Abstract

Engineers and scientists have made great progress in advancing the understanding of the principles underlying environmental quality and public health. However, all too often, society and the scientific community do not realize the connections between environmental occurrences. In their haste to remedy a situation, they overlook lessons that could be learned to prevent future disasters. Paying attention to the past instructs us about the future.
Paradigms Lost combines the historical case perspective with credible and sound scientific explanations of key environmental disasters and problems. The author sorts through natural disasters and human mistakes from Love Canal, New York to Bhopal, India to provide larger lessons that can be applied by scientists, engineers and public safety officials. The analysis of these events includes viable alternatives for future generations.
* Includes alternative approaches to environmental issues from preventative measures to contingency plans
* Richly annotated with sidebars, discussion boxes and generous examples from Exxon Valdez and Love Canal to Agent Orange and Bhopal
* A usable tool for all professionals from lawyers to chemical engineers
“Vallero’s engaging, accessible prose mostly avoids the stiffness that often pervades books of this type, making it easier to digest the technical context and analysis.”
— Civil Engineering, March 2006