[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 87 (Friday, May 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1157-E1158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMMEMORATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF RACHEL CARSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of 
Rachel Carson and to commemorate her 100th birthday this Sunday, May 
27.
  Rachel Carson was an author, environmentalist, scientist, and poet. 
She was also a person with the courage to speak out against policies 
that harmed the environment.
  In 1945, the U.S. Government was increasingly using chemical 
pesticides to control pests that were harming agricultural crops. 
Rachel Carson, living in Silver Spring at the time, was particularly 
alarmed by insecticide experiments in Patuxent, MD. She worried that 
the Government was using pesticides indiscriminately, with little 
regard for the damage they might cause to unintended targets, like 
other wildlife, or people who would eat the crops.
  In 1957, her concerns became reality. Spraying for mosquitoes in 
Massachusetts, covering Long Island with a mixture of DDT

[[Page E1158]]

and fuel-oil to eradicate the gypsy moth, and a chemical war against 
fire ants in the South--all of these caused the widespread death of 
other animals in the areas.
  Ms. Carson, a former scientist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
with a Masters degree in Zoology, and the author of two previous books, 
wrote a third, Silent Spring, about the pesticide problem. She 
described the issue in vivid terms--a happy town struck by a ``strange 
blight'' that stopped the birds from flying and silenced their voices.
  Her message was not accepted quietly. Even the idea of the book, 
before it was published, was enough to cause the chemical industry, 
with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to work to 
discredit Ms. Carson. She was called a ``hysterical woman'' and 
threatened with lawsuits. Her meticulous scientific work was described 
as ``oversimplifications,'' ``downright errors,'' and ``scary 
generalizations.''
  However, Rachel Carson did not back down from a fight. Even as she 
was battling cancer, Ms. Carson testified before Congress, stood up for 
her research and her work, and, with her eloquent words and confidence 
in the science behind them, rallied millions of Americans to her side.
  Rachel Carson helped begin the modem environmental movement by 
helping Americans relate to complicated scientific issues. She also 
forced the Government to consider that even potentially beneficial 
practices like eliminating the bugs that ate our crops could have 
dangerous environmental effects. Her stand paved the way for others to 
join the cause. She spoke the first ``inconvenient truth.''
  When she died, she left a legacy for us to carry. The pesticide 
problem did not end with Silent Spring. Our environment is not safe 
from dangers. Agricultural run-off, sprawl and logging, and of course, 
global warming, are persistent threats that we must face with the same 
courage and tenacity Rachel Carson showed 40 years ago.
  This year, Congress is prepared to meet those challenges head on. We 
are developing comprehensive global warming legislation to curb 
pollution and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
  We all have the responsibility to follow Rachel Carson's example to 
be stewards of our environment and natural resources. We must ensure 
that we and the generations that follow us can, as Ms. Carson advised, 
``dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth.''

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