Author: rachel carson

Content abstract: This book describes the sudden change of a beautiful village with an allegorical beginning. The first half of the book explains the ecological network of soil, plants, animals and water sources, and shows the toxicity of chemicals to nature;

The latter part gives a serious warning to the chemical poisoning problem that human life comes into contact with.

With detailed explanation and unique analysis, the author tells in detail the irreversible harm that the widespread use of pesticides represented by DDT has brought to people's living environment-human beings constantly want to control the natural results, but they have destroyed the ecology and unconsciously accumulated poison on themselves and even their descendants.

Extended data:

Silent Spring is a popular science book written by American popular science writer rachel carson. First published in 1962. ?

In this book, Carson vividly and seriously describes the environmental pollution and ecological damage caused by excessive use of chemicals and fertilizers, which eventually brings unbearable disasters to mankind. He expounded the pollution of pesticides to the environment, analyzed the harm of these chemical pesticides to the ecosystem on which human beings depend, and pointed out that human beings should take a "different road" by using their own poisons to improve agricultural output, which is tantamount to quenching thirst by drinking poison. ?

The book shows the readers the impact of modern pollution on ecology in an all-round way and gives a powerful warning to mankind. In the book, the author challenges the scientific practice of agricultural scientists and government policies, and calls on people to quickly change their views on nature and seriously think about the development of human society. In addition, she also recorded many negative effects brought by industrial civilization, which directly promoted the development of modern environmentalism in the future. ?

Creative background:

In 1950s, during the "Cold War" when East and West confronted each other after World War II, American enterprises cut down a large number of forests for economic development, which destroyed nature and caused serious "three wastes" pollution.

Especially, in order to increase grain output and timber export, the US Department of Agriculture allowed the chemical industry with deep pockets to develop highly toxic pesticides such as DDT, and recklessly implemented a large-scale aerial spraying plan. It leads to a large number of deaths of birds, fish and beneficial insects, while pests are increasingly rampant because of the production of antibodies.

Chemical toxicity enters the human body through the food chain, causing diseases such as cancer and fetal malformation. When nature, biology and even human beings are hurt, Carson can't be silent because of his sense of responsibility and the conscience of scientists.

Terminally ill, relying on radiotherapy to maintain her life, almost on the verge of paralysis and blindness, she faced strong pressure from business authorities and government bureaucratic scientific research institutions alone, challenging industrial groups that only cared about commercial interests and ignored human safety and DDT, a chemical substance that won the Nobel Prize:

She specializes in "death-specific drugs" (highly toxic pesticides) that are as harmful as radiation, and began what she called a "crusade" against evil forces. After four years of tenacious and arduous investigation and study, I wrote Silent Spring, which was published in 1962.

The book was named Silent Spring, thanks to its editor, Paul Brooks. While reading the manuscript, he thought of this title when he read the heartbreaking silence of birds.

Thought of work:

In Silent Spring, Carson called on the public to stop private and public plans to use toxic chemicals, which will eventually destroy life on earth.

She asked people to know the truth and take action according to the present situation, because paying attention to the environment is not only a matter for the industry and the government, but also a matter for the people. Those toxic substances spread through spray, dust and food are far more dangerous than radioactive debris from nuclear war.

Carson pointed out in the book that spraying plans that cost millions of taxes are doomed to fail from the beginning, and it is ineffective to use them or any new products that try to deal with the rapid emergence of drug resistance, which is confirmed by more and more pests and diseases.

She described in detail the plan to kill gypsy moth and killed fish, crabs and birds at the same time. She also described in detail the plan to kill fire ants, killing cows and pheasants, not fire ants. Due to the destruction of natural control (ecology), many other plans have led to more pests.

Therefore, Carson advocates replacing widely used chemicals with other methods. She pointed out some successful cases, such as using ladybugs to control scale insects. She believes that once natural enemies or rivals are introduced, harmful species appearing in a certain place will not cause much trouble. Fighting for survival in nature can keep the number of pests at a low level.

The influence of the work:

After the book was serialized, dozens of newspapers and magazines reprinted it. After the book was officially published, 4,000 copies were sold in advance, and 65,438+10,000 copies were sold in February of 1962.

1962 Throughout the autumn, Silent Spring was The New York Times's best seller. According to statistics, on the 25th anniversary of the book's publication, Mifflin Publishing Company has sold 0/650,000 hardcover copies and 0/800,000 paperback copies of Silent Spring. Such sales are enough to illustrate its popularity. ?

Under the influence of this book, by the end of 1962, more than 40 states in the United States had passed legislation restricting the use of pesticides. DDT and several other highly toxic pesticides that won the Nobel Prize were also deleted from the list of production and use.

At the same time, the book has aroused public concern about environmental issues, and various environmental protection organizations have been established one after another, which prompted the United Nations to hold the "Human Environment Conference" in Stockholm on June 1972, and countries signed the Declaration on Human Environment, which started the worldwide environmental protection cause.

1992, in the 28th year after Carson's death, Silent Spring was elected as one of the most influential books in the world, and was praised as "the milestone of the world environmental movement".

Evaluation of works:

Al Gore, former vice president of the United States: "Without this book, the environmental movement may have been delayed for a long time, or it has not yet begun."