Student Op-Ed: Earth Day Injustices
Makenna Gary, a senior at Rollins College, double-majoring in biology and environmental studies, wrote this Op-Ed for the Orlando Sentinel exploring Earth Day injustices and Rachel Carson’s lasting impact.
April 19, 2026
April 22, 1970, was the birth of the modern environmental movement we call Earth Day. Yet few are aware that Rachel Carson was instrumental in setting the stage for the movement and the Day. In 1962, Carson’s New York Times bestseller Silent Spring represented a breaking point in raising public awareness and concern for the environment and public health. The book raised issues about conservation and the environmental problems caused by synthetic pesticides. This eventually led to the banning of DDT and other pesticides, to increased regulations, and to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
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