For an antidote to climate despair, look to the impact of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring

(Sierra Club) – Did you hear the birds singing outside this morning? A lot of us take that common sound of nature for granted. Most people these days do not realize how close we came to living in a much quieter world; to the widespread destruction of entire ecosystems and some of our most iconic species. That our springtime is not silent today is thanks to one of the original victories of the modern environmental movement – and the book that many credit for starting that movement. It is a story of hope. One that should inspire faith in those of us who care deeply about stopping the climate crisis and saving our planet. Related Stories The synthetic pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane – commonly known as DDT – came into heavy use in the 1940s. It was used in crop and livestock production, in people’s home gardens, and to combat some insect-borne illnesses. Within a couple decades, it became clear that DDT made people and animals sick. It also sent certain species, like North America’s great birds of prey, spiraling toward extinction. Then in 1962, the book Silent Spring by author and marine biologist Rachel Carson used science to expose the “shadow...