality” (Taylor).

“The chemical industry united against Carson, distributing critical reviews and threatening to withdraw magazine advertisements from journals deemed friendly to her. Words and phrases used in the attacks included ‘ignorant,’ ‘biased,’ ‘sensational,’ 'unfounded,’ ‘distorted,’ ‘not written by a scientist,’ ‘littered with crass assumptions and gross misinterpretations,’ to name but a few” (Young). Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall did believe Carson, and he connected her to speaking engagements so that she could continue to share her thoughts from Silent Spring.

Eventually new laws and policies were organized, and changes were made with substantial improvements to the environment that continued into the following decades. Government answers to public outcries were the creation of The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were passed by lawmakers in 1969, seven years after Carson’s book was published. In 1970 Earth Day was formed. An annual celebration of protecting our natural resources put pressure on politicians to advocate for citizens requests to protect the planet. “The EPA ceased licensing DDT in 1972” (Stoll).

Unfortunately, Carson passed away two years after Silent Spring was published. She never saw the full impact she had and continues to have in society. She was an outsider, an environmental pioneer and far ahead of the time she was living in. Climate change became recognized as something humans had a role in by either impacting negatively or advocating for policy and regulations.

Through her best-selling books that resonated with many, she inspired a generation to advocate for the planet, and in doing so policies were eventually put in place. Water quality and pollution continue to be an issue for Suffolk County residents and people throughout the nation. The link between government, chemical companies, and her constant point of view being questioned due to her gender makes one wonder if her words were not questioned and initially believed based on her research if some of the impacts from these pesticides and chemicals could have been reduced. DDT is still used in many countries today.

Citations:

"Environmentalism." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, edited by Thomas Carson and Mary Bonk, vol. 1, Gale, 1999, pp. 288-290. Gale eBooks,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3406400286/GVRL?u=sunysuffolk&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=622d5aef.

Dasch, Pat. "Carson, Rachel." Water: Science and Issues, edited by E. Julius Dasch, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2003, pp. 136-138. Gale ebooks,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3409400053/GVRL?u=sunysuffolk&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=3caccf9a.

Hagood, Charlotte Amanda. "Rachel Carson's Silent Spring: Greenovator Spotlight." America Goes Green: An Encyclopedia of Eco-Friendly Culture in the United States, edited by Kim Kennedy White, vol. 1: Thematic Entries, ABC-CLIO, 2013, pp. 109-112. Gale eBooks,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2720700040/GVRL?u=sunysuffolk&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=62f143a7.

Richardson, Shaughnessea. “Conquering the Barriers Between Nature and Man: Rachel Carson and the Modern Environmental Movement.” Pennsylvania History, vol. 88, no. 1, 2021, pp. 114–30, https://doi.org/10.5325/PENNHISTORY.88.1.0114.

Stoll, Mark. “The US Federal Government Responds.” Environment & Society Portal, 5 Mar. 2020, www.environmentandsociety.org/exhibitions/rachel-carsons-silent-spring/us-federal-government-responds.

Taylor, Dorceta E. “Rachel Carson – a Woman Ahead of Her Time.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 19, no. 9, 2021, pp. 487–487, https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2422.

The American Yawp. “27. The Sixties | the AMERICAN YAWP.” American YAWP, 2018, www.americanyawp.com/text/27-the-sixties/.

“The Long Island Advance 1 December 1966 — the NYS Historic Newspapers.” Nyshistoricnewspapers.org, 2024, nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=lia19661201-01.1.4&srpos=1&e=--1950---1978--en-20--1--txt-txIN-ddt+case-------Suffolk--.

Young, Gerald R. "Carson, Rachel L." Environmental Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2011, pp. 268-270. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1918700260/GVRL?u=sunysuffolk&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=90d99bff.

AR WORKSHOP WATERCOLOR RECAP

I love the idea of a place where people can drop in, sign up for specialty classes and create in an inspiring setting. When AR Workshop in Patchogue asked me to teach one of my handmade watercolor workshops I said YES! Teaching in my hometown is such an honor, and it makes me so happy to bring my knowledge to the area that shaped so much of my inspiration.

Photo by AR Workshop Patchogue featuring the handmade watercolor paint made during the workshop

Photo by AR Workshop Patchogue featuring my color swatches

Photo by AR Workshop Patchogue featuring our guided paint making session

Thanks to everyone who came out to create. It is always so fun seeing how my designs and paints are used by others. If you’re interested in taking a workshop with me, please check out my Hands on Learning page for updates.

FEATURED IN: NEWSDAY!

Excerpt from the article

Some of the article in Newsday

How fun to see my workshops at Village highlighted in Newsday’s Things to Do section! I’m in good company too, some wonderful local small businesses are featured.

Check out my recaps of the workshops I’ve taught at Village, and don’t forget to sign up for my upcoming workshops.