Nature Called, and It Said It's Time for Change.

 

        (Shutterstock/Vlad61. Studies show that certain chemicals in sunscreen are killing coral reefs.)

            Over time society has proven itself to welcome certain ideals and push away others. When it comes to the environmental movement, like all movements, the rise of support was steady, but there will always be those that value the benefits of consumption over the power of conservation. The pioneer of the movement was the Environmental Protection Agency, once the group created the “Federal Water Pollution Control Act,” which we know better as the “Clean Water Act.” On June 30^th, 1948, society began to see that a strong concern could turn into a strong action. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act wasn’t a perfect first try; it took three different revisions to make the act what it is today. Before 1948, people weren’t concerned nor informed about the harmful pollutants that flowed throughout each type of body of water (“The Modern Environmental Movement”). Without the pioneer group, citizens would not be as environmentally conscious as they attempt to be today.

                                        (Population Connection. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson.)

            Towards the middle of the environmental movement, Rachel Carson changed the world upon publishing her book “Silent Spring.” The threat of DDT to the environment was now under society’s microscope. In fact, Eliza Griswold informed society in her article “How ‘Silent Spring’ Ignited the Environmental Movement,” that “Once these pesticides entered the biosphere, Carson argued, they not only killed bugs but also made their way up the food chain to threaten bird and fish populations and could eventually sicken children.” Once children became a primary concern, adults began to wake up and educate themselves on the toxins spread so easily within the environment. Pesticides are known for killing anything in its path, or harming most bodies at least. If it weren’t for the heightened awareness of Rachel Carson and her endless amounts of research, the quality of the earth’s air and water would be drastically different, but in deadliest ways possible.

            It’s legislation as small as the “Federal Water Pollution Control Act” and revelations as big as “Silent Spring,” that have help lead the majority of citizens become aware of the environment that they live in. Nowadays, most people are conscious about ways to keep the air they breathe and the ground they walk on as healthy as possible. It is apparent that in today’s generation most individuals are consumer-based. More items in their life equates to more happiness, especially if the items are received at such a fast pace. “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle,” is a helpful concept, but it is impossible to do these actions at the rate most people consume. Luckily, society does have the ability to educate themselves to a new extent in today’s time. It is important for each individual to understand the calls of nature, and how it is crying out for help.

Works Cited

Griswold, Eliza. "How 'Silent Spring' Ignited the Environmental Movement." The New York Times Magazine, 21 Sept. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/magazine/how-silent-spring-ignited-the-environmental-movement.html. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

"The Modern Environmental Movement." American Experience, PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/earth-days-modern-environmental-movement/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

Population Connection. Silent Spring - Rachel Carson. 1 May 2018. Genetic Literary Project, geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/05/01/how-does-the-science-of-rachel-carsons-silent-spring-stand-up-more-the-50-years-later/. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

Shutterstock/Vlad61. Studies show that certain chemicals in sunscreen are killing coral reefs. 3 May 2018. Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/hawaii-banning-sunscreen-with-chemicals-that-are-killing-sea-life-coral-reefs-2018-5. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.