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***Upcoming Events

Songs for the Earth - A Tribute to Rachel Carson has 17 outstanding pieces, several written exclusively for this collection. The songs were inspired by Rachel Carson's vision, and the performances were donated by their artists with a generosity of spirit that has touched our hearts. This wonderful CD features some of today's most beloved folk artists: Pete Seeger, Walkin' Jim Stoltz, Steve Schuch, Kat Eggleston, Bill Oliver, Tom Vincent, Betty and the Baby Boomers, Casey Neill, Dean Stevens, Cindy Kallet, Tom Paxton, MAGPIE, Tish Hinojosa, Gordon Bok, Emma's Revolution, Bob Zentz, and Josh White, Jr. The CD is a joint project involving two non-profit environmental organizations, Rachel Carson Council, Inc., and Musicians United to Sustain the Environment (MUSE). It would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of MAGPIE. The project was funded through a grant from Eugene B. Kahn. Proceeds from the sale of the CDs will go towards furthering the work of both non-profit organizations. These are some of the best songs for the Earth we have ever heard (Greg Artzner, Magpie) CDs are $15 each, available from MUSE at www.musemusic.org

A Sense of Wonder - based on the life and works of Rachel Carson Written and Performed by Kaiulani Lee star of stage, screen and television

A Sense of Wonder is a play in two acts. The first act takes place in the peace and quiet of her beloved summer cottage on the coast of Maine. In failing health, Rachel is reluctantly packing to return to Maryland and face the storm of controversy surrounding the newly published Silent Spring. She pauses to look back over her life, and finds courage and comfort from the memory of the monarch butterflies she had seen that morning. Act Two begins two months later in her home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Rachel reminisces about the process of writing Silent Spring and the vicious personal attacks she has had to endure from the chemical industry, the press, and various agencies of the government. She had wanted to write a book about life and hope, not a book about death, but the subject was so urgent she was compelled to get the information to Congress and the American people. She reflects ironically that at this point in her life she is in greatest demand to give presentations all over the country, just when her energy is failing her, and thinks about her upcoming trip to California where she will see redwood trees for the first time.

On the stage Kaiulani Lee transforms into Rachel Carson and the effect is magical. The audience was spellbound. It was as if each of us were a dear friend spending the evening visiting with Rachel in her living room, catching up on the events in our lives. After the performance, people in the audience noted that the play was powerful, moving, and inspiring. A number of adults who had not known about Rachel Carson before this evening were motivated to find and read her books. Young people commented that they now realized that one person could truly make a difference in the world. Personally, I wanted to tell Rachel about many of the good things that have happened in the 40 years since Silent Spring was published. There is still a long way to go but Rachel Carson blazed the path and pointed the way, and those who heeded her call to action are working together, making progress towards her vision of the living world. ~ Christine Haugen

Editorial: A few thoughts about water... all the water that has ever existed on earth, and will ever exist, is already here only about 1% of all the water on earth is available fresh water; about 97% is saltwater in the oceans, and 2% is ice in glaciers and icecaps thought about in another way, if all the water on earth fit in a gallon container, all the available fresh water on the entire planet would fit in a tablespoon the U.S. Geological Survey found that nearly all surface water in developed watersheds in the U.S. is contaminated with pesticides the Environmental Working Group found that treated tap water (that we drink...) in 27 of the 29 cities they tested contained from two and up to 9 different pesticides Benjamin Franklin said that we know the worth of water when the well runs dry - the well is not totally dry, but it is contaminated... what have we done??? what were we thinking??? now that we know the worth of water, what are we going to do about it? What will you do to help solve the problem?

**Tips for Researching a Pesticide Product

Obtain the US EPA Registration Number -- found on the label -- unique to every pesticide product. Contact the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) at 1-800-858-7378, to identify active ingredients, inert ingredients and their concentrations -- based on the US EPA registration number. NPIC can also identify the product name and manufacturer. Visit the EPA website for Fact Sheets on active ingredient(s): http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/docket/ Fact Sheets can be obtained by clicking on the "Fact Sheets" option found on the left hand side of the page. Contact Rachel Carson Council, Inc. (RCC) for information on Active Ingredient(s): 301-593-7507. Contact EXTOXNET for pesticide Active Ingredient Profiles: http://extoxnet.orst.edu Contact EPA for lists of inert pesticide ingredients, from those considered generally safe to those no longer allowed in the U.S. The lists do not provide any actual data and are of limited usefulness: http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/inerts/ For Labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS): http://www.cdms.net or the manufacturer.

For incidents involving birds and pesticides, the American Bird Conservatory offers the following websites: ~ Avian Incident Monitoring System: http://www.abcbirds.org/aims ~ Birds in Agricultural Areas: http://www.abcbirds.org/biaa

Low-Risk Cockroach Control Validated in Scientific Study

Great News from New York City Low-Risk Pest Management Works Wonders in East Harlem! There is an exciting validation in October's Environmental Health Perspectives that even in dense urban populations low-risk pest control measures are effective in controlling cockroaches. Individual apartment units in Manhattan's East Harlem achieved total cockroach elimination despite the fact that other units were not involved in any kind of pest-ridding measures. Using low-risk, integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, cockroach populations were reduced to zero essentially by denying them access to food, water and preferred habitat. No pesticide sprays were used. The low-risk IPM program included three major components: sealing off locations where cockroaches live; teaching householders about IPM methods of limiting the availability of food and water; and providing professional assistance for special needs. On rare occasions where necessary, low-risk pesticides were used. This scientific study took place in actual apartment units in East Harlem. It was conducted under the auspices of Mt. Sinai Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center in partnership with two neighborhood health centers, Boriken Neighborhood Health Center, and Settlement Health. The driving consideration behind the study was to significantly reduce health problems that impact children, fetuses and pregnant women which are associated with chemical pesticide exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives is the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Integrated Pest Management in an Urban Community: A Successful Partnership for Prevention," by B. L. Brenner, et al., in Environmental Health Perspectives, 111 (#13), October 2003.

Pesticides, People and Nature The Journal of the Rachel Carson Council
Abstract #1 Key words: trihalomethane formation potential, heavy metals, water treatment and disinfection by-products Trihalomethane Formation Potential and Heavy Metal Concentration Changes During Water Distribution at Goa, India Neeta P. Thacker,* Anjana Rudra, and Preeti Kaur National Environmental Engineering Research Institute Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020, India The increase in tourist traffic at Goa, India, has exerted pressure directly on the quality of the water supply, the disposal of wastes, and other community services. To sustain tourism and maintain high treated water standards, the water quality of the treatment plants at discharge points, reservoirs, and distribution systems at Goa was monitored during the monsoon, winter, and summer seasons of 1997 to 1998 for instantaneous trihalomethanes, trihalomethane formation potential, and heavy metals. The final water quality supplied by the Assonora, Canacona, Dabose, Opa, Salaulim, and Sanquelim treatment plants was found to be within Indian Standard specifications and health-related World Health Organization guideline values. * author to whom correspondence should be addressed Abstract #3 Key words: lindane, groundwater contamination, soil profile, pesticide transport Leaching Capacity of Lindane in Sandy and Loamy Soils Imran Ali and C. K. Jain* National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee - 247 667, India The pesticides used for agricultural, forestry and domestic activities are leaching into groundwater. Therefore, it is very important to study the leaching behavior of pesticides in sandy and loamy media. Lindane is used widely in India for a variety of purposes. The effects on the leaching behavior of lindane of various operating variables such as concentration, pH of the mobile phase, soil column length, and flow rate, were studied. The concentrations, ranging from 5 to 25 µG and 5 to 35 µg, were retarded by sandy and loamy soils, respectively. The pH was varied from 2.0 to 7.0, and it was found that the minimum transportation of lindane occurred at pH 7.0 in both sandy and loamy soils. The effect of column length on the transportation of lindane is that the amount of lindane transported decreases with increasing column length. The effect of flow rate did not show any significant effect on the transportation of lindane. The distribution of lindane was also studied under saturated conditions. The uniform distribution of lindane (25.0 mL of 5.0 mg/L) was observed after 240 hours and 12 weeks in sandy and loamy soils, respectively. * address correspondence to: Dr. C. K. Jain Environmental Hydrology Division National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee - 247 667, India	Abstract #2 Key words: agroecosystems, pesticides, review, soil fauna, sustainable agriculture Pesticides in Agroecosystems and Their Ecological Effects on the Structure and Function of Soil Faunal Populations Diego O. Ferraro1* and David Pimentel2 1IFEVA, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Faculty of Agronomy University of Buenos Aires - CONICET Avenida San Martín 4453 Buenos Aires 1417, Argentina 2College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University Over the past 50 years, pesticides have become one of the major components of modern agriculture. Coincidently, there has been a rise in the number of effects on non-target organisms. In agroecosystems, soil biota are among the most important non-target organisms affected by pesticides. This article reviews the effects of agricultural pesticides on soil fauna. Field and laboratory data evince direct toxicity effects on soil fauna mainly from insecticides, and to a lesser extent from herbicides and fungicides. In some cases there are reduced food sources and habitat refuges for many arthropods. These deleterious effects of pesticides greatly modify some biological functions, such as soil organic matter decomposition and nutrient availability in the soil, by the reduction in diversity of soil biota. Agricultural pesticides may also affect some potential natural benefits provided by soil fauna populations, such as biological pest control. However, under different farming systems, evidence of pesticide effects on soil biota is complex. There are a large number of ecological interactions in the agroecosystem such as tillage, soil type, fertilizers and vegetation cover. There is need for research focused on the long-term effects of pesticides as well as on stronger agroecological evidence concerning the link between soil biodiversity and farm sustainability. * author to whom correspondence should be addressed: Telephone: 54-11-4524-8097 (ext. 8106) Fax: 54-11-4514-8730 Abstract #4 Key words: oven cleaning, teflon-coating, PTFE fumes, bird deaths Fatalities in Four Psittacines, as a Result of Normal Operation of the Cleaning Cycle in a Polytetraflourethylene (PTFE)-Coated Oven Jennifer L. Ramelmeier, DVM1* and James P. Davidson2 1Rachel Carson Council, Inc., PO Box 10779 Silver Spring, MD 20914, USA 2Maryland Department of Agriculture, Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory An owner of four parrots was operating the cleaning cycle of a polytetraflourethylene (PTFE)-coated oven. After 2 hours, one parrot began showing signs of ataxia and died shortly thereafter. The three other parrots died a short time later. This case demonstrates that PTFE fume fatalities continue, regardless of the amount of literature and publicity addressing this problem, and indicates a need for further education of the public. Further details... * author to whom correspondence should be addressed

Our Challenge to Citizens and Corporations: to cherish and protect ourselves, our children, our fellow creatures and the earth that Rachel Carson consecrated through her work and her sacrifice
As did many of the fallen soldiers we honor, Rachel Carson fought bravely to protect Americans not from a foreign power but from toxic chemical contamination as described in her book, Silent Spring. In her own words: "If the Bill of Rights contains no guarantee that a citizen shall be secure against lethal poisons distributed either by private individuals or public officials, it is surely only because our forefathers, despite their considerable wisdom and foresight, could conceive of no such problem." Silent Spring Although dealing with a grave illness and threats of personal attacks from the chemical industry if she exposed pesticide problems, Carson fearlessly published her findings and Silent Spring succeeded beyond all expectations. In the words of Philip Shabecoff, "[Carson] clearly demonstrated how the destruction of nature and the threat to human health from pollution were completely intertwined . . . [and] showed how all life, including human life was affected by misguided technology . . . . What killed trees and flowers, birds and animals . . . could also sicken and kill human beings . . . . She touched an exposed wound." (The Fierce Green Fire, 1994) Although many early, persistent pesticides have been banned, their replacements are associated with developmental defects, learning disabilities, cancer and chronic conditions such as asthma and Parkinson's. Further, children seem to be the segment of our population most vulnerable to pesticide poisoning. Over 72 million birds are estimated to be killed directly by pesticides in the U. S. each year. Indirect effects are responsible for even greater harm to birds. Theoretically, birds are protected from pesticide poisoning by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. However, no similar law specifically protects our sons and daughters from such toxic chemical exposure. Parents are forced to rely on considerate neighbors or sympathetic pesticide applicators for their children's safety. "Corporate and political institutions uphold the status quo, define consensus reality . . . and seem as all-powerful as ever. Beneath the surface, however, a slow but steady cultural shift in the direction Carson indicated has been sustained over the past four decades." (Christopher Reed, "Rachel Carson Then and Now," 2002) Contact Rachel Carson Council (RCC) for information on pesticide toxicity and less hazardous alternatives.	What Citizens Can Do Right Now Join a Planetary Partnership in tribute to Rachel Carson through initiating individual, community and corporate actions beginning on May 27th and continuing for the next year - the 40th anniversary of Silent Spring's publication. Organize a Neighborhood Nature Walk to reconnect young and old alike to the beauty of the natural world. Rachel Carson often spoke of the importance of fostering a "sense of wonder" in children. The adage, "we will protect that which we love," still holds true today. "Cideline" Your Pesticides at a neighborhood block party, encouraging your neighbors to turn in their house and garden pesticides for collection on the next community toxic waste day and adopt natural lawn and garden care methods. Four neighborhoods in Shoreline, Washington got together recently to do just this. They also recruited local businesses to slash prices for tools needed to make the transition easier, including electric mulching mowers. Make a personal commitment to eliminate chemical pesticides from your lawn and garden care regimen. Start by eliminating 2,4-D (linked to cancer) and diazinon (linked to nerve damage) this spring and summer. Use corn gluten herbicide to replace 2,4-D and use plants to attract beneficial insects to your garden to control the pests that would be killed by diazinon. Take up new gardening practices that are free of toxics and have the added bonus of being less labor intensive. For example, a University of Maryland study has shown that simply raising your mower to three-inch cutting height allows your grass to out-compete weeds and saves you the cost and danger of exposure to hazardous herbicides. Host an organic dinner, barbecue or picnic for friends, family and neighbors, using organic dairy products, meat and locally-grown organic produce and herbs. Raise a toast to Rachel Carson with an organic wine or grape juice. Provide attendees with a list of local organic markets and organic CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) organizations. Make a personal commitment to support food grown with less toxic inputs by choosing organic agriculture. It has now been verified that organic food has lower pesticide residues than does non-organic. Farms using organic methods have been found to have higher wildlife populations, save money and even out-produce neighboring conventional farms, especially in years of less than optimal growing conditions, such as during a drought.
Long-term activities for the responsible citizen to consider
Educate yourself on what is being done in your area to minimize pesticide contamination of water used for drinking and essential to wildlife. Investigate the types and levels of chemical pesticides found in regional lakes, rivers and streams. Request that your local water treatment company supply you with data from their monitoring for pesticides in surface water, sediment, groundwater and drinking water. Compare their results with those of U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) if available. Contact RCC for help. Start a dialogue on pesticide regulation in your area. Relevant issues include: neighbor and public notification of pesticide use; no spray zones around homes, schools, churches and hospitals; regulation of pesticide levels in groundwater, surface water, rain, fog and soil. Obtain regional legislation on pesticide drift and include it in your dialogue. Contact RCC for assistance. Urge the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do a better job of protecting wildlife, especially endangered species, from pesticide toxicity. Address letters to: Administrator of the USEPA, 401 M Street SW, Washington DC 20460. Speak to local religious and educational leaders about adopting reduced pesticide usage in their churches and schools in order to protect the health of children, expectant mothers, and unborn babies. Choose one type of wildlife worker (oyster, ladybug, honeybee, wild cherry tree, mycorrhizal fungi) and make a commitment to protect its population and habitat. See RCC's Source of Wonder, Source of Strength for information on wildlife workers. At your local business group or club sponsor a screening of The Next Industrial Revolution. This video explores how concepts from nature such as "waste equals food" as explained by Bill McDonough can be incorporated into building and product design. This video can be rented from RCC or purchased from Earthhome Productions, PO Box 212, Stevenson MD 21153. If you are in scouting or teaching consider having the young people under your leadership choose a migratory bird species, investigate its habitat and attempt to determine the types of pesticides that it may encounter during migration. If they can identify pesticides that are especially harmful to birds, students may want to take action on their behalf, such as contacting the manufacturers of such pesticides and requesting that they replace them with less hazardous pest control products. Investigate problems in the health and behavior of pets, linked to pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Provide your local veterinary office and pet store with literature from RCC, including our latest brochure, A Silent Killer Of Birds In Our Care: Heat-Generated PTFE Fumes. (PTFE coatings are sold under the trade names Teflon, Silverstone, Fluoron, Supra, Excaliber, Greblon, Xylon, and others) Host a Salute to Silent Spring event with an environmental theme for your local garden club. Invite a speaker to talk on one of the following topics: Landscaping to Benefit Wildlife, Ecological Integrated Pest Management, Organic Farming, or Pesticide Threats to Wildlife and the Environment.

The following recent Green Mantle events are described on the Green Mantle Program page Managing Home and Garden Pests Naturally Low-Risk Pest Management for Pets' Sake Healthy Homes and Gardens: Low Risk Pest Control Environmental Film Festival - 2003 Urban Low-Risk Pest Management Seminar Creating Bird-Friendly Backyard Habitats How to Reduce Your Risk From Exposure to Pests and Highly Toxic Pesticides Ecological Landscaping with Michael Talbot A Green MantleTM Workshop on Ecological Landscaping in Maryland

Chautauqua Living History Programs July 5-11, 2004 Rachel Carson was featured in the Maryland Humanities Council's Chautauqua Living History Programs. Each session began with a musical interlude by Mrs. Doris Dwyer, who became Rachel Carson for the evening. The programs were held at six different locations on successive evenings in Maryland throughout the week.

The Third NEW-CUE Writers’ Conference and Workshop in honor of Rachel Carson in June 2004 was an interdisciplinary event, blending scholarly presentations, readings, informal discussions, performances and workshops. The theme for 2004 was Living Waters, held at The Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, one of New England’s finest coastal resort inns. Sponsored by the Rachel Carson Council, award-winning actress Kaiulani Lee performed A Sense of Wonder during the event. Topics of discussion included: • Marine economy in the 21st Century • Sea as a metaphor • Protection and preservation of aquatic habitats • Local, regional, national and/ or international perspectives • Urban and suburban issues of water quality • Ocean as wilderness and living landscape • Creative and critical approaches to literature of the sea

A 40th Anniversary Tribute to Rachel Carson and Salute to Silent Spring September - December 2002 A well-attended and highly commented on commemorative exhibit and program series was held at the Enoch Pratt Free Library (Central Library) in Baltimore, Maryland, presented in partnership with the Rachel Carson Council, Inc. and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Sunday Afternoon Events at the Pratt Library: September 22 Opening Program featured Special Guest Lecturers: Bill McKibben and David Pimentel October 13 Film: Playing With Poison A discussion followed with Dr. Lynn R. Goldman Playing With Poison documents a research project which revealed harmful effects of pesticide exposure on the physical coordination, energy and learning capabilities of children. October 20 A Family Program featured the musical duo MAGPIE in Concert: Living Planet and the film: The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson The Silent Spring of Rachel Carson, hosted by Eric Sevareid, features the rare appearance of Rachel Carson (1907-1964) on camera at her home in Maryland and in footage filmed near her cottage in Maine. In 1963, during the heated debate surrounding the publication of Silent Spring, CBS aired this documentary piece despite receiving more than 1,000 letters protesting its showing and the withdrawal of support by three of the networks five sponsors. November 3 Wildlife and Pesticides: A panel discussion and dialogue featuring Dr. Tyrone Hayes, Dr. Joseph Kiesecker and Dr. Nimish Vyas included the latest research findings on the link between pesticides and vanishing and deformed frogs. The Pratt Library also presented 13 Children's Activity Programs on five environmental issues as part of this special series.