Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, or a scientist who studies ocean life. Her dedication to her work led her to write several books that helped bring attention to the harmful effects of pollution on the environment.	The Sea Around Us Silent Spring
Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania, on May 27, 1907. She attended the Pennsylvania College for Women—now Chatham College. From 1929 to 1936, Carson studied at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory. In 1932 she received her masters degree in zoology (zoh•AH•luh•jee), or the study of animals, from Johns Hopkins University. She then taught zoology at the University of Maryland. From 1936 to 1952, Carson worked as a biologist and an editor for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In time, she rose to be the head of all publications at the Fish and Wildlife Service. It was at this time that she also began writing and publishing her books. She wrote books and articles so that parents and children could read and learn more about the environment and its natural wonders.
Rachel Carson is most known for her books about the ocean. These books include Under the Sea Wind (1941), The Sea Around Us (1951), and The Edge of the Sea (1955). Her books are known for using scientific information and a flowing writing style to get across her idea that all living things rely on each other in a balanced circle of life. In 1952 The Sea Around Us won the National Book Award in the nonfiction category.
Carson published her most important book, Silent Spring, in 1962. The book drew attention to the harm caused by the use of chemicals on crops and other plants. Carson argued that these chemicals poison the natural food supply, killing birds, animals, and fish. She showed that chemicals also pollute human food and water supplies. The ideas expressed in Silent Spring played a large role in getting laws passed to limit the use of chemicals. Carson even spoke in front of the United States Congress in 1963. There she asked for new policies to protect the environment. One year later Carson died from cancer, but the powerful effect of her work has continued. In 1999 Carson was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the past 100 years.