The Rachel Carson Affect

       I had never heard of Rachel Carson until I watched "Silent Springs". To say that she was an incredible person is a vast understatement. She was, very clearly, a pioneer in not only woman's equality, but in nature conservation as well. With all of the amazing things that were covered in "Silent Springs" I couldn't help but feel sad for Rachel. Now, I understand that she accomplished great feats during her life, but, that's the thing, a quick google search revealed that she only lived to be 57 years old. I'm sure she head a very fulfilling life, but at the same time, doesn't it seem lonely? Rachel raised her nephew from a young age after most of her family had passed away, lived by herself in Maine, and spent the last few years of her life incredibly ill. "Silent Springs" consumed much of her last years that she was alive, and she passed away only two years after it was published. On top of that, her closest friends didn't think that she would be able to complete the book that she dedicated years of her time to. Carson used to go days without writing or working on it because she did not have the strength to.

       Think of what else Rachel could have accomplished. I understand that 57 years old isn't very young, but, it is not very old either, and from the way that the documentary personified her, she was incredibly hard working and on top of that she was a fighter too. While it's obvious that she had already managed to change the world, what else could she have done? America could be a different place if Carson had lived a few more healthy years. Maybe this whole dilemma with the North Dakota oil pipeline would not be happening. Maybe there would be more gender equality in the United States. Who know what could have happened? All I know is that, to me, Rachel Carson goes down throughout history as a hero for the common people who are always pushed aside by those in power.