A Voice for Our Earth: Rachel Carson on human mastery

Credit: NASA/RESOURCEWATCH. Satellite imagery of the November, 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The deadliest and most destructive California wildfire in history, the Camp Fire burned an area of 240 square miles, destroyed 18,804 structures, decimated the town of Paradise (pop. 26,000) and neighboring communities and killed at least 85 people.


“The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery, not over nature but of ourselves.”

Rachel Carson (1907-1964), marine biologist and nature writer, author of Silent Spring, a book that documented, with scientific evidence and a composite of true accounts, environmental and human health harms of DDT and the potential catastrophic consequences of over-use of toxic and persistent chemicals. Controversial in its time, the bestselling book engendered fierce and personal attacks on Ms. Carson by chemical companies, and is now often credited with having raised awareness of environmental challenges resulting in the creation of Earth Day and the EPA. The above quote seems relevant still, as we have made great progress in improving our air and water quality but are acutely aware of the easily observable affects and potential irreversible consequences of unfettered dispersal of another persistent chemical, fossil carbon dioxide.

#rescuethatfrog

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