IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 450 
Recognizing Rachel Carson, ecologist and author whose courage, selfless spirit, 
and sense of wonder ushered in the modern environmental movement. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 24, 2007 
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico (for himself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. BRADY of Pennsyl-
vania, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. CARSON, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. HONDA, Ms. HOOLEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. LANTOS, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. MOORE of Kansas, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. 
SHAYS, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing Rachel Carson, ecologist and author whose cour-
age, selfless spirit, and sense of wonder ushered in the 
modern environmental movement. 
Whereas 100 years ago, on May 27, 1907, Rachel Carson 
was born on a small family farm in western Pennsyl-
vania; 
Whereas many consider her to be the patron saint of the 
modern environmental movement; 
Whereas Rachel Carson died of breast cancer at the young 
age of 56, but her influence continues to reverberate, now 
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•HRES 450 IH 
more than 40 years later, in the ongoing struggle to rec-
oncile mankind’s relationship with a healthy environment; 
Whereas Rachel Carson published significant works of lit-
erature, including ‘‘Under the Sea-Wind’’, ‘‘The Sea 
Around Us’’, ‘‘The Edge of the Sea’’, ‘‘The Sense of 
Wonder’’, and the landmark book ‘‘Silent Spring’’, which 
created a new awareness among citizens and government 
agencies of the hazards associated with certain pesticides 
and their effects on natural ecosystems; 
Whereas when it was an extremely unpopular choice to ex-
pose the dangers of certain pesticides, in particular the 
previously lauded and indiscriminately used pesticide 
DDT, Rachel Carson courageously stood behind her sci-
entific research and stood up to the chemical industry, 
depicting how life on all levels, from the bottom of the 
food chain to mankind at the top, was being dramatically 
altered by chemical pollution; 
Whereas the environmental discussion prompted by ‘‘Silent 
Spring’’ led President John F. Kennedy to appoint a spe-
cial Science Advisory Committee, which subsequently af-
firmed her findings; 
Whereas Rachel Carson’s tireless efforts, including testimony 
before Congress, led to an eventual ban on DDT and in 
turn a resurgence of many ecosystems and wildlife spe-
cies in the United States, including the symbol of Amer-
ican strength and grace, the bald eagle; 
Whereas initially Time Magazine dismissed Rachel Carson’s 
work as ‘‘oversimplifications’’, and in some cases ‘‘pat-
ently unsound’’, she remained steadily resolute and was 
later ranked among Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most 
important people of the 21st century; 
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•HRES 450 IH 
Whereas her approach brought forward the principles of eco-
logical protection and the need for humanity to think 
within the context of the ecosystem at large; 
Whereas Rachel Carson’s efforts were driven neither by de-
sire for profit nor power, but rather a deep appreciation 
for humanity and the interconnected world within which 
we live, as exemplified by the following excerpt from her 
book ‘‘The Sense of Wonder’’: ‘‘If a child is to keep alive 
his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from 
the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one 
adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, 
excitement and mystery of the world we live in.’’; 
Whereas Rachel Carson was posthumously awarded the Pres-
idential Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian 
award; and 
Whereas Rachel Carson’s words of wisdom are as—if not 
more—appropriate now as they were in 1962 when she 
wrote in ‘‘Silent Spring’’: ‘‘The human race is challenged 
more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery—not 
over nature but of ourselves.’’: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the significance of the centennial 
of the birth of Rachel Carson; 
(2) commends Rachel Carson for her contribu-
tions to science, literature, and the health of the nat-
ural environment all over the world; and 
(3) recognizes that we could learn much from 
her today, especially as we increasingly feel the ef-
fects of climate change and consider measures to 
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