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John F. Kennedy on Environment
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1962: Supported anti-DDT conclusions of "Silent Spring"
In June of 1962, The New Yorker magazine ran the first of three installments that would compose most of "Silent Spring," Rachel Carson's powerful indictment of chemical pesticides that pretty much started environmentalism as we know it. By then,
President John F. Kennedy had noted the importance of "Miss Carson's book," and appointed a Science Advisory Committee to review the issue.This didn't sit well with the multibillion-dollar industry being called out.
Velsicol Chemical LLC threatened to sue for libel, hinting at the "sinister forces" (read: Commies) that must have influenced the book. In April 1963, Carson appeared on "CBS Reports" to make her case, prompting three sponsors to yank ads from the
program.
In May, Kennedy's committee agreed with every salient point made in "Silent Spring." Sadly, Carson didn't have long to appreciate the vindication, as she died in 1964 of breast cancer, an illness she had kept to herself.
Source: Mike Di Paola on Bloomberg.com, "JFK fought DDT"
, Sep 18, 2012
Rural Areas Development program for agriculture technology
"Automation," Kennedy said at a news conference, "does not need to be our enemy. I think machines can make life easier for men, if men do not let the machines dominate them." Technological unemployment, which
Kennedy understood, was a basic problem in our farm economy, which he never understood. New fertilizers, insecticides, and research had made American agriculture one of the productive miracles of the world, a sharp contrast with
Communism's collective farms.Kennedy, while keeping food prices relatively stable, took steps to raise net farm income per farm to a record high. A new Rural Areas
Development program helped low-income farmers not only find new jobs and improve their homes, but also turn surplus cropland into recreation areas for fun and profit.
Source: "Kennedy" by Ted Sorensen, p.402-403
, Jan 1, 1965
Youth Conservation Corps: develop outdoor resources
Our national conservation effort must include the complete spectrum of resources: air, water, and land; fuels, energy, and minerals; soils, forests, and forage; fish and wildlife. Together they make up the world of nature which surrounds us--
of the American heritage. And we must not neglect our human resources--the Youth Conservation Corps, proposed as a part of the Administration's Youth Employment Opportunities Bill, should be established to achieve the dual objectives of conse
developing the talents of our youth and of conserving and developing our outdoor resources.Adequate outdoor recreational facilities are among the basic requirements of a sound national conservation program. The increased leisure time enjoy
growing population & the greater mobility made possible by improved highway networks have dramatically increased the Nation's need for additional recreational areas. The need for an aggressive program of recreational development is both real
Source: Special Message to the Congress on Conservation (APP#69)
, Mar 1, 1962
Invest in facilities for the important resources of the seas
The seas around us represent one of our most important resources. If vigorously developed, this resource can be a source of great benefit to the Nation and to all mankind. It will involve substantial investments in the early years for the
and operation of ship and shore facilities for research and surveys, the development of new instruments for charting the seas and gathering data, and the training of new scientific manpower.
The seas already are a principal source of prote
They can provide many times the current food supply if we but learn how to garner and husband this self-renewing larder.
Mineral resources on land will ultimately reach their limits. But the oceans hold untapped sources in virtually limitle
quantities.
These are some of the reasons which compel us to embark upon a national effort in oceanography. I am therefore requesting $23 million more for oceanography than what was recommended in the 1962 budget.
Source: Letter to the Senate on Oceanography (APP#100)
, Mar 29, 1961
Page last updated: Apr 28, 2013
