The Rachel Carson Council focuses on the dangers of pesticides and other toxic chemicals and their impact on human health, wildlife, and the environment. After the 1962 publication of her classic book on pesticides, Silent Spring, Rachel Carson was overwhelmed by the public interest it generated, including letters from many people asking for advice, guidance, and information. Shortly after her death in April 1964, colleagues and friends of Carson established an organization to keep the public informed on new developments in the field of chemical contamination. Originally called the Rachel Carson Trust for the Living Environment, it was incorporated in 1965 to work for conservation of natural resources, to increase knowledge about threats to the environment, and to serve as a clearinghouse of information for scientists, government officials, environmentalists, journalists, and the public.

The Council has long warned that many pesticides, regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency...