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/

Continue reading “Five for Friday: Five women that changed history”