New London — If Rachel Carson were alive today, she’d been an activist, much like she was up until her death in 1964.

So says Robert Musil, president and chief executive officer of the Bethesda, Md.-based Rachel Carson Council and senior fellow at the Center for Congressional Studies at American University in Washington D.C., where he teaches courses in environmental politics.

“She would be active politically, not just concerned, but working against the people who are working to undo the EPA,” Musil said in a phone interview Monday, referring to the recent swearing in of Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency and his agenda to curtail the federal agency’s regulatory functions.

At Mitchell College on Wednesday, Musil will expand on that statement, giving an overview of the life of the author and scientist best known for “Silent Spring” and her relevance today.

Musil, a trustee of Mitchell, is author of, “Rachel Carson and Her Sisters: Extraordinary Women Who have Shaped America’s Environment,” and will sign copies of his 2014 book at the event. In his book, Musil puts Carson within the context of other women environmentalists who preceded her and were her influences, as well as those who were her contemporaries.

“She worked with many organizations and scientists around the country,” Musil said. “She’s a bit of a mythic figure, as a lone, brilliant woman who wrote a single book that lead to the ban on DDT.”

But that is a misconception, Musil said. She not only drew on the research of others, but worked on behalf of broader environmental causes as well as pesticides.

“People know her for her concern about birds and pesticides, but she’s the first great environmentalist to put these issues in the context of human health,” Musil said. “She believed we should care about all forms of life, and that we’re all connected” and that ultimately, damaging the environment for wildlife puts humans at risk, too.

Carson’s impact, Musil said, came from her ability to write with “a sense of awe and wonder” about the natural world, with a solid grounding in the science behind it.

But just as many scientists today are feeling challenged by the Trump administration’s dismissive policies toward climate change and environmental protection, Musil said, Carson also faced opposition to her message.

“She was threatened with a lawsuit (by a chemical company) before the publication of ‘Silent Spring,’” Musil said. “She was called a communist and ridiculed for being a single spinster woman. But her research was validated.”

Now, Musil hopes students and others who hear his talk will be inspired by Carson’s story to get involved themselves.

“We need to protect what will be left of the EPA,” he said.

j.benson@theday.com

What: Robert Musil will give an overview of the life of Rachel Carson, best known for "Silent Spring"

When: At 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Weller Center at Mitchell College