Which 1962 book helped launch the environmental movement by exposing the hazards of DDT?

• A. Silent Spring
• B. The Population Bomb
• C. The Sea Around Us
• D. The Jungle

Answer: (A)

Exposing how a widely used chemical could harm ecosystems and human health and then showing the social and policy consequences of that harm is what this item focuses on. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, published in 1962, revealed how DDT moved through the environment, accumulated in wildlife, and potentially affected people, all supported by careful evidence and vivid storytelling. The book helped shift public opinion and spurred investigations and regulatory changes, ultimately contributing to the modern environmental movement and the establishment of stronger pesticide controls. The other works cover different topics or times—overpopulation, marine life, and labor conditions in the meatpacking industry—so they don’t fit the specific impact and era described here.