[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 87 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HOUSE RESOLUTION INTRODUCTION: RECOGNIZING RACHEL CARSON

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                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico.  Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce 
legislation honoring the legacy of Rachel Carson, the ecologist and 
author whose courage, selfless spirit and sense of wonder ushered in 
the modem environmental movement.
  May 27, 2007, will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rachel 
Carson. While we as a nation continue to feel the impact of manmade 
environmental challenges and consider measures to lessen our impact on 
the planet, it is important to remember the person who first warned us 
of the hazards of environmental degradation, while capturing our hearts 
with her love and concern for nature.
  Through her tireless activism and inspiring literature, in particular 
her book Silent Spring, Carson raised public awareness about humanity's 
inherent relationship to nature. In exposing the dangers of chemical 
pesticides, Carson demonstrated how life at all levels is 
interconnected, from the bottom of the food chain to humans at the top.
  Carson wrote her landmark book, testified before Congress and rallied 
support for environmental awareness and action while secretly fighting 
the debilitating effects of the cancer that would soon take her life. 
Although she preferred quiet anonymity, Carson weathered tremendous 
scrutiny and made a courageous stand against powerful industry 
interests to serve the greater good.
  Though she died at the young age of 56, Carson's impact was 
astounding. In the years immediately following her death, the U.S. 
Government enacted a string of environmental laws, created the 
Environmental Protection Agency and banned most uses of the chemical 
pesticide DDT, which resulted in the resurgence of numerous American 
ecosystems and wildlife species.
  Rachel Carson's influence continues to reverberate, now more than 40 
years after her death, in the ongoing struggle to balance the needs of 
our society with a healthy environment.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to pass 
this resolution.

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