Women and the Environment
Before you read this article:
Consider signing up to volunteer for our T-Street Beach Cleanup on Saturday April 17 from 9:30AM to 11:AM.
It is a great source of volunteer hours for CSF and NHS (and any other organization)
It is relaxed and fun
After the event is over, you can stay at the beach for a while if you'd like
Now onto the article...
March is women's history month and in honor of this month, we will discuss women's contributions to the environment. Today, social justice is at the front of many people's minds, and while many of us associate racial and gender equality with this topic, the environment should not be forgotten in this. While it may not seem like it, the environment is indeed a social problem. Environmental problems threaten our existing social organization, and if left alone, will cripple life (and society) as we know it. But what does this have to do with women's history month?
Well, for the whole month of March, the contributions of women to events in history and modern times are highlighted. This is exactly what I am going to do today, by focusing on the environmental contributions of five of the most awe-inspiring women.
Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall loves chimpanzees. She is well known for her many years of field research on this species. In 1960, she traveled to Tanzania to further research chimpanzees. She took the time to learn everything about them from what they ate to their social behaviors. Also, in 1977, she founded the "Jane Goodall Institute", which spreads her research all over the world, continuing her mission with the same passion she has for it. More recently, she created "Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots", to reach out to younger generations and encourage them to follow their passions. Now, Goodall is 86 and speaks about the environment at venues all over the world. She continues to empower younger generations to take an active role in ensuring our world has a bright future.
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai passed away on September 25, 2011, however, her greatest achievements live on, shaping the way we approach environmental issues. While Maathai was not solely focused on the environment (she was a Kenyan political activist), half of her passion was towards the environment. Being a political activist for both women's rights and land conservation, she is a perfect example of women's contributions to both the environment and the broader world. Maathai founded the "Green Belt Movement", which focuses on her two passions: women's rights and environmental conservation. In her lifetime, she was recognized and honored by many leaders and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
Rachel Carson
Have you ever heard of DDT. If not, it is a pesticide that was commonly used in the 1940s. However, as we now know, it had many side effects and damaged lots of ecosystems around the world. Rachel Carson wrote the book "Silent Spring" (I recommend), which highlighted the misinformation given to the public by the chemical industry about the use of DDT. As a result, an environmental revolution ensued. Carson's contributions have led to her lasting legacy as a leading member in environmental preservation. It has also led to the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Isatou Ceesay
Isatou Ceesay (AKA the Queen of Recycling) started "One Plastic Bag", a recycling movement in Gambia. She works to educate Gambian people on effective recycling practices and reducing waste output. She has created a project that focuses on recycling plastic into yarn, keeping it out of landfills, protecting vulnerable wildlife, and decreasing environmental pollution. Her project has been widely successful in reducing the waste output in her village and has brought paid jobs to many West African women.
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist who made international headlines with her "Fridays for Future" movement. Unlike everyone else in this list, Greta is only 18. She is known as an activist for the global climate crisis and has addressed world leaders at the UN on many different occasions, including the World Economic Forum, UN Climate Conference, and the US House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.
Take the time to understand these five women's stories and the actions they have taken to help the environment by clicking on the links below:
Next week we will talk about Fracking as a method of extracting oil and how it is affecting environments around the world.
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