58% sureLots of sources credit Rachel Carson with this, and they agree with each other. The book or the speech it first came from hasn't turned up yet.
What turned up
From the same 1954 speech as above, per Wikiquote's Rachel Carson page; venue beyond the year is unnamed, so held at likely.
Work
Speech (1954)
Occasion
1954
Sources checked
en.wikiquote.orgChecked using claude-sonnet-5, 21 August 2026'Speech (1954)' section, Rachel Carson Wikiquote page
Nothing made from these words yet — Storyfaire is where they get made.