Rachel Carlson, 1907-1964
In the mid 50s to mid 60s, Malaria was almost eradicated everywhere in the world due to the widespread use of a very inexpensive pesticide, DDT. During one of these years, the total worldwide incidence of NEW malaria cases was under 1000 as DDT eliminated a necessary vector in malaria's transmission: the anapheles mosquito.
Then that idiot Rachel Carson wrote "Silent Spring" contending that DDT was weakening the shells of songbirds. This was untrue and was based on bad science. Ignorant, early "environmentalists" caused the banning of DDT and the abandonment of the mosquito eradication programs that were on the verge of eliminating malaria around the world.
Today, because of Rachel Carson and her polemical book, 1.5 to 2 million people die from malaria every year. 300,000,000 people suffer from malaria.
Thanks, Rachel.