At the end of 2019, I was delighted to be invited to the Netherlands to attend a presentation hosted by the VVM – the Network of Environmental Professionals. The event was for the presentation of the Rachel Carson Graduation Prize, an annual award which recognises graduate theses from students across the Netherlands in the fields of Environment and Sustainability.

The prize refers to Rachel Carson who, with the release of her book, Silent Spring (1962), is viewed as the ‘Mother’ of the modern environmental movement. The book’s title references the Spring of an apocalyptic year where, as a consequence of human poisoning of the biosphere through synthetic pesticides, birds no longer sing. Carson argues that through contamination of the environment, human war against nature will lead to a war against humankind.

Coincidentally, my research, which stemmed from an environmental governance standpoint, also had a focus on pesticides. I assessed how society can stimulate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – an alternative crop protection practice that takes ‘an ecosystem approach to crop production and protection that combines different management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and minimise the use of pesticides’. Whilst my work had a focus on agriculture, the range of research from my fellow three shortlisted competitors indicates the encompassing nature of environment and sustainability research with titles of:

• Public perceptions of climate change in the European Union: A quantitative inquiry on spatial and temporal determinants;
• A solution to more efficient grid use by intermittent renewable energy sources: applied to large-scale solar PV plants;
• From Data to Circular Decision: Exploring how data-driven decision-making fosters circular business strategies in the manufacturing sector.

The theses were assessed by a jury comprised of leading members in science, education and the environment. Criteria included the theses’ originality, accessibility, scientific validity, social relevance and, most importantly, utility to environmental professionals in their daily work.

Whilst I was unsuccessful in ‘winning’, the delivery of the presentations was beneficial, both for me and for the wider community. When Carson published Silent Spring, its contents were said to inspire groups, governments and legislation to action. Events such as this awards presentation can draw attention to key topical research and recommendations, rather than leaving theses to gather dust in a university library’s repository. Raising awareness of research focused on the environment and sustainability can hopefully contribute to stopping the Silent Spring.