Bøger af William Sargent

Fukushima takes an in-depth look at the March, 2011 nuclear disaster that occurred as a result of one the most powerful earthquakes ever to hit Japan. In his lively and conversational writing style, Sargent puts the tragedy in useful context by exploring what led the Japanese to build 55 nuclear power plants on one of the most seismically active locations on Earth, Sargent helps us to see Japan's economic success story through the prism of its aggressive approach to energy independence while resisting new geological understandings of plate tectonics that would likely have changed their decision to build the plants along the geologic "ring of fire." Fukushima also takes us through the moment-by-moment decisions and miscommunications that created the worst nuclear disaster in our planet's history, demonstrating that there is no such thing as a fail-safe nuclear system. But Sargent's tale isn't all dark. He leaves us with a peak into a possible energy future that relies much more on clean energy and forces us to take a long, hard look at our reliance on nuclear.

For the past decade award winning science writer William Sargent has been exploring the effects of coastal erosion on Plum Island in northern Massachusetts. For most of that time people have been making poor decisions based on faulty science. Things started to change in the wake a Hurricane Sandy when a group of Woods Hole scientists produced the first piece of solid science about the island. Armed with that understanding, residents started to work with nature to slow erosion. This book chronicles the resurrection of the island that started in 2017.

Redolent with wit, wisdom and common sense, Islands in the Storm tells the remarkable story of barrier beach island dwellers, before, during and after Hurricane Sandy. It presents the pungent reminder that at the present rate of sea level rise increase all of America's 200 barrier beach communities will start disintegrating within the next few decades. This is a book you will not want to put down.

A young girl and her pet bull travel to New Orleans to clean up birds from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

"Laissez Les Bonnes Temps Roulez" Let the good times roll is a New Orleans expression that fits with the reputation of the Big Easy, and has been easily adopted by the Big Oil interests in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the world. The Well From Hell brings to light the long-held tradition of big risk, big reward and big egoes held by BP and its counterparts. It's a culture that has led to a sordid safety and environmental record for that company, and culminated in the disaster of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on April 20, 2010. From BP's legendary earliest oil explorer, William D'Arcy, whose 1908 discovery of a gusher in Iran helped to cement Britain's place as a global energy broker, to its more recent leader, John Browne, who took the gamble that deep-sea oil drilling would ward off the 'end of oil' for a few more decades, drilling has increasingly become "a game of high-stakes Texas poker with colossal risks and astronomically high potential gains." The tragedy of the Deepwater Horizon spill claimed 11 lives of its crew. It may be decades before we know the full extent of the environmental damage it caused. Yet, with more than 4,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico alone and the future of our global economy and our environmental health at risk, Sargent leads us to question just how high we are willing to let the stakes go in the gamble for our global energy future.

On March 19, 2012 the Cape Cod National Seashore demolished five barrier beach homes threatened by sea level rise. It was only the latest skirmish in the ongoing battle over the use of this fragile caprice of nature. Beach Wars chronicles the pirates, Indians, rumrunners and farmers who have used this beach to hunt, fish, mooncuss and cut salt marsh hay. Their stories reflect the history of the United States and how we have come to redefine how we want to protect and live with our land and oceans. They also hold valuable lessons for the three million other United States citizens who live less than a meter above sea level and in our two hundred other barrier beach communities.

Want to know what it takes to report on some of the most pressing issues of our time?"Step into the lives of journalists with William Sargent's thrilling new book, BACKSTORY: Journalists off the Record."Follow Ericka, Sylvia and Gregor McFadden as they navigate their lives while reporting on the most pressing issues of our time, from the melting permafrost in Siberia to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Shanghai, to the war in Ukraine. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the inner workings of journalism and the journalists who are on the frontlines of uncovering the truth.With Sargent's insightful guidance, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the lives of these journalists and the tireless work that goes into producing a single article. You'll see firsthand the dedication and passion that drives today's journalists.At the heart of BACKSTORY is a message of hope and a call to action. Sargent's reporters are dedicated to shedding light on the catastrophic effects of climate change and the need for immediate action. It's up to us, as readers, to take their findings and make a difference.So why wait? Start reading BACKSTORY today and join the movement for a better, more informed world.William Sargent is a science writer, NOVA consultant and winner of the Boston Globe's Winship award for best book by a New England author. He is the author of 28 well-received books about science and the environment.

In this book redolent with wit and wisdom, science writer William Sargent, travels from Plum Island in Northern Massachusetts to the winter White House on Palm Beach Florida, to explore our sinking shore. What he finds is a country that has not learned the lessons of Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, Irma and Maria.

For the past decade award winning science writer William Sargent has been exploring the effects of coastal erosion on Plum Island in Northern Massachusetts. Residents took two steps forward to slow erosion until politics drove them three steps backwards in 2018. This book chronicles that tumultuous year.

In this book, Sargent's purpose was to investigate the natural history of this beautiful coast. But he ended up discovering a troubling new environmental catastrophe, the die-offs of whales, seals and shorebirds from the buildup of chemicals that have been steadily accumulating in the lungs of the planet-our oceans.

A timely look at the exploitation of a species that has helped with the development of countless drugs and is fast becoming endangered.

A richly layered approach to millions of years of geological and cultural history in an unusual New England biosystem.