Pioneers of the Green Movement

Pioneers of the Green Movement — page 5 — PIONEERS OF THE GREEN MOVEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS of the public over private commercial inter ests Two dedicated naturalists John Muir and Gifford Pinchot were heavily involved in Roosevelt s conservation efforts During a hiking trip with Roosevelt through what is now Yosemite National Park Muir who was the founder of the Sierra Club convinced the president that the federal government should take action to save wilderness areas such as Yosemite Subsequently Roosevelt declared millions of acres of land as national forests He also urged Congress to cre ate the national Forest Service to protect the land and appointed conservationist Pinchot head of the new agency Other politicians have been notable champions of the environment as well Stewart Lee Udall helped establish sev eral national parks and 50 wildlife refuges during his time as interior secretary under Presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson His brother Congressman Morris King Mo Udall passed legislation that regulated strip mining and prevented oil drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge More recently former vice president Al Gore has become a leader in the fight against climate change and global warming IO

Pioneers of the Green Movement — page 6 — INTRODUCTION Some green pioneers made their mark by focusing on a particular aspect of the envi ronment Sir Peter Markham Scott Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall concentrated their efforts on waterfowl mountain gorillas and chimpanzees respectively Others follow ing in the tradition of Thoreau and Muir raised awareness of the cause by writing about environmental concerns Biologist Rachel Carson's Silent Spring 1962 is considered a groundbreaking book that helped usher in the modern green move ment Journalist Ken Saro Wiwa's activism included writing articles and books detail ing how land in his native Nigeria was destroyed by oil drilling Whatever the reason for their involve ment their particular method or special cause the pioneers of the green movement have one thing in common a concern for the natural world that urged them to take action Their work lives on in the millions of people worldwide who today and in the future choose to live green II

Pioneers of the Green Movement — page 7 — GHAPTER 1 CHARLES DARWIN he theory of evolution by natural selec tion that was developed by Charles Darwin revolutionized the study of living things In his Origin of Species 1859 he pro vided a scientific explanation of how the diverse species of plants and animals have descended over time from common ances tors His theory remains central to the foundations of modern biology EARLY LIFE AND WORK Charles Robert Darwin was born in Shrewsbury England on Feb 12 1809 An indifferent student he had no interest in the classical languages and ancient history taught in school Instead he liked to collect shells birds eggs and coins He also watched birds and insects and helped his brother make chemical experiments at home At age 16 Darwin began to study medi cine at the University of Edinburgh There too he found the courses dull and watch ing operations made him ill In 1828 he I2

Pioneers of the Green Movement — page 8 — CHARLES DARWIN S a A watercolor depicts Charles Darwin in the 1830s Photos com Jupiterimages 13

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