She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a national wildlife refuge in Maine was created in her honor. Her influence in the area of science and importance in conservation and ecology has lasted long past her death. Sadly, she died in 1964 and did not live to see the banning of DDT. In 1972, the EPA banned the use of DDT in the United States. “An early environmental spokesperson, she worked toward protection of natural resources and environmental health. Carson, however, never saw the culmination of her work because she died in 1964 from cancer. The work led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 and the banning of DDT in the U.S. by 1972. A special committee was formed by President Kennedy to look into the issue of environmental protection.” When ‘Silent Spring’ was published in 1962, the issue of pesticide use was volatile. It took four years to compile data and research supporting the position that DDT needed to be banned and pesticide use controlled, so that overuse would not result in environmental damage. “In the early 1960’s Carson began work on her most famous book, ‘Silent Spring.’ This work would address her concerns about the widespread use of DDT, a common pesticide, and its dangerous effect on bird populations.

It was groundbreaking work explaining ecology and the importance of plant and animal diversity to create a balanced system. Her next book was “The Edge of the Sea,” focusing on the ecological link between different habitats. Carson began writing full-time in 1952 when she left the Wildlife Service and moved to Maine to be closer to the ocean.

Silent spring published