Rachel Carson

Biologist / Writer

After studying marine biology and zoology, Rachel Carson worked for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries as a writer and bureaucrat, while at the same time writing popular science articles for magazines. In 1941 she published Under the Sea-Wind, the first in a series of books about the ocean. She turned her attention to the "indiscriminate" use of pesticides, and her 1962 book Silent Spring set off a national controversy in the U.S. and gave new life to the conservationist movement.

Others who wrote about the environment include John Muir and Edward Abbey.