Eunice Foote, often overlooked in the archives of climate science, stands as a testament to the resilience of women in the face of historical erasure. While John Tyndall is celebrated for his work on the greenhouse effect, it was Foote who, in 1856, conducted groundbreaking experiments from her home in upstate New York, revealing the warming properties of carbon dioxide. Despite her lack of institutional support, Foote’s findings, presented by a male colleague at a prestigious scientific gathering and later published in a respected journal, foreshadowed our current understanding of climate change by over 166 years. Her story resonates today as we grapple with gender disparities in scientific fields, with women and particularly women of color, still vastly underrepresented. Parenthood and discrimination are additional barriers faced by women, highlighting the urgent need for diversity and inclusion initiatives like Reclaiming STEM. Foote’s legacy reminds us that progress requires recognizing and amplifying the contributions of all individuals, regardless of gender or background.
