In the late 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation. She considered an environmentally themed book project and became involved with The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups. She also made plans to buy and preserve a natural area from development that she and Freeman called “The Lost Woods”.

She focused specifically on environmental concerns brought up by the use of synthetic pesticides. This resulted in the publication of the book Silent Spring, which addressed these very environmental concerns and more generally was a moral wake-up call for humanity to consider the impact of our actions, industrialization and technological advancement on the natural environment.

Some time before the publication of Silent Spring, Carson got a letter from a friend who had had her land sprayed with DDT. Afterwards she had found birds dying throughout her land. She begged Rachel to find out why this chemical was killing off her birds.

Carson gathered enough evidence of the harmful effects of such chemicals on the environment to write a book and wrote letters speaking out against federal plans to eradicate pests through widespread urban aerial spraying. Carson and those involved in the publication of the book, Silent Spring, expected fierce criticism and was particularly concerned about the possibility of being sued for libel. Additionally, Carson was undergoing chemotherapy to treat her cancer. She swore her team to secrecy, wary of opponents using this information to their advantage. However, Carson and her team persevered, with Carson noting she wouldn’t be “at peace” if she failed to speak up about the issue.

In the weeks leading up to the book’s publication, it was strongly opposed particularly by the chemical industry. Despite this, she contended with her critics and won the favour of the academic community which found that her claims were scientifically backed. The controversy also greatly increased public awareness about the potential dangers of pesticide use. Within a year of Silent Spring‘s publication, the attacks against it had lost momentum and Carson received numerous speaking invitations. However she had to turn down most of them as her health was steadily declining and her cancer outpaced the radiation therapy. She also spoke before John F. Kennedy’s Science Advisory Committee about pesticides and after that testified before a United States Senate subcommittee to make policy recommendations.

She was 56 and dying of breast cancer. She told almost no one… Her pelvis was so riddled with fractures it was nearly impossible for her to walk to her seat at the wooden table before the Congressional panel. To hide her baldness, she wore a dark brown wig.

She spoke as much as she was physically able. Carson’s last battle to convey her message to in the midst of cancer and strong opposition is a final testament of her fierce will and determination.

Rachel Carson died of a heart attack at age 56 in her home in Silent Spring, Maryland in 1964. She proved to be one of the most esteemed and courageous women the world has ever seen. In response to the public outrage sparked by Silent Spring, the President took legal action, leading to the creation of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Her legacy still lives on today in the form of monuments and the writings she left behind, but most clearly in mankind’s consideration for our impact on the natural environment.