Search citation statements
Paper Sections
Citation Types
Year Published
Publication Types
Relationship
Authors
Journals
In the fiftieth year since the publication of Silent Spring, the importance of Rachel Carson's work can be measured in its affective influence on contemporary environmental writing across the humanities. The ground broken by Silent Spring in creating new forms of writing has placed affect at the very centre of contemporary narratives that call for pro-environmental beliefs and behaviours. A critical publicfeelings framework is used to explore these issues and trace their passage from the private and intimate, where they risk remaining denuded of agency, and into the public sphere. The work of Lauren Berlant and Kathleen Stewart and their focus on the struggle of everyday citizenship in contemporary life is helpful in illustrating how Silent Spring mobilised private feelings, particularly anger aimed at environmental destruction, into political action. This template is then explored in two contemporary environmental writers. First, The End of Nature by Bill McKibben is examined for its debt to Silent Spring and its use (and overuse) of sadness in its attempt to bring climate change to the public's attention. Second, Early Spring by Amy Seidl is shown to be a more affective and effective descendant of Silent Spring in its adherence to Carson's narrative procedures, by bringing attention back to the unpredictable and intimate power of ordinary, everyday affects. As such, Silent Spring is shown to occupy a foundational position in the history of the environmental humanities, and a cultural politics concerned with public feelings.
In the fiftieth year since the publication of Silent Spring, the importance of Rachel Carson's work can be measured in its affective influence on contemporary environmental writing across the humanities. The ground broken by Silent Spring in creating new forms of writing has placed affect at the very centre of contemporary narratives that call for pro-environmental beliefs and behaviours. A critical publicfeelings framework is used to explore these issues and trace their passage from the private and intimate, where they risk remaining denuded of agency, and into the public sphere. The work of Lauren Berlant and Kathleen Stewart and their focus on the struggle of everyday citizenship in contemporary life is helpful in illustrating how Silent Spring mobilised private feelings, particularly anger aimed at environmental destruction, into political action. This template is then explored in two contemporary environmental writers. First, The End of Nature by Bill McKibben is examined for its debt to Silent Spring and its use (and overuse) of sadness in its attempt to bring climate change to the public's attention. Second, Early Spring by Amy Seidl is shown to be a more affective and effective descendant of Silent Spring in its adherence to Carson's narrative procedures, by bringing attention back to the unpredictable and intimate power of ordinary, everyday affects. As such, Silent Spring is shown to occupy a foundational position in the history of the environmental humanities, and a cultural politics concerned with public feelings.
The Spadina Expressway controversy in Toronto, Ontario, was sparked by a proposal to run an expressway into the heart of the city. The dispute was part of a broader movement against high modernist planning that swept American and Canadian cities in the 1960s and 1970s. Frustrated by unresponsive politicians and civic officials, citizen activists challenged authorities with an alternate vision for cities that prioritized the safeguarding of the urban environment by preserving communities, preventing environmental degradation, and promoting public transit. By the latter half of the 1960s, citizen activists were no longer fighting alone, as some politicians and civil servants also turned against more traditional modes of city planning. This politicization of urban planning and transportation schemes culminated in the defeat of expressway networks in cities across Canada and the United States, including the Spadina Expressway in 1971. A landmark decision and important precursor to the municipal reform movement that would follow, the legacy of the Spadina episode was nevertheless mixed. La controverse de l'autoroute Spadina à Toronto, en Ontario, a éclaté après qu'on a proposé de faire passer une autoroute au cœur de la ville. La dispute s'est inscrite dans un mouvement plus vaste d'opposition à la planification inspirée du high modernism qui balaya les villes étatsuniennes et canadiennes dans les années 1960 et 1970. Exaspérés d'être ignorés des politiciens et des fonctionnaires municipaux, des activistes citoyens confrontèrent les autorités et proposèrent une autre vision des villes donnant priorité à la sauvegarde du milieu urbain par la préservation des communautés, la prévention de la dégradation environnementale et la promotion du transport en commun. Dans la seconde moitié des années 1960, ces activistes n'eurent plus à se battre seuls, car certains politiciens et fonctionnaires s'opposaient désormais eux aussi aux modes plus traditionnels de planification urbaine. La politisation des plans d'urbanisme et de transport culmina avec la défaite des réseaux autoroutiers dans les villes partout au Canada et aux États-Unis, y compris l'autoroute Spadina en 1971. Décision phare et important précurseur du mouvement de réforme municipale qui allait suivre, l'épisode de l'autoroute Spadina n'en a pas moins eu des répercussions mixtes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.