Which people inspire you in your daily life? Are environmental heroes among them? Here’s a quiz on a few environmental heroes. You can find out more about them and the contributions they’ve made in the Answer section at the bottom. But first, take the quiz!

Questions

1.  Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist, conservationist, and author who lived from 1907 to 1964. What is the name of her most famous book, published in 1962, which helped inspire the grassroots environmental movement and the banning of the pesticide DDT?
a. Somber Waters
b. Communities of Trees
c. Silent Spring
d. Acidic Oceans

2.  Which federal agency hired Rachel Carson as only the second woman to serve in a professional, full-time position?
a. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
b. Bureau of Land Management
c. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
d. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

3.  Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist who lived from 1940 to 2011. In 1977, she founded the Green Belt Movement, which encouraged and empowered rural women to plant trees to restore the soil and provide food and fuel. How many trees has the GBM planted in Kenya to date?
a. More than one million
b. More than 10 million
c. More than 25 million
d. More than 50 million

4.  Which significant award did Professor Wangari Maathai win, making her the first African woman to receive it?
a. United Nations Champion of the Earth Award
b. The Nobel Peace Prize
c. SEED African Award
d. Most Sustainable NGO

5.  Neil DeGrasse Tyson is a well-known science communicator and author who lives in NYC. What is his primary field of study?
a. Climate science
b. Marine biology and ecosystem science
c. Astrophysics and cosmology
d. Chemistry and soil science, as applied to sustainable agriculture

6.  Majora Carter is an environmental activist whose work began in her native South Bronx. She founded Sustainable South Bronx in 2001, a nonprofit that does environmental justice work.  What does environmental justice work seek to provide?
a. Equal access for all to the decision-making process on environmental issues
b. Fair treatment of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income in the enforcement of environmental policies
c. Equitable protections from environmental health hazards for all
d. All of the above

Answers

1. C (Here’s more on the story of Rachel Carson’s book.)
2. A (Read about the legacy of Rachel Carson from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
3. D (Here’s a link to the Green Belt Movement website)
4. B (Read more about Wangari Maathai’s life in her autobiography)
5. C (Read an interview with Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s on his life’s work)
6. D (Watch Majora Carter’s Ted Talk)

Did you learn something new? Who are some of your heroes?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.