Acceptance Speech for Silent Spring (National Book Award)
Delivered in early 1963 following the publication of Silent Spring, which launched the modern environmental movement by exposing the dangers of synthetic pesticides.
Full Transcript
In receiving this honor, I am deeply mindful of the generous spirit in which it is bestowed.
When I wrote Silent Spring, I knew that I was touching upon a subject that would arouse controversy. For we have lived for generations under the dangerous illusion that man can master nature without paying a terrible price.
The balance of nature is not a status quo; it is a fluid, ever-shifting condition.
We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven’t become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe.
The chemical pesticides we dump into our soil, rivers, and skies do not remain neatly contained. They enter the food chain, poisoning the robin, the salmon, and ultimately ourselves.
We must master ourselves before we can safely alter the delicate web of life upon which our survival depends.
Defining Key Excerpts
"The balance of nature is not a status quo; it is a fluid, ever-shifting condition."
"We still talk in terms of conquest. We still haven't become mature enough to think of ourselves as only a tiny part of a vast and incredible universe."
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