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5th SETAC World Congress
3 - 7 August 2008
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney Australia
Protecting our Global Environment
The Rachel Carson Award
The SETAC Rachel Carson Award was initiated by the Society on the 25th anniversary of the publication of Silent Spring. Rachel Carson was a scientist and science writer who through her literary skills increased awareness among the public for the natural world and potential threats to that world. To this end, Rachel Carson was recognized as a meticulous researcher who attempted to assemble and synthesize information and make that information accessible to the public. She worked hard to be sure of her facts. Her greatest mission was making the science accessible to a wider audience.
Key elements of the Rachel Carson Award are therefore:
- A desire to help others understand and become more aware of the natural world and appreciate the potential threats that anthropogenic stressors may have on the integrity and functioning of that world
- A demand for accuracy in assembling and using scientific facts to present, support, and ultimately defend writings or other forms of communication;
- A broad view of environmental issues that includes habitat and physical impacts as well as chemicals;
- A recognition for the need for education;
- A desire to make science more accessible to the public;
- A voice for political change, even in the face of controversy.
The Rachel Carson Award will be presented at this years Congress.