I have to thank Andrew Blackwell for the time and effort that went into researching and writing this fascinating book of industrial disaster areas (some still serving industrial functions) throughout the world. As I might want to visit some of these places, I know I never will be able to.
Visit Sunny Chernobyl and Other Adventures in the World’s Most Polluted Places (2012) is a thoughtful work that forces us to consider the long term costs of living our 21st century lifestyles. Do you know where your last computer went after you dropped it off at your local e-recycling event? Read Chapter 6. Any idea where the gasoline your car uses was refined? Very possibly in Port Arthur, Texas (Chapter 3).
The book doesn’t contain any photographs, so it can’t be placed in the real of ruin porn, but it may end up creating the new genre of “eco-disaster tourism.”
Read reviews from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.