Rachel Carson's Environmental Movement

Mother nature seems to be an indestructible force. Perhaps that is why we continue to deplete her natural resources and pollute her air. Perhaps, as a race we have grown accustomed to modern luxuries which we deem more important than the ground beneath our feet. In her book Silent Spring, Rachel Carson asks, “Have we fallen into a mesmerized state that makes us accept as inevitable that which is inferior or detrimental, as though having lost the will or the vision to demand that which is good?” (Carson 12). Carson’s powerful message, calling upon the public to make environmental changes, were well received throughout the United States and was a main contributor to the Environmental movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
In the early 1960’s, skies in urban areas were turning grey, black and brown. Visible air pollution spewed from cars and factories, filling the air with harmful chemicals. The air pollution levels in cities such as New York City and Detroit were so high that hundreds of people became sick due to pollutants. Environmental protests rapidly spread …show more content…
In the year 1960 alone, “100 million people consumed water collected from streams, and 120 million people dumped sewage into the same streams”. The main source of water pollution in the United States were large industries, the number of which had grown significantly after the end of WWII. Muskie’s Clean Water Act reduced industrial waste by setting national water quality standards. Many industries such as INDUSTRY strongly opposed Muskie’s legislation, WHAT THE INDUSTRIES DID. Due to the lack of strict enforcement of the Clean Water Act, many industries disregarded the legislation. However, once passed, the act ensured greater national attention towards environmental regulation. In addition, the act led to the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, which enforced water quality criteria and established industrial pollution