Rosalie Bertell

Dr. Mary-Louise Engels' engaging book discusses Dr. Bertell from a feminist, environmental activist perspective. It is a lovely 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...
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Dr. Mary-Louise Engels' engaging book discusses Dr. Bertell from a feminist, environmental activist perspective. It is a lovely 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 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.