Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

s econd, becaus e the manufacture and s ale of s uch chemicals has become an accepted part of
our economy and our way of life. It would be unrealistic to suppose that all chemical
carcinogens can or will be eliminated from the modern world. But a very large p rop ortion are
by no means necessities of life. By their elimination the total load of carcinogens would be
enormous ly lightened, and the threat that one in every four will develop cancer would at leas t
be greatly mitigated. The mos t de termined effort s hould be ma de to eliminate thos e
carcinogens that now contaminate our food, our water s upplies , and our atmos phe re, becaus e
thes e provide the mos t dangerous type of contact—minute exposures, repeated over and over
throughout the years.
Amo ng the mos t eminent men in cancer res earch are many others who s hare Dr. Hueper’s
belief that malignant diseases can be reduced s ignificantly by determined efforts to ide ntify the
environme ntal caus es and to eliminate them or reduce their impact. For thos e in whom cancer
is already a hidden or a vis ible pres ence, efforts to find cures mus t of cours e continue. But for
thos e not yet touc hed by the dis eas e and certainly for the generations as yet unborn,
preve ntion is the imperative nee d.