Rosalie Bertell: Scientists, Eco-Feminist, Visionary (Women Who Rock)

Description

Dr. Mary-Louise Engels' engaging book discusses Rosalie Bertell from a feminist, environmental activist perspective. It is a lively portrait of one woman's commitment to sustaining a healthy world environment. A dual American-Canadian citizen, Bertell entered the religious order of the Grey Nuns, completed a doctorate in biometrics, and became an impassioned peace activist. This remarkable woman has been a lifelong fighter for environmental and human health, and an advocate for women's participation in decision-making about war, peace, and the environment. In the 1970s, Dr. Bertell played a major role in opposing the construction of nuclear reactors, and in drawing attention to the health damages suffered by uranium miners and the "atomic veterans" of US nuclear bombing and testing. In Canada, her research furnished data on children's health hazards, contamination in the Great Lakes, and the impact of pollution on indigenous communities in the Canadian North. Her investigations of environmental disasters--in Chernobyl, the Marshall Islands, India--consolidated an international reputation. This is a compelling account of an extraordinary woman who has still not relinquished her mission "to make the victims visible." Dr. Engels captures the struggles and achievements, the scientific and political infighting, and the personal qualities that sustained Rosalie Bertell throughout a controversial career. Recently named by "Planet in Focus" as "The first Eco-Hero," Bertell has received many honours, notably, the prestigious Swedish Parliament's Right Livelihood Award, the "Alternative Nobel." Her name appears on the Cambridge University List of 1000 Outstanding Women of the Twentieth Century.