Visit Sunny Chernobyl

Starred review from March 5, 2012
Driving though the irradiated wastes around Chernobyl or traversing the deforested frontiers of the Amazon jungle rarely tops even the most seasoned travelers’ must-see list, but this entertaining, appealing, and thoughtful travelogue covers some of the world’s most befouled spots with lively, agile wit. Journalist and filmmaker Blackwell doesn’t just present a list of environmental woes but undertakes provocative meditations on how to care about the planet while recognizing that plenty of people need to make a living, sometimes to the environment’s detriment. Contemporary environmentalism is rife with contradictions, and as he ponders the impact of western Canada’s oil sands, he notes: “Whether we’re talking about recycling, or voting, or consumer choices... these are all attempts to square the circle, to mitigate—or more often, to atone for—our individual role in the disquietingly unsustainable system that keeps us alive.” As his project to visit the wretched places of the Earth takes its toll on his personal relationship and well-being, he gives considerable thought to why he’s doing it, realizing that he “love the ruined places for all the ways they aren’t ruined.” While he doesn’t offer solutions or answers, the book does offer an astute critique of how visions of blighted spots create an either/or vision of how to care for the environment and live in the world. Agent: Michelle Tessler, Tessler Literary Agency.

Starred review from June 1, 2012
Humor and dry wit lighten a travelogue of the most polluted and ravaged places in the world. Through seven nasty sites, journalist and filmmaker Blackwell teases out complex environmental issues and the history and cultures that surround them. The author conceived of the book because "to chase after the beautiful and pristine was to abandon most of the world." Ultimately, he writes, "instead of finding degraded ecosystems that I could treat as though they were beautiful, I was just finding beauty." The author engagingly chronicles his many adventures: canoeing near Chernobyl, museum-hopping by the oil sands of Northern Alberta, and piloting a ship through the Sabine-Neches Waterway in Port Arthur, Texas, "the pungent centerpiece of America's petrochemical tiara." Along the way, we meet colorful characters and learn what fuels these toxic places. Blackwell then sails off for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, formed by a vortex of currents that gathers buoyant plastic into a huge floating mess. Moving on to the Amazon, where issues are far from black and white, the author delves into the issue of why rainforest destruction is so complicated, particularly when the forest is inhabited. The author also visited Linfen, China, the heart of the country's coal-producing region and reputedly the most polluted place on the planet. The final chapter covers a pilgrimage of sorts along the sacred Yamuna River in India, or at least the former channel of the river--the water has been diverted and its bed is filled with sewage and waste. In each chapter, Blackwell finds he loves the polluted places for all the ways they aren't ruined. With great verve, and without sounding preachy, he exposes the essence and interconnectedness of these environmental problems.

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Starred review from May 15, 2012
In this extremely interesting travel journal, Blackwell details his experiences touring the world's most polluted places. Endlessly curious and forthright, he was determined to get as close as possible to international hot spots of nuclear disaster, mining, sewage, and trash. Few people would share Blackwell's dedication in approaching a place like Chernobyl (whose safe future is in serious doubt), yet no one will be able to resist his reports on the things he sees, the people he meets, and the bizarre discoveries he makes. From reflecting on the country's first gusher to embarking on a Gilligan's Islandesque voyage to the Pacific's floating garbage patch, Blackwell exhibits an extreme willingness to immerse himself in the moment while never taking anythingor anyonetoo seriously. From asking necessary questions to nailing our economic and environmental hypocrisy (Americans don't buy electronics from China, he observes; we rent them and send them back to be torn apart ), the author proves himself time and again to be the sort of journalist who is both devastatingly hip and brutally relevant. This sort of environmental investigation cuts through partisan hype and serves as a vital link between adventure and ecological awareness. That Blackwell accomplishes it with humor makes his book that much more effective.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)