Final answer:
The book that helped launch the national environmental movement in 1962 was Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring".
Step-by-step explanation:
The 1962 book that helped launch the national environmental movement was e. Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring". This groundbreaking work highlighted the dangers of pesticide pollution, particularly DDT, and its adverse effects on the environment and human health. Carson's "Silent Spring" played a pivotal role in raising environmental awareness and ultimately led to the banning of DDT in U.S. agriculture in 1972. It sparked debates and brought significant attention to the environmental movement, inspiring a generation of activists and leading to the celebration of the first Earth Day in 1970.