Rachel was into the environment before it was cool to be into the environment. She was lobbying for environmental change before it was big business to lobby for environmental causes. She worked tirelessly to bring awareness to the effects of DDT and pesticides on the environment. Her pivotal work, "Silent Spring", spoke to the loss of our song bird population to the ravages of environmental pollutants. The sad truth is that pollution has become big business. Futures in emissions credits (the right to belch toxic pollutants into the atmosphere) are traded on the open market. Coal burning plants that exceed EPA emission standards can buy emission credits from those power facilities whose emissions are less, and who lie within the EPA requirements. This allows those less efficient plants to spew their toxic byproducts into the air. In addition, developed countries take advantage of third world countries, selling them their outdated equipment and technology that does not meet the pollution standards set by their government, locating manufacturing facilities in third world countries so that they can avoid having to meet stricter standards. The chemical disaster at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, in 1984, brought to light what continues to go on today in third world countries.
Rachel Carson fought long and hard for what she believed in. She talked to anyone who would listen. She believed that she could make a difference. She continues to inspire me. Never underestimate the power of one person committed to success - committed to what they believe in.
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