Reflections on the modern pioneers of the environmental movement.

Nature writer Conor Jameson considers the impact of Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring which alerted the world to the impact of pesticides like DDT on the environment.

Meteorologist Peter Gibbs looks back at his old boss, the British Antarctic Survey scientist Joe Farman, who spotted the hole in the ozone layer using an antiquated piece of kit at the Halley research station in Antarctica.

Caroline Lucas, the only British Green MP, explores the legacy of the radical German politician Petra Kelly who founded Die Grünen and inspired a generation of European Greens.

Naturalist and TV presenter Gillian Burke assesses the role of her Kenyan “auntie”, Wangara Maathai, in drawing attention to environmental causes in sub-Saharan Africa and becoming the first African woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Writer Corin Throsby reflects on how the Australian poet Judith Wright drew attention to land rights and the broader environmental cause in her native Australia.

Producers: Natalie Steed, Dan Hardoon, Emma Barnaby, Emily Williams.
Series Editor: David Prest
A Whistledown Production in association with The Open University. Show less