Post #2902639

2026-05-27 17:49 UTC

OTD: Biologist, writer & environmental trailblazer Rachel Carson was born May 27, 1907. Her iconic book "Silent Spring”, published in 1962, highlighted the harmful effects of pesticide use in the USA, specifically DDT, on nature & humanity and is widely regarded as having ignited the modern global environmental movement. Carson died in 1964. 60 years after its publication, “Silent Spring” continues to be as relevant as ever. Photo: Thomas Brosnihan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Replies (8)

@Frau_Mensch@troet.cafe 2026-05-27 17:50

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social DANKE, dass Ihr sie würdigt 🙏🏼

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@W6KME@mastodon.radio 2026-05-27 17:52

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social My mother's uncle was one of the DOW engineers that invented DDT, and swore by it his entire life. My mom got in a lot of trouble for having a copy Silent Spring.

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@wobweger@mstdn.social 2026-05-27 17:53

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social 💚

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@Timeless@mastodon.world 2026-05-27 19:07

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social But *why* is it still relevant. Because the corporations won and the planet is still being destroyed. Everyone in America benefitting from this industrialized civilization has let her down. You all have let the oligarchs who own this country get away with ecocide and Karma will be a bitch.

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@Npars01@mstdn.social 2026-05-27 19:42

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social Rachel Carson faced a nihilistic greedy petrochemical industry just like today. An industry profiting off frying the planet & profiting from war. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/26/piper-sandler-says-strait-of-hormuz-to-remain-closed-for-months-and-oil-to-hit-new-highs.html https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-27/russia-boosts-crude-oil-exports-to-cash-in-on-middle-east-war

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@DoomsdaysCW@kolektiva.social 2026-05-27 21:23

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social One of my heroes growing up! Thank you for this!

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@roblosricos@mastodon.social 2026-05-27 22:05

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social i had DDT poisoning as a pre-schooler. since i wasn't even close to finished growing, my innards grew healthy tissue. now, my immune system will not tolerate viruses in my blood stream. doctors told my mom i would not live long enough to graduate high school. i'm 66. i'm throwing this in just because... https://youtu.be/atmNLbycafM?list=PLlHP2vgpcfGlUqmSEnIx6lbFF9m15h1IB

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@Karen5Lund@mastodon.social 2026-05-30 12:50

@maxplanckgesellschaft@wisskomm.social Late last year I started re-reading Silent Spring, about 30-35 years after I first read it. It holds up well. Prescient observations about synthetic chemicals, and of course her influence on the banning of DDT and resurgence of some wildlife. (There are four Bald Eagle nests near me, and at least one in every county in New York State. I recently wrote an article about Osprey, which are commonplace here.) But I put the book aside about 1/3 in. 1/2

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