(born 1917) Biologist whose initial concerns with cellular activity led him to become a public activist in postwar environmental issues, which he views as problems caused by human beings to be overcome by thoughtful intervention and changes. Commoner’s work on the effects of radiation made him an outspoken opponent of nuclear weapons and testing.

Over time, his concerns have encompassed production and consumption—pesticides, automobiles, energy—as they affect a global ecological balance. Commoner founded the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems and the Citizens’ Party which ran him for president. His significant works include The Closing Circle (1971) and Making Peace with the Planet (1980).