Rachel Carson, an American marine biologist was working to fight for environmental protection against chemical usage that negatively impacted the ocean, animals, and inevitably, humans. Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring published in 1962 that spread awareness and brought the attention of the public to the issue surrounding a chemical called DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane). DDT, though effective for tackling problems with mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases, carried grave consequences that many people at the time did not account for. 

Though Carson was criticized and not listened to by many academics in her field because of the fact that she was a woman, she preserved and pushed for change. Carson documented and highlighted DDT’s negative impact on the ocean: the issue of biomagnification and bioaccumulation. She also showed how all of our ecosystems interacted, thus showing how it was important to tackle each problem with serious consideration. With her hard work and passion, she challenged the use of man-made chemicals, and eventually, the work was heard by many which led to the ban on DDT. 

One woman, who saw an issue and chose to advocate for protection against it despite many people trying to bring her down, was able to make a chain reaction of change- starting from simply pushing people to question their actions towards the ocean and the environment, to the formation of important bodies of authority such as the Environmental Protection Agency. Now, she is an icon for women in male-dominated fields such as science.