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Can anyone believe it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for all life? They should not be called "insecticides," but "biocides."

— Rachel Carson Silent Spring (1962)

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More quotes by Rachel Carson

In our modern world nothing may be taken for granted-not even the spring songs that herald the return of the birds.

Vanishing Americans (1959)

I like to define biology as the history of the earth and all its life — past, present, and future.

Preface to Humane Biology Projects (1961)

Man's future welfare and probably even his survival depend upon his learning to live in harmony, rather than in combat, with these forces.

As human beings, we are part of the whole stream of life.

Speech (1954)

The most alarming of all man's assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers, and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials.

Silent Spring (1962)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Rachel Carson (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.