Women Pioneers For The Environment (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Breton effectively profiles 42 19th- and 20th-century women from around the world who broke with traditional subservient roles as housewives and mothers and became dynamic environmental activists. A few of her subjects worked behind the scenes, such as Harriet Hemenway, a founder of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and Katharine Ordway, preserver of tallgrass prairies. Most, however, have been outspoken and highly visible: Lois Gibbs mobilized the Love Canal Homeowners' Association; Cathy Hinds fought for the cleanup of a toxic-waste dump site in Maine; Michiko Ishimuri crusaded for the victims of methyl mercury near Minamata Bay in Japan; Hazel Henderson, an authority on global economics and human development issues, was labeled by corporate CEOs the "most dangerous woman in America." Some?such as Judi Bari, crippled by a car bomb while fighting to save the California redwood forests, and Dai Qing, imprisoned for her opposition to the Three Gorges Dam in China?have risked their lives. Breton, a former vice-president of the National Audubon Society, has created stirring portraits that describe the ecological problems that motivated these women, show how they challenged male-dominated power structures and emphasize the special insights they brought as women to the issues. They are inspirations for anyone bucking the odds to protect the environment. Photos. Editors, Scott Brassart and John Weingartner.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

YA-An introduction to women who struggled to maintain and improve the environment during the last 300 years. Each one is briefly profiled in a larger chapter of similar activists. An effort is made to show the political and social context in which each individual had to work. Amrita Devi, for instance, clung to a tree to prevent a maharajah's soldiers from destroying a sacred forest. She was axed to death along with her three daughters and 350 other protesters before the day ended. Rachel Carson and her present-day counterpart, Theo Colborn, are given full treatment, as are Lois Gibbs and Bella Abzug. Breton also describes Tatyana Artyomkina's quest to educate the Russian people in eco-issues and Dai Qing's efforts to prevent the building of an ecologically destructive dam in China. A readable book that introduces important issues.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern (March 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555534260
• ISBN-13: 978-1555534264
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #433,794 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for environmentalist and for women causes., October 3, 1998

By	Antonio Granados (Levittown, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Women Pioneers For The Environment (Hardcover)

I thought the book was an excellent review of some very powerful women who, in most cases had scant means, but who have risked much to keep our planet whole and protect it from being exploited for short term gains. I would recommend it strongly to anyone interested in preserving the environment and/or in realizing how much work has been done by some outstanding women to protect and restore our planet.