Product Description
Did you know that an oil spill occurs somewhere in the world almost every day of the year? Berger and Mirocha focus on one of the worst spills in history—the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill—to explain in simple terms and with bold, full color illustrations why oils spills happen, how experts clean up after them, and what effect spilled oil has on ocean plants and wildlife. "A good introduction to the subject."––BL.

1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1995 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great with oil spill lab
This book is a perfect hook for the classic oil spill in a pie-pan simulation lab. Stop reading aloud before the clean-up methods and have students explore their own clean up theories. Then debrief the lab by reading the rest of the book aloud and discussing.

Great book with lots of great info
We just read this book as a read aloud for science in our homeschool.We learning alot about oil spills and the damage they can cause.At the end of the book was the idea for kids to write to Senators about laws for oil tankers and such. My son and I plan to do this.This is a great lesson on how kids can be involved and can make a diffrence in the world today. ... Read more

Product Description
Oil Spill Environmental Forensics provides a complete view of the various forensic techniques used to identify the source of an oil spill into the environment.The forensic procedures described within represent various methods from scientists throughout the world. The authors explore which analytical and interpretative techniques are best suited for a particular oil spill project.

This handy reference also explores the use of these techniques in actual environmental oil spills. Famous incidents discussed include the Exxon Valdez incident in 1989 and the Guanabara Bay, Brazil 2000. The authors chronicle both the successes and failures of the techniques used for each of these events.

Dr. Zhendi Wang is a senior research scientist and Head of Oil Spill Research of Environment Canada, working in the oil and toxic chemical spill research field. He has authored over 270 academic publications and won a number of national and international scientific honors and awards. Dr. Wang is a member of American Chemical Society (ACS), the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC), and the International Society of Environmental Forensics (ISEF).

*International experts show readers the forensic techniques used in oil spill investigations
*Provides the theoretical basis and practical applications for investigative techniques
*Contains numerous case studies demonstrating proven techniques ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
Are you a student or a scientist who is specializing in oil spill investigation forensics? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Zhendi Wang, Scott Stout and other authors too numerous to mention, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows the forensic techniques used in oil spill investigations.

Wang, Stout and other authors, begin by describing the appropriate methods to characterize the oil spill site in terms of environmental and safety issues; the survey tools that have been developed to define and describe the spill site and the affected area; sampling considerations for spills where the source is known; and, for mystery spills, and data management techniques to capture, organize, and present the results of the investigation. In addition, the authors briefly focus their discussion on a description of biomarker chemistry. They also provide recommendations that are directed particularly toward the characterization of PASHs for forensic purposes of any petroleum-derived pollutant that is likely to be encountered mainly in the marine environment and that arrived there through accident or oversight. Then, they show you why that under most circumstances, stable isotope ratios are changed much less by environmental alteration than are molecular compositions. The authors then focus on the emerging European Committee for Standardization protocol. Next, they discuss the development and filed validation of a quantitative chemical fingerprinting mixing model approach that will improve the resolution and accuracy of statistical correlations when mixing. Then, they describe the development of tools that are used for oil hydrocarbon fingerprinting and spill source identification. The authors continue by focusing on the forensic chemistry of HFO. In addition, they address the fundamentals of hydrocarbon biodegradation, especially of the liquid fossil fuels, and attempts to bring together conclusions from two rather disparate areas of research. The authors also discuss thephysical processes altering hydrocarbon composition that are associated with each of the main routes of hydrocarbon exposure for biota, which determines the degree of source-specific information retained by accumulated hydrocarbons. Finally, they provide the forensic investigator with a brief overview of present oil spill modeling capabilities. The authors then review remote sensors for forensic application to oil spills.

This most excellent book has looked at methods and factors affecting chemical fingerprints of petroleum to non-chemical oil spill identification techniques. Perhaps more importantly, this book will provide students and scientists with ready access to a comprehensive overview of oil spill fingerprinting and source identification! ... Read more

Product Description
On April 20, 2010, the gigantic drilling rig Deepwater Horizon blew up in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven crew members and causing a massive eruption of oil from BP's Macondo well. For months, oil gushed into the Gulf, spreading death and destruction. Americans watched real-time video of the huge column of oil and gas spewing from the obviously failed "blowout preventer." The evening news showed heart-rending images of pelicans, dolphins, and other Gulf wildlife covered in oil. What has been missing until now, though, is a book that tells the larger story of this disaster. In Blowout in the Gulf, energy experts William Freudenburg and Robert Gramling explain both the disaster and the decisions that led up to it. They note that—both in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere—we have been getting into increasingly dangerous waters over recent decades, with some in the industry cutting corners and with most federal regulators not even noticing. In the process, the actual owners of the oil—American taxpayers—have come to receive a lower fraction of the income from the oil than in almost any other nation on earth.

Freudenburg and Gramling argue that it is time for a new approach. BP's Oil Spill Response Plan was pure fantasy, claiming the company could handle the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez spill every day, even though "cleaning up" an oil spill is essentially impossible. For the future, our emphasis needs to be on true prevention, and our risk-management policies need to be based on better understandings of humans as well as hardware.

Blowout in the Gulf weaves these failures, missteps, and bad decisions into a fascinating narrative that explains why this oil spill was a disaster waiting to happen—and how making better energy choices will help prevent others like it.

Freudenburg and Gramling are the authors of Oil in Troubled Waters: Perceptions, Politics, and the Battle over Offshore Drilling. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Looking Through Your Rear View Mirror
I was on shore when I saw the Deepwater Horizon burning on CNN.I mentioned that the ocean was the only thing that was going to put that fire out, which it did about 4 hours later.I've been waiting to read a book-length exposition of the chain of human failures leading to what I knew then was going to be an area problem for twenty years.This is not the book.
This is a good collection, all in one spot, of the author's collection of 3x5 index cards, loosely organized to show the historical development of the extraction of natural resources for our use here in America, and the failure of responsible management along the way.The truth is that engineering resources have provided an amazing opportunity these past hundred years for people and companies to supply convenience and simultaneously earn mind boggling sums of money, and that opportunity has been largely unrestrained up to now.
I'm still looking for a book that can give us a responsible path forward.I can recommend '$20 per Gallon' in this genre of work, or the biographies of Howard Hughes or Armand Hammer for more background information.If you haven't read through the 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman' series yet, your time and money would be better spent.
As more information on the Deepwater Horizon comes out in various courts, I expect we'll see dramatic changes in practice and oversight. ... Read more

Product Description

International experts in the field of oil spill response, including reprsentatives from 26 NATO countries, participated in a workshop in Canada to discuss their experience in the development and application of current and emerging technologies for oil spill response in the marine environment. These presentations which form the basis of chapters in this book provide a practical viewpoint of methods used to deal with oil spills under the variety of environmental conditions found in the marine environment. In particular, focus is given to the evaluation of oil spill countermeasures for use under arctic conditions in light of anticipated regional increases in marine traffic (e.g. Northwest Passage) and industrial activities (e.g. offshore oil and gas exploration) in the future.

This book provides a timely international perspective on applied research and development, technology transfer, and “lessons learned” from field trials and actual case studies associated with recent spill events. Topics include Preparedness/Contingency Planning, (Eco-terrorism); Oil Spill Fate and Transport (Environmental Persistence, Remote Sensing, modelling, Biodegradation), Biological Effects (Environmental Effects Monitoring and Environmental Risk Assessment); and Operational Response (Containment/Recovery Treating Agents, Shoreline Cleanup, In-situ Burning, Emerging Response Strategies). This book provides a synopsis as to the methods currently employed to deals with spills and an insight on future technologies under development.

Product Description
The First Place Award Winner for The 1990 NationalWritten & Illustrated By...Awards Contest for Students, this is atimeless, environmental story.

When the lives of some otters are threatened by a huge oil spill, agroup of concerned people try to save as many of the animals aspossible.

It's a sensitive and beautifully written story with wonderfulillustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

terrific kids book
we loved this book!!a sweet and simple story with a compelling social justice message.Was perfect for our elementary schooler.

A Timeless Classic
Oliver and the Oil Spill is indeed a timeless tale of environmental awareness and protection.It is definitely a book that I recommend purchasing for your children and young students.The astounding fact is that such a literary work can be produced by Ms. Chandrasekhar at the age of 9!I guarantee that readers young and old will find it a worthwhile read.

Great Children's Book
Really recommend this book for teaching kids about the environment, social responsibility, life and death issues, etc.

Moving and educational
What a touching and sensitive book!Teaches young children the importance of conserving our environment in a readable and emotionally-sensitive format.

moving, sensitive children's tale is also educational
This book is the sensitive, thoughtfully-told tale of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, narrated from the point of view of a baby otter who loses his mother in the tragedy.It is an excellent introduction to environmental issuesfor youngsters as well as a primer on grieving and loss for youth. Amust-read for every child ... Read more

Product Description
Constant media attention on oil spills has created global awareness of their risks and the damage they do. Often under-reported is the average cost of the cleanup - often as high as $200 per liter of oil spilled. Oil is a necessity in today's industrial society, and since our dependence on it is not likely to and any time soon, we will continue to have spills. This indispensable reference supplies the information required to proceed with cleanup efforts immediately. The revised and expanded edition of a bestseller, Basics of Oil Spill Cleanup, Second Edition provides the tools for remediating the on-and off-shore oil spills that can threaten sensitive coastal habitats. The Second Edition includes a new chapter highlighting the effects of oil on the environment and wildlife and a glossary of technical terms. After reading it, you will understand the different techniques required based on the type of oil spilled and the environmental circumstances involved in the spill. Whether large or small, no oil spill is insignificant. They create far-reaching environmental problems -always a public relations nightmare. Don't wait until you have an emergency to go hunting for a solution. Prepare yourself - and your organization - with Basics of Oil Spill Cleanup, Second Edition. ... Read more

Product Description
On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in one of the largest off shore oil spill to date. This book tells the fictional story through the eyes of one of the victims of the disaster, the poor little pelican. A hard working 10-year-old reporter becomes the pelican's friend and tells the non-fiction documentary story about the pelican. ... Read more

Product Description
Oil Spill Dispersants: Mechanisms of Action and Laboratory Tests provides a comprehensive summary of current information available regarding the general formulation of commercial dispersants and their function to lower oil-water interfacial tension. The book considers how chemical dispersants work for oil spills, the properties and chemistry of oils (including weathering state), the variables that affect dispersant performance, and the relationships between laboratory methods and field situations. The book also considers the strengths and limitations of specific laboratory tests, including brief discussions of the applicability of results for estimating dispersant performance in field trials or conditions encountered during real spill events. Laboratory tests are separated into four groups: tank tests, shake/flask tests, interfacial surface tension tests, and flume tests. Rapid-screen field tests are considered as a separate group. Recommendations for improvements in future laboratory testing are offered as well. Oil Spill Dispersants will be useful for regulators evaluating dispersant agents, field personnel involved with using dispersants, laboratory scientists studying performance and behavior of oil and dispersants, and managers responsible for designing studies related to the treatment of oil slicks with dispersants. ... Read more

Product Description
Using the Exxon-Valdez incident as a backdrop, the authors explain the hazards of oil spills to the environment. ... Read more

Product Description
The National Academy of Sciences estimate that 1.7 to 8.8 million tons of oil are released into world's water every year, of which more than 70% is directly related to human activities. The effects of these spills are all too apparent: dead wildlife, oil covered marshlands and contaminated water chief among them. This reference will provide scientists, engineers and practitioners with the latest methods use for identify and eliminating spills before they occur and develop the best available techniques, equipment and materials for dealing with oil spills in every environment. Topics covered include: spill dynamics and behaviour, spill treating agents, and cleanup techniques such as: in situ burning, mechanical containment or recovery, chemical and biological methods and physical methods are used to clean up shorelines. Also included are the fate and effects of oil spills and means to assess damage.

Covers spill dynamics and behaviour
Definitive guide to spill treating agents
Complete coverage of cleanup techniques
Includes fate and effects of oil spills and means to assess damage. ... Read more

Product Description
From the Alaskan coast to the Persian Gulf and the North Sea--oil spills are making headlines, and becoming a frequent fact of modern life. Noted science writer Laurence Pringle examines this worldwide threat. He describes how large, and small, amounts of oil are spilled daily; its effect on the environment; and what has to be done to prevent these disasters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book on oil spills
I think this book is great!I did a report on it, and it gave me *so* much information!It was not only that, it was interesting too!It had neat pictures and was exciting!This book was truly a great book.Be sure to check this out!

Great book on oil spills
I think this book is great!I did a report on it, and it gave me *so* much information!It was not only that, it was interesting too!It had neat pictures and was exciting!This book was truly a great book.Be sure to check this out! ... Read more

Product Description
Presenting contributions from the Third International Conference on Oil and Hydrocarbon Spills, Modelling, Analysis and Control (OIL SPILL), this volume will be invaluable to researchers, engineers and managers who are using or investigating the use of state-of-the-art techniques to model, prevent, control and clean up oil spills both in water and on land.

Over 40 contributions are included and these cover specific topics within the following areas: Modelling of Trajectory and Fate of Spills; Oil Spill Detection and Prevention; Land Spills; Experimental and Laboratory Analysis; Clean Up Measures; Biological Impact of Oil Pollution; Case Studies; Remote Sensing; and Risk Assessment. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume contains the papers presented at the 6th International Conference on Environmental Problems in Coastal Regions and includes Oil and Chemical Spill Studies. The high population density in coastal areas has led to many ecological and environmental problems which require effective strategies for their management. It is important to discuss the way in which these issues interact with social and economic pressures to reach integrated solutions. Most coastal areas are subjected to an increased number of problems resulting from the growth of industrial, commercial or tourism activities. This book tries to address some of these concerns. Topics of interest include: Remote sensing and prediction; Ecology and the coastal environment; Water quality issues; Wetlands; Sediment problems; Coastal restoration; Atmospheric aspects and flooding; Computational modelling; Erosion problems; Management of risk. ... Read more

Product Description
This ringbound book and DVD-ROM set provides an encyclopedic collection of up-to-date documents, images, and videos about every aspect of the Deepwater Horizon - BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, from the initial explosion to the containment and cleanup effort, federal government and industry response, and investigation - along with guides to oil spill cleanup and environmental impacts. On April 20, 2010, while working on an exploratory well approximately 50 miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana, the semi-submersible drilling rig Deepwater Horizon experienced an explosion and fire, killing eleven workers. The damaged platform capsized and sank on April 22, 2010. The rig is owned by Transocean and under contract to British Petroleum (BP). Oil threatens natural habitats, wildlife, and fishing along the Gulf coast. The ringbound book provides overviews of the accident and the spill, handling spills of national significance, NOAA Office of Response and Restoration coverage, Training Marine Oil Spill Response Workers under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standards, emergency action on commercial and recreational fishing closures in the Gulf of Mexico, how to file for claims, fish stocks in the Gulf, impact of crude oil on seafood, marine mammals and sea turtles, shorelines and coastal habitats, using booms, tarballs, effects of oil on wildlife and habitat, dispersant monitoring and assessment, national contingency plan, oil spill response management, and rescuing and cleaning birds.DVD-ROM: This exceptional four gigabyte collection includes over 56,000 pages reproduced in over 50 Adobe Acrobat PDF files, 51 video files in mov and wmv formats, and nearly 350 image files in JPG format. Contents include material from the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command operation, the U.S. Coast Guard (with videos of the explosion and rig fire, controlled burn attempts, rescue operations, ROV subsea operations, Top Hat operations), NOAA Office of Response and Restoration, NOAA National Ocean Service, NOAA Fisheries Service, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the FWS National Contingency Plan, National Park Service, Minerals Management Service (MMS), EPA, NASA, CDC, White House (oil supplemental package, legislative package, establishment of a national commission), and Congressional hearings with industry and scientific testimony.In addition to the specific coverage of the Deepwater Horizon incident and response, there is coverage of all associated oil spill and offshore drilling issues: planning and exercises for Spills of National Significance; effects on habitats, shorelines, coastlines, wildlife, fish and fisheries, birds, turtles; dispersants, booms, and other control methods; financial liability issues; history of the Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska; and more. NOAA documents and guides include: Oil and Sea Turtles, NOAA Oil Spill Case Histories, Oil Spills in Mangroves, Oil Spills in Coral Reefs, Shoreline Assessment Job Aid, Manual, Tarballs, Marine Life Guide, Introduction to ESI Maps, Field Guide to Trajectory Maps, Dispersant Application Observer Job Aid, Acronyms and Definitions. EPA documents and guides include: Chemical Shoreline Agents for Oil Spills, Bioremediation of Oil Contaminated Salt Marshes, Oil Spill Training Program Document and Manual, Oil Pollution Act, Review on the Use of Commercial Bioremediation Agents, Types of Crude Oil, Understanding Bioremediation, Understanding Oil Spills and Oil Spill Response, Use of Chemical Dispersants for Marine Oil Spills, Alaska Oil Spill Bioremediation. ... Read more