Oil Spills

Sheilamae O

The "Exxon Valdez" disaster awakened the American people to the terrible effects of a major oil spill, but Pringle points out that it was far from being the largest or most destructive such accident. The worldwide demand for petroleum means increased offshore drilling and transportation by supertankers, and spills occur every day. Pringle describes the formation of petroleum, the ways it is naturally or artificially removed from the ground, and its myriad benefits. Then he writes of the damage done by the thousands of major and minor spills that occur each year and the efforts being made to clean them up and prevent their occurance. Finally, he discusses the responsibility of corporations, governments, and individuals to reduce the demand for oil, which will, in turn, reduce the devastation to the environment. Pringle states his case strongly but without undue alarm and backs his assertions with examples and statistics. Photographs of the areas and animals affected by spills reinforce the written descriptions. This small book contains a wealth of well-organized and clearly stated information. Glossary; bibliography.