‘Like a Keen North Wind’: how Charles Elton influenced Silent Spring

Drawing upon archival and published sources, ‘Like a Keen North Wind,’ suggests that Charles Elton's book—The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants—served to galvanize Rachel Carson's ideas while she was writing Silent Spring. Carson had already amassed numerous cases of the poisoning of the environment and wildlife as well as humans. Elton's book helped Carson to draw connections between the various kinds of exposures. Yet, it was Carson's genius to animate Silent Spring with vivid examples that captivated her readers and convinced them to question indiscriminate use of pesticides. Moreover, Carson adroitly bridged the growing divide between scientists and the public.