The History of Chemistry
65: Down to Earth
We finally reach the point in our chemical history that environmental chemistry appears, with Rachel Carson, and her book, Silent Spring. We hear about her research and earlier writings, leading up to the publication of the book, and how many chemical organizations and government officials tried to spread “fake news” about her. The second event at this time was Claire Patterson’s work on environmental effects of lead, and his battle against Dr. Robert Kehoe of the Ethyl Corporation. By the late 1960s, Lake Erie was declared dead and the Cuyahoga River briefly caught fire, and the American public had had enough. Earth Day happened in 1970, the EPA was founded in 1971, and here we are.
- Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry
- Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at steve@historyofchem.com
- Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook
We finally reach the point in our chemical history that environmental chemistry appears, with Rachel Carson, and her book, Silent Spring. We hear about her research and earlier writings, leading up to the publication of the book, and how many chemical organizations and government officials tried to spread “fake news” about her. The second event at this time was Claire Patterson’s work on environmental effects of lead, and his battle against Dr. Robert Kehoe of the Ethyl Corporation. By the late 1960s, Lake Erie was declared dead and the Cuyahoga River briefly caught fire, and the American public had had enough. Earth Day happened in 1970, the EPA was founded in 1971, and here we are.
- Support my podcast at https://www.patreon.com/thehistoryofchemistry
- Tell me how your life relates to chemistry! E-mail me at steve@historyofchem.com
- Get my book, O Mg! How Chemistry Came to Be, from World Scientific Publishing, https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/12670#t=aboutBook