17. Rachel Carson and the birth of environmentalism
Today, unbelievably, there are still some who insist that humanity has little impact on the environment of the planet which it shares. Such obtuseness was prominent before Rachel Carson’s work, which was presented in her 1962 book Silent Spring. Carson’s work led to the creation of the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, and to increased public awareness of the role of humanity in the future and health of the planet essential to its survival. Though derided by some, who remain blithely incognizant of the damage done to the environment, Carson changed the world by drawing attention to changes in and to the planet, and helped to generate actions to save humanity from its own ignorance and arrogance.