Remembering those lost this year who left their mark on our planet
William Ruckelshaus, the first Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), passed away this year at age 87. (Credit: US EPA)

Remembering those lost this year who left their mark on our planet

2019 saw the deaths of many notable people from environmental politics, science and advocacy.

A look back at those who passed away in 2019 that—for better or worse—impacted our planet.


Norman Myers, 85, was a groundbreaking environmental scientist who offered some of the first alarming calculations on the demise of the Amazon rainforest.

Norman Myers (Credit: Youtube)

He popularized the idea of biodiversity "hotspots" and challenged the "perverse" role that some government subsidies play in simultaneously harming ecosystems and local economies. A passionate marathon runner, Myers once ran a 36 mile, 13,000-foot climb up the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and back down again in under 14 hours.

Marvin Weitzman, 77, was an environmental economist whose work highlighted the uncertainty of climate science – with the proviso that "we know enough to act."

Walter Munk, 101, "The Einstein of the Oceans" developed techniques for measuring ocean temperatures and sea level rise and helped lead the Scripps Institute of Oceanography to world-class status.

Wally Broecker (Credit: Columbia College)

Known as "The Grandfather of Climate Science," Wally Broecker was 87. His landmark 1975 paper introduced the concept of global warming to an international audience.

Don Melnick, 65, Columbia University conservation biology scholar and author, renowned for his engaging teaching style.

Darryl D'Monte, India's pioneering environmental journalist, 75; and Robert A. Jones, 74, the first environment reporter at the Los Angeles Times.

Indigenous women march, August 2019. (Credit: Apib Comunicação/flickr)

While the final toll is not yet known, the murder of indigenous environmental activists continues in Latin America and elsewhere. In November and December, four members of the Guajajara tribe were murdered as they resisted rampant logging in the northeastern Brazilian state of Marinhao.

Janette Sherman, 89, toxicologist and public health advocate. She was an early go-to expert on the health effects of exposure to radiation and pesticides.

William Ruckelshaus, first administrator of EPA, May 1972. (Credit: US National Archives)

William Ruckelshaus, 87, first Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. He was re-appointed to the position in 1983 as the agency recovered from the scandal-plagued reign of Anne Gorsuch. As Deputy Attorney General in 1974, he resigned rather than comply with President Nixon's order to fire Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox. The lifelong Republican later criticized EPA's anti-regulatory turns during the George W. Bush and Trump Administrations.

Douglas Costle, 79, who helped create EPA, then became its Administrator under President Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981. He ran the agency when the Love Canal tragedy thrust toxic waste site cleanup onto the national agenda.

Lyndon LaRouche, 96, fringe politician and frequent U.S. Presidential candidate who spun elaborate conspiracy tales about, among other things, the world narcotics trade being controlled by Queen Elizabeth and the World Wildlife Fund.

Tim Means, 75, pioneer in eco-tourism and campaigner to protect Baja California.

Chris Cline, 60, latter-day coal baron who railed against what he saw as repressive pollution regulations, died in a helicopter crash with his daughter and two others.

Trudy the gorilla. (Credit: Al Notter/flickr)

Trudy, 63, a lowland gorilla believed to be the oldest in captivity died in the Little Rock, Arkansas Zoo.

Steve Sawyer, 62, led Greenpeace International in the late 1980's and 1990's, then led the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) as a central force in the clean energy sector.

Chuck Cushman, 75, who died in the final days of 2018, was a garrulous gadfly, raising hell with the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and other federal agencies that he saw as threatening private property rights. A former landowner within the boundaries of Yosemite, Cushman was a leader in the 1980's Sagebrush Rebellion. He helped whip some Western communities into an anti-regulatory frenzy, earning the nickname "Rent-a-Riot" from his detractors.

David Koch, 79, whose family oil business made him one of the world's richest men. With his brother Charles, he bankrolled conservative and libertarian candidates and groups, and is credited/blamed as a major player in the rightward turn in Congress, federal agencies, state houses, and the White House.

Ornate Parliament Hill building and clock tower in Canada's capital city.

Mark Carney’s rise places Trump between two quiet climate champions

Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, both seasoned climate advocates, now flank President Trump, creating a North American dynamic where climate leadership persists even when it’s not a campaign focus.

Justin Worland reports for TIME.

Keep reading...Show less
A kitchen wall with cabinets and an oven
Credit: Ida/Pixabay

Energy Star program faces shutdown as EPA reorganizes under Trump administration

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate the Energy Star program and other climate initiatives as part of a major agency reorganization, according to internal documents and recordings.

Lisa Friedman and Rebecca F. Elliott report for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Two men holding rope and setting up a roof for solar panels.

Political shifts stall $8 billion in clean energy projects as U.S. renewables boom

The U.S. clean energy sector has grown dramatically, but policy uncertainty under President Trump has already led to the cancellation or downsizing of nearly $8 billion in renewable projects this year.

Ames Alexander reports for Floodlight.

Keep reading...Show less
Sign in front of electric vehicle chargers that says 'Electric Vehicle Only'.

Why some House Democrats helped block California’s 2035 gas car ban

Thirty-five House Democrats joined Republicans to overturn California’s plan to phase out gas-powered cars by 2035, citing concerns about affordability and heavy industry lobbying.

Lisa Friedman reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
Mining excavator in a mine pit.

Trump administration accelerates Alabama coal expansion mostly for foreign steel markets

The Trump administration is expediting the approval of a major Alabama coal mine expansion despite environmental and safety concerns, with most of the coal destined for export to foreign steelmakers.

Lee Hedgepeth reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
LNG storage tank with a red sky in the background.

Louisiana expands LNG exports as Trump fast-tracks new terminal permits

A new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal is moving forward in southwest Louisiana, adding to the state’s growing LNG footprint as federal and state officials push for more fossil fuel infrastructure.

Tristan Baurick reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
Big Ben and Parliament building in the United Kingdom.

UK residents take government’s climate strategy to European human rights court

Two British men argue that the UK’s failure to protect them from climate-related harm violates their human rights and have escalated their case to Europe’s top human rights court.

Damien Gayle reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.