By Michael Roston A Republican Senator known for his criticism of various environmental causes is single-handedly holding up two bills in the US Senate that would honor the life of Rachel Carson, author of the well-known book Silent Spring, RAW STORY has learned. The bills were introduced by a bipartisan group of Senators from Carson's home-states of Pennsylvania and Maryland on the occasion of the centennial of her birthday on May 27. "This week, Dr. Coburn blocked two bills intended to honor Rachel Carson on the 100th anniversary of her birth (one bill to name a post office after her in PA, and a resolution honoring her)," said a press release at Senator Tom Coburn's (R-OK) website. Coburn said through a spokesman that Carson was undeserving of honor from Congress because she had promoted 'junk science.' "Dr. Coburn believes the tremendous harm Carson’s junk science claims about DDT did to the developing world overshadow her other contributions," said spokesman John Hart in an e-mail to RAW STORY. "Millions of people in the developing world, particularly children under five, died because governments bought into Carson’s junk science claims about DDT. To put it in language the Left understands, her 'intelligence' was wrong and it had deadly consequences." One of the resolutions Coburn is blocking with a parliamentary 'hold' seeks to mark the 100th birthday of Carson, who died in 1964. Read more...

Labels: Sen. Tom Coburn

Posted at 5/23/2007 05:12:00 PM