Final answer:
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was published in the Post-World War II era of 1962, drawing attention to the environmental impacts of the chemical industry, leading to increased awareness and policy changes like the DDT ban.
Step-by-step explanation:
The historical setting for Carson writing Silent Spring is Post-World War II. Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, during a period when environmental issues were gaining public attention due to ecological disasters like the Niger Delta oil spill and the Cuyahoga River fire. Her book focused on the harmful effects of pesticides, particularly DDT, and took aim at the chemical industry, influencing both public perception and policy, eventually leading to the ban of DDT in U.S. agriculture in 1972.