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Silent Spring

Definition

Silent Spring is a 1962 book by Rachel Carson that documented the adverse effects on the environment—particularly on birds—of the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

Analogy

Imagine if someone wrote a book about how using your phone too much could cause serious health problems. That's what Rachel Carson did with Silent Spring, but instead of phones, she talked about pesticides. And just like you'd probably think twice about using your phone after reading that hypothetical book, people started thinking twice about using pesticides after reading Silent Spring.

Related terms

DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane): A synthetic insecticide used widely from WWII until it was banned in many countries from 1970s due to its harmful impact on wildlife detailed in 'Silent Spring'.

Bioaccumulation: The accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals in an organism. This concept is key to understanding some arguments made in 'Silent Spring'.

Ecology: The branch of biology which studies interactions among organisms and their environment. It provides context to many observations made in 'Silent Spring'.