Introduction
In work, for certain themes, inspiration is a desirable element to sustain our contribution.
In order to work for a cause, it is inspirational to know those who worked for the cause.
Environment management is one such theme and in this area of work, one inspirational person is Rachel Carson. One reference to her name in a book kindled me to know about her and I found it such a rewarding experience and she remained my inspiration there after.
My intention in this blog is to guide the readers to relevant websites without trying to make my writing about her.
I have compiled them in certain order, consisting from media,Govt dept, wikipedia and by her biographer.
Visiting some of them and going through the writings would be time well invested for the theme and to become familiar with the personality of the remarkable person, Rachel Carson.
It may be tiring because of the length, but at the end, it may be worth it! In the sense, that you would come to know, Who was she?, What her fame is due to?, What was her background - birth and bringing up, education, work and writings, her disposition to environmental issues, her pursuit; What was the decisive moment?, How she pursued further?, Importantly, what opposition she faced?, What was the outcome? And finally, how she is remembered?
Please make it a leisurely trip and you can branch off as you wish at each of the websites too.
Firstly, about a recent event
On the 14th of November 2008 the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science christined their Chesaspeake Bay research vessel, 'Rachel Carson'.
"That mission", said Boesch, "would please Carson, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and outdoors writer for The Sun. She went on to write popular books such as The Sea Around Us and Silent Spring, a warning about the indiscriminate use of pesticides that was hailed by the U.S. State Department as "the book that changed the nation."
"She really did most of her work and writing in Maryland. She graduated from Johns Hopkins and taught at the University of Maryland. She wrote about the bay before she wrote Silent Spring and the other books," Boesch said. "She was for many scientists - including me - inspirational."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-md.carson14nov14,0,2574680.story
What are the other similar events?
1
Time 100 of the year 2000, included her under 'scientists and thinkers'. Peter Mathiessen, writing about her has mentioned: "Before there was an environmental movement, there was one brave woman and her very brave book."
http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/carson.html
2
She is included in the Ecology Hall of Fame with the following citation:
"Rachel Carson made environmentalism respectable. Before Silent Spring, nearly all Americans believed that science was a force for good. Carson's work exposed the dark side of science. It showed that DDT and other chemicals we were using to enhance agricultural productivity were poisoning our lakes, rivers, oceans, and ourselves. Thanks to her, progress can no longer be measured solely in tons of wheat produced and millions of insects killed. Thanks to her, the destruction of nature can no longer be called progress."
http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/carson/
3
Al Gore has written the Introduction to the Houghton Miffilin's 1994 edition of the 'Silent Spring'. He has mentioned: "Silent Spring came as a cry in the wilderness, a deeply felt, thoroughly researched, and brilliantly written argument that changed the course of history. Without this book, the environmental movement might have been long delayed or never have developed at all." It is an elaborate Introduction about her work worth a reading by all of us."
http://clinton2.nara.gov/WH/EOP/OVP/24hours/carson.html
Who is she?
The US Fish & Wildlife Services, Northern Region has produced a very nice biography of her. Those who want a quick read of the short biography may visit the following site:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/carsonbio.html
Those who want to read more about her are suggested to visit the wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson
The other very nice source to know about her is by her biographer, Linda Lear at http://www.rachelcarson.org/
It is a very pleasing site, to be browsed leisurely. At the end of the reading we would feel having engaged with a humane personality strongly committed to environment.
And finally please visit http://www.rachelcarsonhomestead.org/ to get a rounded view of the person and her work and to formulate for yourself as to how you probably could become part of what she worked for!
She expired on April 14, 1964 and The New York Times published a fitting obituary, reading which may make us mourn her death even today.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0527.html
How would I narrate her life and works?
Rachel Carson, born in a simple family, growing up kindly disposed towards the nature around her, using language to explain the beauty to others, decides to work in favor of nature when people were found to harm it, braves all odds and steadfast moves forward to achieve what she has decided to work for and makes a path for every one to travel and contribute for the good of nature and the people, for a long time to come. And that is what we seem to be continuing even today and may continue in future.
No doubt there were people prior to her and there are people who worked for the theme after her; but she remains the beacon!
How did I, in a small way, contribute to her legacy?
She was my inspiration while designing and implementing an Environmental Management System in the year 2000 as per the International standard ISO 14001 in a mining company of 2400 employees.
The system is still continued in the company to systematically manage environmental issues.
So, would you like to narrate her story to your near and dear?
To share with children please visit:
http://www.the-aps.org/education/k12curric/pdf/carson.pdf
And I end this blog on a musical note, thanking you for your kind attention. Please view! http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=HeHzqeyu3u0&feature=related
Sam Anbazhagan
