Does the American Heartland Seek a Silent Spring?
In September of 1962 a book entitled Silent Spring was published. The author was Rachel Carson. Her talent was to combine the gift of prose and knowledge of science to awaken the public to the horrors of pesticides. Silent Spring is hailed by many as the book that began the environmental movement. Rachel Carson died in 1964 from breast cancer, but her beautifully written work propelled millions to become attentive to the world around them, the air we breathe, and the substances that we consume, knowingly or unknowingly. Those who believe that Silent Spring was the green manifesto were moved to outlaw DDT, a pesticide, that at the time was used to spray down farm fields and control insects and vermin. It was also found, through a detailed study on Carsons part that it was becoming embedded in the foods we ate, and the air around us. There is hope in the form of President Barack Obama. He has the wisdom and foresight to enable America to position itself to take the lead in a green revolu
