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A Sea in Flames

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout
by Carl Safina
A Sea in Flames: The Deepwater Horizon Oil Blowout. Crown. Apr. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780307887351. $25. SCI
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Environmentalist Safina (Song for the Blue Ocean) was so outraged by the Deepwater Horizon blowout that he went to the Gulf Coast to see its effects first-hand. Following a review of the "Disaster Chain" that preceded the events, the text consists of the author's personal, free-associative observations of the people, the habitats, and the cultures of life of the coastal communities from April when the accident occurred, through the ruined tourist and fishing seasons, and into the autumn after the well finally was capped. His impatience with bureaucrats, his indignation over ruined environments, and his empathy for the people whose lives were disrupted are all vivid. Of the books cited here, Safina's offers the strongest treatment of the environmental issues surrounding the disaster — "Short Takes," Booksmack! 4/7/11
President and cofounder of the Blue Ocean Institute and a renowned conservationist, Safina blogged extensively about the BP oil spill. Here, he focuses on three working families to show how the spill has affected life in the Gulf. Likely one of the first books on the spill and certainly important; note, by the way, that Safina is a MacArthur "Genius Award" recipient.
President and cofounder of the Blue Ocean Institute and a renowned conservationist, Safina blogged extensively about the BP oil spill. Here, he focuses on three working families to show how the spill has affected life in the Gulf. Likely one of the first books on the spill and certainly important; note, by the way, that Safina is a MacArthur "Genius Award" recipient.
Reviewed by Barbara Hoffert , Apr 07, 2011
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