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How Can We Be More Like Rachel Carson?

So far we’ve discussed who Rachel Carson is and how she sparked action on many issues we continue to face today, including her impact on the modern environmental movement. In this post we’ll explore how you can take simple steps to continue her legacy and improve your health and our environment’s health too. Eat- Celebrate Rachel Carson by consuming organic fruits and vegetables. Decreasing your pesticide consumption may seem obvious, but many people don’t realize this is essentially the choice you make when you buy organic over non-organic. See the lists below for the Dirty Dozen (traditionally more pesticide contamination) and Clean 15 (least sprayed).

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Shop- You may realize the importance of buying organic food for health reasons, but often cost is a barrier. However, consider the hidden costs of what’s on your dinner table. Conventionally grown food carries greater cost to the environment, as well as to your own health. Locally grown and organic food is healthier for you and more sustainable. Think of the reduction in pesticides and the reduction in gas and emissions when you are getting your fruit from a farmer in the area versus flown from another continent!

Shop at local markets in your area and get to know who is producing your food and how they care for their crops. Rachel Carson would be proud!

Click here  for a list of local markets near you!

Love- If you have children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren, take them on a walk! Admire nature together and make a connection with it. Rachel Carson’s book “The Sense of Wonder” was based on creating a connection and respect for nature at a young age. In “The Sense of Wonder,” she says, “A three-year-old can love the song of the wind, speeding clouds, the rearing surf.” Children have a natural curiosity that should be nurtured and cultivated,

Lather- Many people are aware of the dangers of parabens and petrolatum as endocrine disrupters and cancer-promoting agents, but what about other chemicals found in personal care and beauty products? For example, everyone likes a good soapy lather, but most often this is produced by sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. These compounds are toxic and should be avoided. When shopping for personal products read labels and try to avoid the Toxic Ten (Refer to Tips and Guide from Environmental Defense Canada).

Live- Live with respect for Nature and be an ambassador for the environment- Rachel Carson style. Reduce, re-use, recycle and compost! Ride a bike to work or take public transit. Each of these conscious choices makes a difference. Start by making decisions for a better, healthier world today!

Next time you pick up an organic apple, throw recycling where it belongs or take a minute to listen to birds singing in the trees, you can be sure that you’re continuing Carson’s legacy, one conscious effort at a time.

Join the pledge and take action today!

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Rachel Carson's Biography

"Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself.[We are] challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves." –Rachel Carson, 1964

Rachel Carson was a visionary. Born May 27, 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, Rachel Carson grew up close to nature and learned from an early age how to express her relationship with the natural world in writing. Her keen interest in science and her skill of writing took her through various research and educational projects that are still cited today.

Carson graduated from the Pennsylvania College for Women in 1929. She then went on to study at Wood’s Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and John Hopkin’s University, where she received her MA in Zoology in 1932. Carson had a passion for educating others and was employed by the U.S. government Fisheries division to write radio scripts and later becoming then editor-in-chief for U.S. Fish and Wildlife division. In addition, Carson was active in publishing newspaper articles on topics related to ecology.

Rachel Carson always seemed to be involved in some sort of endeavour. Throughout her employment with the U.S. government, she was also engaged in writing about natural history and our ecosystems. She wrote a number of articles that chronicled Nature in a poetic manner, and eventually published a number of books including: “Under the Sea-wind,” (1941), “The Sea Around Us,” (1952) and “The Edge of the Sea” (1955). These books were mostly educational on the ecology of the Oceans. Additionally, Carson desired to help educate people about the impact humans had on the environment and published “Help Your Child to Wonder,” (1956) and “Our Ever-Changing Shore,” (1957) to do just that.

Her passion to educate about consequences of interfering with Nature was further sparked by the use of chemical pesticides post-World War II. At that time, DDT in particular was being used as a chemical pesticide. Recognizing the potentially devastating effects, Carson approached many magazines in an attempt to make the issue known. However, nobody was interested. Carson continued to collect research and in 1962 finally published what is perhaps her most well-known book, “Silent Spring.”

 “Silent Spring” was not accepted as ground-breaking research by all. She was heavily criticized by the chemical industry, which she had anticipated. However, her careful review and chronicling of evidence, could not be easily ignored. In 1963, Carson testified before Congress to call for policy change for the protection of health and the environment. Her book and the uproar it created within the chemical industry and the general public arguably led to closer monitoring of the effects of DDT and its eventual ban. Rachel Carson has even been credited as an initiator in the Environmental movement.

In order to gain the attention of so many, Carson had to focus, not only on the animals and smaller organisms affected by DDT, but also dangers to humans. She explains that humans are not exempt from the effects of DDT and outlined consequences of extinction of species on which we depend, genetic damage, cancer, on and death. Furthermore, she points a finger at humans for choosing this path of technological advances without keeping it in context with Nature.

 “On the farms the hens brooded, but no chicks hatched. The farmers complained that they were unable to raise any pigs—the litters were small and the young survived only a few days. …

…No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the birth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it themselves…” -Excerpt from “A Fable for Tomorrow,” chapter of “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was determined to get her information out, and overcame all odds in publishing “Silent Spring.” However, Carson had her own battles to fight and eventually died in 1964 from metastatic breast cancer and complications of treatment. Throughout her life, Rachel Carson has left a legacy of inspiring awareness of the complex interplay of the environment, technology and health. Her courage and determination lives on through anyone who has the passion and drive to create awareness and change for a better future-one more in harmony with Nature.

References:

Natural Resources Defense Council, The Story of Silent Spring

Biographical entry courtesy of Carson biographer © Linda Lear, 1998, author of Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature (1997).

 

Blog post from Volunteer, Chelsea Schreiner, ND

Today's feature is a post from WHEN's volunteer, Chelsea Schreiner, ND.  Her post has covered on some fundamental knowledge of how certain factors contribute towards Breast Cancer and listed some useful tips how to decrease your risks.  Some are listed below:

  • Decrease your consumption of red meats and especially avoid charring or burning, which creates compounds that are carcinogenic (cancer causing). When buying animal products, buy free-range, hormone-free, organic sources.

  • Eliminate processed foods which contain preservatives, chemicals and additives that act as “negative” nutrients. Sugar is also another major “negative” nutrient that depletes vitamins and minerals and decreases the immune system and should be avoided.

  • Incorporate nutrient-dense, antioxidant foods. Eat a rainbow of colours.

  • Cabbage, kale, broccoli and brussel sprouts all contain the compounds I3C and DIM, which have known anti-cancer benefits, especially in relation to cancers of female reproductive organs.

  • Beware of Personal Care Products! You may have heard of parabens but what about phthalates, fragrance and propylene glycol?  Remember that what you put on your skin, hair, nails or underarms will get absorbed through your skin and enter your body. If you wouldn’t eat it, you really shouldn’t be putting it on your skin. There are many great resources out there to help identify higher risk versus lower risk products for personal care, beauty and home cleaning. I reference the Environmental Working Group’s Databases and in particular,Skin Deep for personal care/beauty. Closer to home, WHEN (Women’s Healthy Environment’s Network) runs WTF (Wannabe Toxic Free) to help educate on safer choices for your body and home.

  • Keep hydrated and keep moving. Exercise is important for so many reasons and studies have shown drastic improvement in survival rates in patients with breast cancer who did 20 minutes of walking a day, versus those who did not. Moderate exercise is important for keeping metabolism up, digestion functioning, liver detoxifying, immune system healthy and the lymphatic system moving, which are all very important in cancer prevention.

 

WHEN wants to hear from you! If you'd like to submit a blog post please read "What Can You Do? " on the WTF page.

Living Downstream - Spring Film Screening

As part of the WHEN Spring Film Screening series, we will be screening the film Living Downstream at 7pm on Saturday 11th May 2013. Living Downstream is a cinematic feature length documentary based on the acclaimed book by ecologist and cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. 

"Handsomely photographed and powerfully argued. . . . Steingraber's scientific cool and unflagging sense of mission make for an arresting portrait of a self-styled modern-day Rachel Carson."

~ Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

 

Click here for more details about the movie and watch the movie trailer.

 

This is a Pay What You Can event, please RSVP on Eventbrite.