We asked Peggy McGrath, a member of The Well community, to write a blog for Earth Day 2020:
A Sense of Wonder
by Peggy McGrath
As I reflect on Earth Day in this 50th anniversary year, I cannot help but remember and honor Rachel Carson. She was its impetus. In the imaginative and poetic prose of Silent Spring, she articulated the danger we would be facing with the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
If one is unaware of her personal story, it is one of love of family and of the natural world. She was raised during the time of the “nature-study’ movement. This movement believed that by studying nature, “the intricate design of the Creator would become visible.” They believed that nature was holy. Her mother was involved in this movement and as an avid lover of nature, taught Rachel to experience and identify with that world. Rachel also loved writing about it. At the age of 10, she was published in a prestigious children’s magazine.
Rachel always thought of herself as a writer. However, while in college and taking a biology class with a beloved teacher, she switched her major to biology. She later earned a master’s in marine biology. Her two loves would complement each other when she became the Editor-in-Chief at the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Publications. With the encouragement of her supervisor, she sent an essay to the Atlantic. This was the beginning of her influence on a much larger readership. She became a well known and respected author prior to Silent Spring. Her 3 previous books were award winners due to her integration of scientific knowledge and imaginative storytelling.
The devastation of song birds was the reason for her beginning research for Silent Spring. As she struggled to finish her book, she kept secret she was dying of cancer. However, it was her struggle with cancer that demonstrated her self-sacrifice and determination to get the message out about the dangers of pesticides.
Rachel’s books were always framed in her experience of the creativity and beauty of nature. She uses the words Wonder and Awe to describe what she saw and felt. These are the same words Thomas Berry and others have used to describe the sacred.
And how do these reflections concerning Earth Day make me feel about our present reality?
As we struggle with understanding this crisis caused by the Corona Virus, I am grateful for Rachel’s lessons that teach us to live within the rules of nature and not against them. We must learn to value nature’s wisdom and make policies that are written with this wisdom in mind. Some scientists believe that as we venture into uninhabited areas of the world, disrupting the ecosystems there, we will continue to bring forth unknown viruses. Rachel saw the integration of all living things needing to be understood as a whole system. If we do so, perhaps we will no longer blindly make decisions in disparate ways, with monetary profits often the winning value.
Let us remember everything is interrelated. Everything fits into the mysterious whole that is still unfolding. This energy of life, this energy of the cosmic christ, this evolving movement of existence is always evolving.
Let us remember that living in this democratic society, we need to be reminded of the courage and persistence of Rachel Carson. She lived out her convictions despite attacks to discredit her. She defended her research in the world of politics where she spoke at Senate hearings and other political events.
It is in the political arena where we have a voice in prioritizing what values we wish all levels of our government would represent. We vote so they act on those values and pass laws that execute those values. We cannot be bystanders in this process.
So as we celebrate this special Earth Day, may we remember and be inspired by the spirituality of Rachel Carson- her awe and wonder at the beauty of the natural world and the active role she took in protecting it.
Peggy McGrath is the founder and head of Go Green Oak Park, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing the effects of toxic chemicals in Oak Park and River Forest, the sister communities where her three children and eight grandchildren reside. She is a frequent participant and friend of The Well.
Actions Peggy recommends to honor Earth Day:
Write your senators and representatives to share your concern that so many environmental Acts have had cuts in funding, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and more than 25 others.
Make a donation to Beyond Pesticides, a nonprofit DC organization working for over 35 years, politically and educationally, to push against the poisoning of our world.
Donate to the Union of Concerned Scientists, which for 50 years has focused on ensuring the integrity of science (especially important in this era).