[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 450 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 450

Recognizing Rachel Carson, ecologist and author whose courage, selfless 
    spirit, and sense of wonder ushered in the modern environmental 
                               movement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2007

     Mr. Udall of New Mexico (for himself, Mr. Allen, Mr. Brady of 
 Pennsylvania, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Carson, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Ellison, Mr. 
Grijalva, Mr. Honda, Ms. Hooley, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Lantos, Ms. McCollum 
 of Minnesota, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. Shays, Mr. Udall 
 of Colorado, and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted the following resolution; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing Rachel Carson, ecologist and author whose courage, selfless 
    spirit, and sense of wonder ushered in the modern environmental 
                               movement.

Whereas 100 years ago, on May 27, 1907, Rachel Carson was born on a small family 
        farm in western Pennsylvania;
Whereas many consider her to be the patron saint of the modern environmental 
        movement;
Whereas Rachel Carson died of breast cancer at the young age of 56, but her 
        influence continues to reverberate, now more than 40 years later, in the 
        ongoing struggle to reconcile mankind's relationship with a healthy 
        environment;
Whereas Rachel Carson published significant works of literature, including 
        ``Under the Sea-Wind'', ``The Sea Around Us'', ``The Edge of the Sea'', 
        ``The Sense of Wonder'', and the landmark book ``Silent Spring'', which 
        created a new awareness among citizens and government agencies of the 
        hazards associated with certain pesticides and their effects on natural 
        ecosystems;
Whereas when it was an extremely unpopular choice to expose the dangers of 
        certain pesticides, in particular the previously lauded and 
        indiscriminately used pesticide DDT, Rachel Carson courageously stood 
        behind her scientific research and stood up to the chemical industry, 
        depicting how life on all levels, from the bottom of the food chain to 
        mankind at the top, was being dramatically altered by chemical 
        pollution;
Whereas the environmental discussion prompted by ``Silent Spring'' led President 
        John F. Kennedy to appoint a special Science Advisory Committee, which 
        subsequently affirmed her findings;
Whereas Rachel Carson's tireless efforts, including testimony before Congress, 
        led to an eventual ban on DDT and in turn a resurgence of many 
        ecosystems and wildlife species in the United States, including the 
        symbol of American strength and grace, the bald eagle;
Whereas initially Time Magazine dismissed Rachel Carson's work as 
        ``oversimplifications'', and in some cases ``patently unsound'', she 
        remained steadily resolute and was later ranked among Time Magazine's 
        list of the 100 most important people of the 21st century;
Whereas her approach brought forward the principles of ecological protection and 
        the need for humanity to think within the context of the ecosystem at 
        large;
Whereas Rachel Carson's efforts were driven neither by desire for profit nor 
        power, but rather a deep appreciation for humanity and the 
        interconnected world within which we live, as exemplified by the 
        following excerpt from her book ``The Sense of Wonder'': ``If a child is 
        to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the 
        fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share 
        it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world 
        we live in.'';
Whereas Rachel Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of 
        Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian award; and
Whereas Rachel Carson's words of wisdom are as--if not more--appropriate now as 
        they were in 1962 when she wrote in ``Silent Spring'': ``The human race 
        is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery--not over 
        nature but of ourselves.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the significance of the centennial of the 
        birth of Rachel Carson;
            (2) commends Rachel Carson for her contributions to 
        science, literature, and the health of the natural environment 
        all over the world; and
            (3) recognizes that we could learn much from her today, 
        especially as we increasingly feel the effects of climate 
        change and consider measures to lessen and eventually reverse 
        the impact it has on our planet.
                                 <all>