Most observers say the changes have been for the better, but some suggest the impacts of Silent Spring have been negative. “We now know that some pesticides that were once widely used can be extremely dangerous to organisms other than the target pests.”Īs a direct result of the publication of Silent Spring, practices of pesticide use were subjected to much more intense scrutiny and much has changed since then. “While pesticides are important agents in pest control, they also can carry significant risks if not used carefully and strategically,” notes MSU Museum Director Gary Morgan, the exhibit’s curator. “Echoes of Silent Spring: 50 Years of Environmental Awareness” opens in the Heritage Gallery May 29.

The MSU Museum revisits the publication of this landmark book, credited with launching the modern environmental movement. This was the book Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson and published in 1962. Part of the strategy for controlling pests is the use of chemicals that kill or reduce the numbers of the pest and 50 years ago, a publication alerted the people of the world to potential dangers in pesticide use. In the modern, human-dominated world, a wide variety of pests threaten our environment, agriculture, and health, and must be controlled. Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center: 2012 Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture by Ian Cowx, internationally renowned champion of conserving global freshwater fish communities and fisheries. 8, 7 p.m., MSU Main Library: ‘Dying to Be Heard’ Knight Center for Environmental Journalism documentary,

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