Student Op-Ed: Earth Day Injustices
Makenna Gary, a senior at Rollins College, double majoring in biology and environmental studies, wrote this op-ed for the Orlando Sentinel exploring Earth Day injustices and Rachel Carson’s lasting impact. It was also published in The Invading Sea, a media partner of the Orlando Sentinel.
By Jo Marie Hebeler
April 19, 2026
In this op-ed, the author reflects on the legacy of Rachel Carson and her seminal 1962 book, Silent Spring, which catalyzed the modern environmental movement and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. The author connects Carson’s historical battle against toxic chemicals to modern environmental and labor injustices, drawing from personal experiences with heavy metal poisoning and an immersive college program with farmworkers in Apopka, Florida. These events highlighted the intersecting vulnerabilities of immigration status, racial inequality, and inadequate public health protections for marginalized agricultural laborers.
As a National Environmental Leadership Fellow for The Rachel Carson Council, the author details recent lobbying efforts at the 2026 Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. The author expresses deep concern over Subtitle C of the draft 2026 Farm Bill, a regulatory reform section that seeks to weaken pesticide labeling standards, preempt state-level regulations, and shield chemical companies from lawsuits. When challenging these provisions, the author encountered legislative resistance dismissed as a rejection of “pseudoscience”—a dismissal that mirrors the historical corporate backlash Carson faced when she was labeled “hysterical.”
The op-ed emphasizes that pesticide exposure in the United States is up to five times higher for people of color, underscoring systemic policy failures. In honor of Earth Day, the author calls for urgent civic action, urging citizens to pressure Congress to reject the industry-friendly "poison pill" in the Farm Bill and to foster greater awareness regarding the grueling, hazardous conditions endured by central Florida farmworkers.
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