in Beijing, China, 219–220
Blacksmith’s list, 230–32
in Chinese cities, 231
from coal, 221, 237–38
from electronics recycling, 206, 215, 216–17, 219
in Ganges river, India, 248, 270
in Linfen, China, 220–22, 223, 227, 229–232
oil industry, 56, 78, 81, 83, 84–85
sources in India, 260
Port Arthur, Texas
cancer in, 84–85
Chamber of Commerce slogan, 91–92
expansion after oil discovery, 76
Keystone XL pipeline to, 73–74
Mardi Gras Ball, 85, 86–88
poverty in, 79
refineries surrounding, 78–79
refinery pollution in, 78, 81, 83
ship channel, 89, 90, 97–102
Project Kasei
current line crossed, 155
daily life at sea, 135–37
debris collection technique, 139
first debris sightings, 133–34
goal of the voyage, 128–29
mahimahi caught, 145–46
motto of, 121, 128
NOAA waypoint, 140, 141
ocean-current model testing, 140–41
plans to maximize data, 144–45
scientific shortcomings of, 134–35, 140–41, 144–45, 147–150, 154
watches for debris, 130–31, 133–35, 140
Radiation detectors
function of, 7–8
noise made by, 19–20, 21
Radiation levels
adaptation to, 26
at beginning of “dead zone,” 19–20
checked after Chernobyl area visit, 39
after Chernobyl accident, 29
confusing measurements of, 8
in Kiev, 14, 18
at Kolachi, 20
in Pripyat, 24–25, 27
at Pripyat turnoff, 21
in the Red Forest, 21
standards for, 18
in town of Chernobyl, 18
Sad Coal Man, 224–25, 230, 239–240, 245
Santarem, Brazil
Cargill terminal in, 159, 167–68
rivers meeting in, 161–62
selection as destination, 159
Soy farmers in Brazil
environmentalists scorned by, 186–87
local dislike of, 180
local environment changed by, 181
not major cause of deforestation, 189
small farms bought by, 180–81, 182
southern migration of, 185–86
soy moratorium, 190–91, 198–201
Spindletop, Texas, 103–12
archeology sites, 109–10
continued drilling, 103–9, 110–12, 115
natural gas storage in, 109
original Lucas oil well, 74–76, 88–89, 113, 114–15
overdrilling at, 88
Yamuna river, India, 254–55
black water of, 247
cleanup programs, 260–62
cremation ground beside, 254–55
as dead river, 252
diversion into canals, 251–52
eutrophicated segment, 261
groundwater depletion and, 262
ISBT highway bridge, 257–59
kayaking plans for, 266
monsoon floods and, 253
as most polluted river, 249
Najafgarh drain, 267–68
offerings to, 253, 258–59, 263, 264, 268
Okhla Barrage, 256
Ram Ghat, 262–66
rowboat trip on, 251, 252–55
scavenging from, 254–55, 258–59, 263, 264
as sewage canal, 251, 252, 253
suicides in, 264–65, 266
yatra along, 266–67, 269, 275–299
About the Author
Andrew Blackwell is a journalist and filmmaker living in New York City. He is a 2011 fellow in nonfiction literature from the New York Foundation for the Arts.
