Module 1.2 - A Turning Point Event for Environmental Science, Chapter 1 Rachel Carson American Experience PBS
- Point of View
The point of view of this novel by Rachel Carson called “Silent Springs” is to inform the people that what we might see as a great usage of scientific discoveries could also have its negative effects. In the video it tells of how Carson was determined to have the American people be more thoughtful and curious about the environment. She was out to set the minds of the people who believed humans had control over nature that they were wrong. Carson believed the balance of nature is a major force in survival in man. The main point she wanted to get across is for people to be cautious. Although, as much as others believed the synthetic pesticide that saved hundreds of thousands of lives called “DDT” was a miracle substance it would still be up for caution.
- Purpose
The purpose of this video was to show how Rachel Carson started a huge environmental movement. As a writer who always has been interested in nature and her environment she wrote books about it before, but the one that started it all for her was “Silent Spring”. This film was to show and inform about a woman who had a career as a writer and biologist who forced the people to change the kind of questions they asked about the environment and also start asking those questions. She wanted people to see the damage being done before it was too late.
- Questions at Issue
The main cause for question is, are the American people being careful with the environment. With the new chemistry lab creation of the synthetic pesticide Carson saw this as a war against the Earth. Most people were quick to think humans as the superior species in control. That everything nature had was ours to take. So with that the issue was the over whelming advantage we used with the synthetic pesticide (DDT) that was being sprayed on everyone and everything. Although it did get the job done in clearing insect-borne diseases it was found that it was also harmful to fish and wildlife. Carson’s question to Americans is are we willing to be cautious in what we put on our Earth.
- Information
Some information the video stats is that the synthetic pesticide called DDT was pronounced by TIME Magazine to be one of the great scientific discoveries of World War II. As I mentioned earlier DDT was considered a miracle substance. More than a million people were dusted with DDT. So you can imagine how much of that pesticide was used. Because of the book Silent Spring many people accused Carson of being a communist, hysterical, and a female Luddite. As shy as she was she pushed herself to be in the eye of public. It was also said that DDT was first synthesized back in the 19th century. In 1939 a Swiss chemist named Paul Müller discovered it was a very potent insecticide.
- Interpretation and Inference
The conclusion in this video is that Readers Digest Magazine didn’t want to pick up Carson’s story about warning people of the dangers of DDT. Then when Silent Spring first printed September 27, 1962 who knew it would become best seller. It changed the minds of many Americans to start thinking more intensely about the damage we do to the environment. Her solution was the intent to give people a warning into seeing that although DDT was very successful in saving our species but that it was dangerous to other species. And so, with that warning people began to listen and understand the effects of chemicals being put out into our environment.
- Concepts
The theory that most people had back in the day with out a doubt was that we as humans are in power. We have the control of what we want, especially the environment. We can take or change whatever it is that is out there because it is there for us. You will hear that the modern chemist, biologist, or scientist believe man controls nature. Carson believed in the theory that there had to be a balance between nature and man or this would cause for destruction. This was during a time that human perception was greater than nature. Her disapproval of modern technological innovation in science had crushed the theory most people thought they believed. It made others start to question about what it is they were taught to believe.
- Assumptions
Assumptions of Silent Spring was that it was an irresponsible breach of scientific objectivity. Most people thought she was a crazy woman starting problems for speaking out for the environment. Readers Digest did not want to publish her story because they assumed it would not be well read for house wives. That they would not want to read something so dark as Silent Spring. Another assumption was that because DDT worked so well in saving the lives of thousands of people there was to be no damage to anything other than insects. As biologist pretty quickly saw that when DDT is used in certain areas it was known to be harmful to wildlife. Carson sees the Earth being at war with humans by the things we do to it. The Earth is the number one thing being taken for granted that many others do not think of in that way. We only have one Earth and we are in dire need to take action to be cautious with it as Carson said. No assumptions to be made that we are better than our environment. Which needs to stop because there would be no environment left.
- Consequences
The end results as said in the video were that DDT helped millions of people by killing insect borne diseases such as typhus. It was the first time there was a pesticide that was not obviously toxic to people. Then biologist later found out that DDT also did damage in areas with wildlife. This is how Silent Spring came about. The book that will start a revolution about the environment and seek others to start questioning what we are doing to our Earth. She led a change in people’s minds about conservation to our ecosystem. It was telling the dark warning about how soon people would destroy the nature. A top selling book to remind everyone that we have consequences to the actions we take upon our environment.
References I used: Silent Spring Chapter 1 Rachel Carson American Experience PBS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeJNRaE11A0
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