“I don’t have any pride, I’m sorry to say. I have zero pride in any award. All I feel is obligation, obligation, obligation.”
– Clair Cameron Patterson
Clair Cameron Patterson was a brave and brilliant geochemist and risked his entire career all to reveal a dire, invisible public health threat to the public eye, fighting a billion-dollar industry to do so. I consider him to be eminent because of his great tenacity, resourcefulness, and devotion to the truth and common people. Despite his eventual success, his battle was a long and difficult battle. The powerful industry he faced first tried to bribe him into submission, offering thousands of dollars in funding for other projects that would better suit their agenda. He refused, demonstrating his golden integrity, and loyalty to the truth. After multiple attempts and thousands of dollars refused, they had no other choice than to silence him. They bled him of his funding, dissolving innumerable funding contracts all to stop him, but he would not relent. Having an adversary as powerful as the lead industry is bad enough, but they also had the reputable, leading expert on lead pollution spouting lies about how lead pollution was “always there”, how “lead in the atmosphere was natural and harmless”. This problem was only compounded by the fact that since the atmospheric lead would settle on every object it contacted, contamination of lab samples could come from every conceivable angle and would serve to create biased data that only confirmed the falsehoods of his adversary. Through all of this he persisted: he was indomitable. The fact that one person can still succeed against a colossal foe, against seemingly insurmountable odds is inspiring, but the lengths he went to triumph over them is perhaps more so: he designed his own heavily filtered, ultra clean lab, where every utensil, article of clothing, and tool used was acid-cleaned before use; he risked his worker’s frustration with the necessary obsession and stringency of his protocols; and went on multiple expeditions to harvest ice from 10 distinct chronological eras from both the Arctic and the Antarctic. Patterson literally went to the ends of the earth to save humanity from itself. This both displays tenacity and resourcefulness in thwarting the various obstacles that ailed him, specifically the ubiquity of the lead contamination. This is why I chose Patterson as my eminent person: his tenacity, persistence, and incredible resourcefulness, in the face of adversity, as well as the courage to start the fight to begin with. This is the end goal, my perfect scientist: the one who exemplifies everything I stand for.
In addition to his works for public health, he also wields a considerable scientific resume. He was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project, where he aided the development of the nuclear bomb; he developed uranium-lead dating into lead-lead dating, which was a crucial step to finding the earth’s age; and his crowning achievement, the discovery of the age of the earth. His estimate for the earth’s age has not been challenged since 1956, when he first discovered it, which is a testament to his immense technical skill: for all the advancements made in technology and knowledge, not once could anyone find a flaw in his research or studies. He was instrumental in the abolishment of lead in not only gasoline, saving generations upon generations of serious lead poisoning, but also in house paint and food can solder. His campaign against lead have had measurable effects on atmospheric lead concentrations, reducing them by 97 percent in 30 years, as well as in the population: within the first 20 years of the clean air act, an estimated 200, 000 premature deaths have been prevented, and a whopping 18 million cases of serious respiratory illness in children have been prevented. This is the eminence of Patterson: his persistence, his brilliance, his resourcefulness, his integrity, and overall, his courage to fight on the behalf of the people.
What I would like to learn next about him is the specific procedure of his research, to better understand how he functioned and how he achieved what he did.
Hey Braedon, your writing about the struggles Clair faced was especially well written. I think you did a great job highlighting his strengths. It seems that you are passionate about him and it shows through your writing. I think that your personal connection was lacking compared to your very detailed description of his eminence. I think some examples and more descriptions of how you connect to him, rather than just saying you wish to be like him would have enhanced your blog post. Some feedback would be to focus more on the presentation aspect. I would have spread out the photos some more. Especially since they aren’t the right size, spreading them out would have made the reading more engaging. The images also would have been helpful to be related to examples given, such as a picture of him working on the nuclear bomb. Great blog post! -Sinu
Hello Braedon!
Great choice picking Clair Cameron Patterson as your eminent person this year. You did a great job explaining his eminence through his accomplishments, like his fight against the lead industry. I also enjoyed how you explained his traits like his integrity and persistence. I think a slightly longer personal connection piece would be beneficial. It would have helped to explain your interest in him, however it is good the way it is.
Thanks
-Lucas
Hey Braeden, I found your post very intriguing, and I learned a lot about your person’s journey. Your quote seemed a bit melancholic, I did find it nice though. I am amazed by how resilient your person was, even after that industry bled him of his fundings, he persevered so others would know the truth. You stated that Patterson exemplified everything you stood for, I think that is a good bond you share with him, but I would’ve liked to learn more about your connections. Your writing shows what an important person Patterson was, and how his achievements helped many people. In the future, maybe explain some terms that some people may not know, otherwise your post is great, and I enjoyed reading it.
-Mandy
I love your post Braeden! You have clearly done a lot of research into your eminent person and you have presented that information well. One thing I would like to know more about is how Clair Cameron Patterson connects to you on a personal level and how you can relate to some of his struggles. -Hannah
very well written and I love the amount of detail and research that clearly went into this. I might have liked to hear more about what connects you to him/ what your differences are but otherwise a great post.