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Synopsis
The chemical pollution that irrevocably damages today's environment is, although many would like us to believe otherwise, the legacy of conscious choices made long ago. During the years before and just after World War II, discoveries like leaded gasoline and DDT came to market, creating new hazards even as the expansion and mechanization of industry exacerbated old ones. Dangers still felt today--smog, pesticides, lead, chromium, chlorinated solvents, asbestos, even global warming--were already recognized by chemists, engineers, doctors, and business managers of that era. A few courageous individuals spoke out without compromise, but still more ignored scientific truth in pursuit of money and prestige.
The Polluters reveals at last the crucial decisions that allowed environmental issues to be trumped by political agendas. It spotlights the leaders of the chemical industry and describes how they applied their economic and political power to prevent the creation of an effective system of environmental regulation. Research was slanted, unwelcome discoveries were suppressed, and friendly experts were placed in positions of influence, as science was subverted to serve the interests of business. The story of The Polluters is one that needs to be told, an unflinching depiction of the onslaught of chemical pollution and the chemical industry's unwillingness to face up to its devastating effects.
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About the Author
Benjamin Ross is President of the Washington consulting firm, Disposal Safety, Inc. He is both environmental scientist and commentator on current affairs, and has served on committees of the National Academy of Sciences and the USEPA Science Advisory Board.
Steven Amter is a Senior Environmental Scientist at Disposal Safety, Inc. who specializes in the history of pollution.
Reviews
In this startling, intense, and brilliantly elucidated volume, Ross and Amter present a concise history of the American chemical industry. With examples both infamous (Love Canal) and long forgotten (Donora, Pennsylvania), the authors expose the historically close relationship between the industry and government regulators, making it sharply relevant to the present-day disasters of the BP oil spill and the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion. And there is little comfort found in the evidence of backroom deal making, determined neglect, and willful ignorance of solid research. The authors recount the stunning impact of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring when it was released in 1962 in a country still enthralled by the chemical industry’s control of science. Can anything be more startling than Henry du Pont’s assertion here that it was modern technology and not government which ended slavery and child labor? The sheer arrogance on display boggles the mind and makes this thoroughly researched and refreshingly nonpartisan work an unlikely page-turner. All it lacks is a happy ending, but hopefully the tide is finally turning on that score. --Colleen Mondor
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Dream Books Co., Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: good. Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly! Seller Inventory # DBV.0199739951.G
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press Inc, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardback. Condition: Good. Benjamin Ross and Steven Amter here tell the story of how the chemical industry, abetted by a compliant government, set loose a plague of pollution that began in the years before and directly following World War II, a plague that still lingers today. The advent of new synthetic chemical products such as Nylon and DDT created new hazards just as the expansion and mechanization of industry exacerbated old ones. Environmental dangers well known today - smog, pesticides, lead, chlorinated solvents, asbestos, and even global warming - were already recognized in that era by chemists, engineers, doctors, and business managers. A few of them spoke out about these dangers, others overlooked scientific truth in pursuit of wealth and prestige, and many struggled to find a balance between the interests of industry and the needs of the wider world. By the mid-twentieth century, the chemical industry understood that it needed to curb its pollution. But federal government regulation, the only mechanism by which effective control could have been accomplished, faced implacable hostility from the industry. Driven by the twin forces of pecuniary interest and ideological hostility to governmental control, it exercised its considerable political and economic power to block oversight. Discovery of new environmental problems was discouraged, and research that might find them was starved of funds. When dangers did emerge, well-paid advocates concocted grounds for doubt. If a crisis exploded into public view, money and influence were deployed to steer investigations toward reassuring conclusions. The Polluters provides a panoramic view of intertwined political and scientific struggles in which the apparatus of science was harnessed to the pursuit of political victory rather than objective truth. The chemical industry lobbied congress, suppressed unwelcome research, co-opted experts, and, on occasion, simply used endless study as an excuse for inaction. Eventually the political and bureaucratic institutions created by the industry to fight off governmental oversight took on a life of their own and obstructed adequate environmental controls. Seller Inventory # 00110084830
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0199739951I3N00
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0199739951I4N10
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0199739951I4N00
Stock Image
The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0199739951I4N10
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0199739951I4N00
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The Polluters: The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, USA, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0199739951I3N10
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The Polluters : The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 2237681-75
Stock Image
The Polluters : The Making of Our Chemically Altered Environment
Published by
Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2010
ISBN 10: 0199739951
ISBN 13: 9780199739950
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 2237679-6