Oil Spills and the Social Amplification and Attenuation of Risk

Leschine, Thomas M.

doi:10.1016/s1353-2561(02)00050-6

Cited by 28 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The following bibliography references were consulted as theoretic background: Branco [1], Kennish [13], Schaeffer-Novelli [19], Capra [2], Kasperson et al [12], Christou [5], Poffo [18], Leschine [14], Nardocci [17] and Lovelock [16]. And also basically the websites of: GESAMP (the Group of Experts on Scientific Aspects of Marine Environment Protection) [7], USEPA (Environmental Protection Agency of United States of America), IMO (International Maritime Organization) [10], ITOPF (International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation) [11] and Brazilian national webs.…”

Section: Methods and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk management program in the Port of Santos, Brazil: an ecosystem’s perspective

Poffo¹,

Xavier²,

Schaeffer-Novelli

et al. 2008

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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The Port of Santos, the largest and fastest growing seaport in Brazil, lies within a sheltered, mangrove-lined estuary. The movement of dangerous chemicals is a hazardous activity which could generate severe negative socio-environmental impacts. From an ecosystem perspective, the port may be perceived as part of an integrated web of economic, ecological, legal, social systems and not as a mere industrial complex, isolated from the sensitive ecosystems surrounding it; or from the people who work in and reside in the region. We emphasize the integrated concept of humans-in-nature, adopting the view that the distinction between social and natural systems is artificial and arbitrary. This paper presents an assessment of the linkages between the causes and consequences of environmental incidents which occurred between 1980 and 2006; a period during which 108,934 ships berthed. Four hundred and twenty-four entries were compiled from CETESB's (the Environmental Agency of São Paulo State), CODESP's (the port authority) and ABTL's (the Brazilian Association of Liquid Bulk Terminals) database. The results demonstrate that maritime transport accounted for the great majority of the spills which were mainly provoked by operational failures. Marine fuel oils (bunkers) were released more frequently than any other chemical substance and in the majority of the cases, the oil spread well beyond the spill site, impacting the health and safety of people and ecosystems of the region. The preventive and corrective actions which were taken had positive effects, highlighting the importance of enhancing resilience to reduce impacts and accelerate recovery.

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Section: Methods and Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk management program in the Port of Santos, Brazil: an ecosystem’s perspective

Poffo¹,

Xavier²,

Schaeffer-Novelli

et al. 2008

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

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“…They also find no support for the argument that a disproportionate focus (in the media) is given to LPHCs. Leschine (2002) elaborates on how media reports of critical events can both amplify and attenuate the social perception of risk associated with those events.…”

Section: Imagining Worse Than Reality: Comparing Beliefs and Intentiomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kasperson and Kasperson (1996) term the deviations social amplification, meaning the exaggeration of risk, and attenuation, or the dampening of risk, compared to generally accepted estimates. Both phenomena occur as information is processed via a combination of personal experiences and second-hand information sources, such as the media (Leschine 2002). The change in beliefs about risk then has the potential to affect preferences (Druckman and Lupia 2000).…”

Section: Disasters Personal Experience and The Mediamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, coverage amplifies observer risk assessments the more shocking and evocative it is, and the more plentiful it is. One mechanism at play seems to be that for observers who lack personal experience with LPHCs, fear and uncertainty combine with media coverage to intensify risk assessments to levels far beyond those projected by experts (Wahlberg and Sjoberg 2000;Camerer and Kunreuther 1989;Leschine 2002).…”

Section: Disasters Personal Experience and The Mediamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Imagining worse than reality: comparing beliefs and intentions between disaster evacuees and survey respondents

Reinhardt

2015

Journal of Risk Research

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“…Nevertheless, some oil spills become authentic media phenomena in this information era, due to their large dimensions and environmental and social-economic impacts on ecosystems and local communities, and also due to some spectacular or shocking pictures generated (Leschine, 2002).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining operational models and data into a dynamic vessel risk assessment tool for coastal regions

Fernandes¹,

Braunschweig²,

Lourenço³

et al. 2016

Ocean Sci.

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Abstract. The technological evolution in terms of computational capacity, data acquisition systems, numerical modelling and operational oceanography is supplying opportunities for designing and building holistic approaches and complex tools for newer and more efficient management (planning, prevention and response) of coastal water pollution risk events.A combined methodology to dynamically estimate time and space variable individual vessel accident risk levels and shoreline contamination risk from ships has been developed, integrating numerical metocean forecasts and oil spill simulations with vessel tracking automatic identification systems (AIS). The risk rating combines the likelihood of an oil spill occurring from a vessel navigating in a study area -the Portuguese continental shelf -with the assessed consequences to the shoreline. The spill likelihood is based on dynamic marine weather conditions and statistical information from previous accidents. The shoreline consequences reflect the virtual spilled oil amount reaching shoreline and its environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities. The oil reaching shoreline is quantified with an oil spill fate and behaviour model running multiple virtual spills from vessels along time, or as an alternative, a correction factor based on vessel distance from coast. Shoreline risks can be computed in real time or from previously obtained data.Results show the ability of the proposed methodology to estimate the risk properly sensitive to dynamic metocean conditions and to oil transport behaviour. The integration of meteo-oceanic + oil spill models with coastal vulnerability and AIS data in the quantification of risk enhances the maritime situational awareness and the decision support model, providing a more realistic approach in the assessment of shoreline impacts. The risk assessment from historical data can help finding typical risk patterns ("hot spots") or developing sensitivity analysis to specific conditions, whereas real-time risk levels can be used in the prioritization of individual ships, geographical areas, strategic tug positioning and implementation of dynamic risk-based vessel traffic monitoring.

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Oil Spills and the Social Amplification and Attenuation of Risk

Cited by 28 publications

References 18 publications

Risk management program in the Port of Santos, Brazil: an ecosystem’s perspective

Risk management program in the Port of Santos, Brazil: an ecosystem’s perspective

Imagining worse than reality: comparing beliefs and intentions between disaster evacuees and survey respondents

Combining operational models and data into a dynamic vessel risk assessment tool for coastal regions

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