From the uproar in the 1960s over the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), through the debate in the 1990s over global warming, American ecologist George M. Woodwell has been involved in nearly every environmental controversy of the late twentieth century. "I'm a citizen," Woodwell explained in a November, 1993, interview with Cynthia Washam, "and citizens have a role in steering the democracy." Woodwell has taken an active role in ecological issues throughout his career, holding such positions as founder of the Environmental Defense Fund, founding member of the Natural Resources Defense Council, president of the Ecological Society of America, founding trustee of the World Resources Institute, and chair of the World Wildlife Fund. Through his frequent articles and speeches, he has taken his plea to conserve the Earth's resources to politicians, fellow scientists, and laypeople.

While known to the general public as an activist, Woodwell also has earned the respect of...