When the oil tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground on 24 March 1989, it releases 41.6 million tons of crude oil along the coast of Alaska. The spill causes enormous damage to local ecosystems and wildlife.
In this chapter of the virtual exhibition “Representing Environmental Risks in the Landscapes of US Militarization,” literary scholar Hsuan Hsu discusses the emergence and controversial politics of US military bases on foreign soil.
This virtual exhibition curated by literary scholar Hsuan Hsu examines the environmental impact of US military activities worldwide and how activists have used art and other forms of representational media to convey the harmful effects of militarization on the local population and landscape.
Hsuan Hsu
The Bhopal chemical disaster on 3 December 1984 was the most tragic chemical disaster in history. Over 500,000 people were exposed to the toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaking from the tanks at Union Carbide Corporation’s (UCC) pesticide plant, many of whom died instantly or of the consequences. People living in the Bhopal area still suffer from toxic water and ground contamination today ; there is a very high number of aborts and disabled children. The company responsible for the incident never took full responsibility.
In 1948 the Giant Mine became a major producer of gold and eventually arsenic trioxide, presenting major pollution problems for local First Nations and a long term legacy issue as 237,000 tons of arsenic remains buried in underground chambers.
Vernon G. Thomas discuss attitudes and issues preventing bans on toxic lead shot and sinkers in North America and Europe, to point out that despite the parallels between these countries’ reforms, there has been little parity between the banning of lead shot and fishing sinkers.
Schramm compares the environmental impacts of uranium mining in East and West Germany.
This article discusses the shift in perception regarding polluted water. When did perceptions of polluted water change, when was it no longer considered a part of everyday life? And what caused the tide to turn?
This volume of RCC Perspectives contains an English and a German version of a speech made by RCC Director Christof Mauch in 2009. In his speech, Mauch outlines the purpose of the Rachel Carson Center and argues for the importance of studying environmental history.
Content
A leader in the study of the ecology and evolution of marine organisms, Jeremy Jackson is known for his deep understanding of geological time.
