March is Women's History Month, and we here at My Wonderful World would like to talk about five women who have made significant advancements in the world. The Library of Congress has designated the theme of this year's Woman's History Month "women taking the lead to save our planet," which of course dovetails nicely with our overall themes of geographic and environmental awareness here at MWW.
1. Sylvia Earle
Called "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times, "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress, and the first "Hero for the Planet," Sylvia is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist. As the first female chief scientist at NOAA, she pioneered many firsts in the world of oceanography. Recently, she released Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas along with Linda K. Glover, which showcases the 70% of the planet that people don't tend to think about--the ocean.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/sylvia-earle.html
2. Rachel Carson
Perhaps best known for her groundbreaking 1962 publication Silent Spring, Rachel Carson forever changed the way we view the world. She stressed that humans are but just one part of the world's ecosystem, and that we must learn to live in harmony with the rest of nature. Her life's work helped catalyze the Congressional ban on the toxic pesticide DDT and, eventually, the cessation of its use worldwide.
http://www.rachelcarson.org/
1. Sylvia EarleCalled "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times, "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress, and the first "Hero for the Planet," Sylvia is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer with experience as a field research scientist. As the first female chief scientist at NOAA, she pioneered many firsts in the world of oceanography. Recently, she released Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas along with Linda K. Glover, which showcases the 70% of the planet that people don't tend to think about--the ocean.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/sylvia-earle.html
2. Rachel Carson
Perhaps best known for her groundbreaking 1962 publication Silent Spring, Rachel Carson forever changed the way we view the world. She stressed that humans are but just one part of the world's ecosystem, and that we must learn to live in harmony with the rest of nature. Her life's work helped catalyze the Congressional ban on the toxic pesticide DDT and, eventually, the cessation of its use worldwide.
http://www.rachelcarson.org/
3. Lois Marie GibbsWhen Lois Gibbs, a NY housewife, discovered that her seven-year-old son's elementary school was built on top of a toxic waste dump, she was understandably upset--then she found out that her entire neighborhood was situated on the same dump. It was what she did in response that made her a hero in the environmental movement: with no prior grassroots activism experience, she led her community in a battle against the local, state, and eventually federal governments. In the end, her perseverance paid off and 833 families were evacuated out of the Love Canal neighborhood, an event that paved the way for the creation of the EPA's Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, otherwise known as the Superfund.
More about Lois's story here
4. Jane Goodall
A young Jane Goodall went to Africa to study chimpanzees and soon became their leading crusader. Her research work expanded to include numerous conservation efforts in Africa and worldwide. Her global nonprofit institute empowers people to make a difference for all living things by creating healthy ecosystems, promoting sustainable livelihoods and nurturing new generations of committed, active citizens.
www.janegoodall.org
5. Wangari MaathaiIn 2004, Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to ever receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which she was awarded for founding the Green Belt movement. Green Belt focuses on battling deforestation in Kenya through organizing mostly village women to plant trees, fight soil erosion and water pollution, and provide firewood and income for their families.
http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/
Sources: Library of Congress, National Geographic, Pollution Issues
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