The BP Oil Spill by
Dumping 130 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and killing 11 people, the B.P. Oil Spill was one of the worst oil spills in history. This anthology analyzes the causes of the spill from diverse perspectives. Readers will gain a broader understanding of the nature of the spill and the outlook for the region in the future. Supporting critical analysis, key environmental ideas and facts are presented in easily-accessible essays that add valuable context to current events.
Challenged by Carbon by
Is there a low-carbon future for the oil industry? Faced with compelling new geological evidence, the petroleum industry can no longer ignore the consequences of climate change brought on by the consumption of its products. Yet the global community will continue to burn fossil fuels as we manage the transition to a low-carbon economy. As a geologist, oil man, academic and erstwhile politician, Bryan Lovell is uniquely well placed to describe the tensions accompanying the gradual greening of the petroleum industry over the last decade. He describes how, given the right lead from government, the oil industry could be environmental saviors, not villains, playing a crucial role in stabilizing emissions through the capture and underground storage of carbon dioxide. Challenging prejudices of both the environmentalists and the oil industry, Lovell ultimately assigns responsibility to us as consumers and our elected governments, highlighting the need for decisive leadership and urgent action to establish an international framework of policy and regulation.
Endangered Oceans by
The incredible natural world around us is amazing. An equally amazing world exists beneath the sea. As we can see changes in our world due to our carbon footprint and other reasons, the same impact is felt in the oceanic world. This must-have collection of essays discusses the topic of Earth's endangered oceans. Through the use of carefully selected articles, pulled from a variety of sources, this text addresses what threatens the world's oceans, what ocean policies are best, and what strategies would best promote sustainable fishing. Readers will also evaluate what impact human activities have on marine life. Highly respected sources include the Natural Resources Defense Council, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Food and Water Watch, Ocean Conservancy, CompassOnline, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Ethanol by
This book presents a series of essays that debate various topics about ethanol, such as the politics of ethanol production; government subsidies as they relate to corn-based ethanol production; and the relationship between ethanol and the retail price of food. Includes primary and secondary sources and essays from The Economist, Ethanol Across America, the American Coalition for Ethanol, Kiran Bhat, and Elizabeth Svoboda.
Gasland by
Documentary.
In 2009, Delaware River Basin native Josh Fox was presented with an interesting proposal: lease his family lands to a natural gas company for a new method of drilling called hydraulic fracturing, and get a check for $100,000. He wouldn't have to do anything but sit back and collect the money. Curious about the process, Fox embarks on an exploration of other areas where natural gas drilling was already in progress, to observe firsthand any potential downsides. In Dimock, Pennsylvania, a town surrounded by fracking activity, he hears stories of wells exploding, black water, flammable drinking water, headaches, pains, long-term sickness. Fox goes on to tour 25 states, cataloging an endless string of frustrated and sick Americans whose land has become toxic and explaining the legislation pushed through by former vice president Dick Cheney, exempting energy companies from key environmental acts--exemptions that make fracking invisible to any regulation or monitoring.
Winner, 2010 Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize: Documentary--Josh Fox; 2010 Environmental Media Awards, USA EMA Award: Documentary--Josh Fox ; 2010 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Artistic Vision Award
*DVD can only be viewed in the library*
A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea: The Race to Kill the BP Oil Gusher by
An expose of the behind the scenes of the Gulf drilling disaster of 2010.
Natural Gas by
Natural gas is a fossil fuel widely used for multiple energy needs. As consumption grows, supply diminishes, and environmental problems become more evident, some believe it is time to explore other energy sources. Others believe that finding new sources of natural gas is the answer. This book looks at a variety of issues in the use of natural gas as an energy source.
Offshore Drilling by
The current U.S. oil consumption is 21 million barrels per day; we are heavily reliant on offshore drilling to keep up with our consumption. This essential volume poses questions and provides answers from both sides of each debate. Readers hear pro versus con facts and figures, and are able to use critical thinking skills to form their own views. Essays debate the benefits, consequences, and government policies of offshore drilling. Fantastic essay sources include the Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, Newt Gingrich, and Humberto Fontova.
Oil: politics, poverty and the planet by
This book, written by a Financial Times journalist who has long covered the energy sector, provides readers with the essential information they need for understanding the shifting structure of the global oil and gas economy: where the reserves lie, who produces what, trade patterns, consumption trends, prices. The book highlights political and social issues in the global energy sector -- the domestic inequality, civil conflict and widespread poverty that dependence on oil exports inflicts on developing countries and the strategies of wealthy countries (especially the United States) to control oil-rich regions.
