DEP hosted a virtual roundtable with environmentalists honoring the late scientist, ecologist, editor, writer, and Pennsylvania native Rachel Carson for her classic environmental literary work, “Silent Spring.”
Carson’s “Silent Spring” was published in 1962, helping to usher in the modern environmental movement and making environmental concerns and issues known to the public. Carson, born in southwestern Pennsylvania, was a scientist who took to writing and was able to communicate the importance of environmental protection for all communities.
DEP hosted the roundtable to commemorate Carson’s significant contributions to the field of environmental protection and her groundbreaking book, “Silent Spring.”
“Rachel Carson’s contributions to science, through acute observations, are appreciated by all who serve each day to continue her legacy of protecting the environment,” said DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh.
“I am excited to have participated in an event to celebrate such an important Pittsburgher and environmentalist,” said DEP Office of Environmental Justice Southwest Regional Coordinator Ngani Ndimbie, who participated in the event.
Dr. Linda Lear, who participated in the roundtable, is a Rachel Carson historian who has studied Carson’s work for years. Lear wrote the foreword that appears in updated editions of “Silent Spring” and authored “Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature.” “History has shown that Rachel was right,” said Lear.
Another participant, Dr. Patricia DeMarco, said she utilizes Carson’s “environmental ethic and principles of science-based policy” in her work and has been influenced to “living in harmony with nature.” DeMarco is the author of the forthcoming book, “In the Footsteps of Rachel Carson,” to be published next year, and has led the Rachel Carson Homestead Association, and then the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University (where Carson studied), and co-produced “The Power of One Voice: A 50 Year Perspective on the Life of Rachel Carson.”
“It is an honor to be part of a conversation highlighting Rachel Carson; I continue to be inspired by her legacy in my own work to collaboratively and intentionally create a fundamentally equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous Pennsylvania and beyond,” said Dr. Joylette Portlock, executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, who also joined as a panelist.
“Throughout my career in environmental education, I have witnessed a remarkable recovery of peregrine falcons, bald eagles, and osprey, which serve as a testament to the impact of Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring,’ and serves as an example of an environmental success story for all Pennsylvanians,” said DEP Environmental Education Specialist Program Supervisor Gilbert Myers.
Dr. Mark Madison, another panelist, is the historian for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where Carson worked for 16 years. He manages the artifacts from Carson's career for the agency.
“Rachel Carson jump-started the modern environmental movement and it is an honor to celebrate her legacy in her home state of Pennsylvania,” Madison said.
Learn more: bit.ly/3U7quzL
*Please note: The websites mentioned around the 2:30 mark of this video are:
rachelcarson.org
lindalear.com
12 сен 2022
