In the article “The Duty to Endure,” an excerpt from “Silent Spring,” Carson focuses on her primary concerns regarding the environment. For millennia, Mother Nature was the only modifier capable of shaping the environment. In turn, this caused species to adapt to survive. However, with the birth of man, the delicate balance shifted. Humans now have the ability to modify the composition of their environment. It is a power that should not be taken lightly or abused. However, humans often remain blind to corruption until it is too late, and so the inevitable happened. The man abused his power and did not see the consequences. This is a primary concern of Carson: “The most alarming of all man's assaults on the environment is the contamination of air, land, rivers and sea with hazardous materials , even fatal (Carson). » Chemicals dumped into rivers and pollution released into the air. Toxic radiation released from nuclear explosions in the form of strontium 90. Endless pesticides sprayed on crops and trees. All these weapons are used in the "war of man against nature ».