Rosalie Bertell

{{short description|Canadian-American nun, physician, author, researcher and epidemiologist}}

Rosalie Bertell (April 4, 1929 – June 14, 2012) was a Canadian-American scientist, author, environmental activist, epidemiologist, and Catholic nun. Bertell was a sister of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, best known for her work in the field of ionizing radiation. A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, she worked in environmental health since 1970.{{cite web|url=http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/21/headlines/anti_nuclear_nun_rosalie_bertell_dies_at_83|title="Anti-Nuclear Nun" Rosalie Bertell Dies at 83|publisher=Democracynow.org|accessdate=June 22, 2012}}

She wrote the book "No Immediate Danger", describing the dangers of radiation from the nuclear industry. {{cite book |title=No Immediate Danger |id={{ASIN|0889610924|country=ca}} }} Rosalie won many awards, including the Right Livelihood Award in 1986, for "raising public awareness about the destruction of the biosphere and human gene pool, especially by low-level radiation." She died of cancer in 2012.

Biography

Rosalie Bertell was born to Paul G. and Helen (née Twohey) Bertell in Buffalo, New York, the third of four children. Her mother was Canadian and her father was American. She had an older sister, Mary Katherine Bertell (1925–2011), and a younger brother, John Twohey Bertell (1930–2002). A third sibling, Paul W. Bertell died in infancy in 1921. In 1966, she received a Ph.D in Biometrics from the Catholic University of America.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} She received her BA in Math/Physics/Education from D'Youville College, and later was an associate professor of mathematics at D'Youville from 1969–1973.{{Cite web|date=June 15, 2012|title=Obituary: Dr Rosalie Bertell, GNSH, PhD|url=https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/20609|access-date=November 7, 2021|website=Independent Catholic News}}

From 1969 to 1978, Bertell was senior cancer research scientist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She was a consultant to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and to Health Canada.[http://www.rightlivelihood.org/bertell.html Dr. Rosalie Bertell profile at rightlivelihood.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924091214/http://www.rightlivelihood.org/bertell.html |date=2015-09-24 }} In 1983, she received the "Hans-Adalbert Schweigart"-Medal from the World Union for Protection of Life. She was president of International Institute of Concern for Public Health from 1987 to 2004. She founded the International Medical Commission Chernobyl in 1996.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}} She wrote the books No Immediate Danger: Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth (1985) and Planet Earth: The Latest Weapon of War (2000).{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Bertell was a coordinator for the International Medical Commission on Bhopal, and campaigned for an independent body "to coordinate health care, research and rehabilitation" for victims of the Bhopal disaster.[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/27/opinion/l-bhopal-s-victims-082023.html Letter to the Editor: Bhopal's Victims], New York Times (September 27, 2002). Bertell's Nuclear Contamination Act was adopted April 2006, as World Legislative Act 35 by the 9th session of the Provisional World Parliament.{{Cite web |date=2008-03-21 |title=World Legislation of the Provisional World Parliament |url=http://www.worldproblems.net/english/legislation/summaries_en/world_legislation_contents.html#WLA_35 |access-date=2023-10-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321222620/http://www.worldproblems.net/english/legislation/summaries_en/world_legislation_contents.html#WLA_35 |archive-date=2008-03-21 }} She suffered attempts on her life, and attacks on her scientific credentials.{{cite journal |last1=Elston |first1=Suzanne |title=Book Review of Rosalie Bertell: Scientist, Eco-Feminist, Visionary (2005), author Mary-Louise Engels |journal=Socialist Studies/Études Socialistes |date=2005 |doi=10.18740/S4RC8H |url=https://socialiststudies.com/index.php/sss/article/view/23762/17646|doi-access=free }}

In 2012, Bertell died of cancer at age 83 at Saint Mary Medical Center, Langhorne, Pennsylvania.{{Cite news |date=2012-08-05 |title=Rosalie Bertell |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/rosalie-bertell/article4460836/ |access-date=2023-10-19}}

Awards

Bertell received many awards, including:{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Hans-Adalbert-Schweigart-Medal (1983)
Right Livelihood Award (1986)
World Federalist Peace Award
Ontario Premier's Council on Health, Health Innovator Award (1991)
United Nations Environment Programme Global 500 award
Seán MacBride International Peace Prize

Filmography

[https://collection.nfb.ca/film/nuclear-addiction-dr-rosalie-bertell-on-the-cost-of-deterrence Nuclear Addiction: Dr. Rosalie Bertell on the Cost of Deterrence] is a 1986 documentary directed by Academy Award winner Terre Nash and produced by Studio D of the National Film Board of Canada. Additionally, Bertell appeared in at least five other documentary films between 1985 and 2005. They include:{{Cite web|title = Rosalie Bertell|url = https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1538281/|website = IMDb|accessdate = 2015-06-08}}

class="wikitable"

!Title

!Director

!Production Company

!Year

Speaking our peace

|Bonnie Sherr Klein, Terre Nash

|National Film Board of Canada Studio D

|1985

Uranium

|Magnus Isacsson

|National Film Board of Canada

|1990

Bhopal: The Search for Justice

|Peter Raymont, Lindalee Tracey

|White Pine Pictures

|2004

Fatal Fallout: The Bush Legacy

|Gary Null

|2004

Poison Dust

|Sue Harris

|Lightyear Entertainment

|2005

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20010217111758/http://www.iicph.org/ International Institute of Concern for Public Health]
There is a Rosalie Bertell fond at Library and Archives Canada.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Finding aid to the Rosalie Bertell fond at Library and Archives Canada|url=https://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/r000000791.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=July 13, 2020|website=}} The archival reference number is R6847, former archival reference number MG31-K39.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Rosalie Bertell fond description at Library and Archives Canada|url=https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&rec_nbr=107192&lang=eng&rec_nbr_list=107192|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713190046/https://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&rec_nbr=107192&lang=eng&rec_nbr_list=107192|archive-date=July 13, 2020|access-date=July 13, 2020|website=|url-status=dead}} The fond covers the date range 1942 to 2001. It contains textual records, audio-visual material and graphic material.