Special Presentation and Book Signing with Exxon Valdez Spill Expert, Dr. Riki Ott
Riki Ott, author/scientist/activist, will speak at the Buehler Alumni Center at UC Davis. Author of the award-winning Sound Truth and Corporate Myths: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Ott was on the scene at the Exxon Valdez spill and shares compelling first-hand accounts of lead scientists, sick cleanup workers, and doctors. Ott will share here thoughts in a presentation titled “Lingering Effects of Oil on Public Health and the Environment.”
The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 in the AGR Room of the Buehler Alumni Center on the UC Davis campus. Following her presentation, Dr. Ott will sign copies of her book Sound Truth and Corporate Myths: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Copies of the book will be available to purchase at the event.
Since 1987, Dr. Ott has dedicated her academic training to helping the general public understand the effects of oil and other contaminants on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. She was on the scene before, during, and after one of the biggest environmental disasters in the United States—the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. A former commercial salmon “fisherma’am” in Prince William Sound, she experienced firsthand the spill’s effects, including environmental devastation, economic losses to the fishing industry, and psychosocial trauma to the close-knit community.
Ott received her Doctorate of Philosophy in 1985 from the University of Washington School of Fisheries. She has co-founded three nonprofit organizations to improve the general quality of life through environmental protection, social justice, and economic stability. Dr. Ott has served on several state-appointed advisory or working groups, testified before Congress and the Alaska State Legislature, and received state and national recognition for her work.
A popular and dynamic lecturer, Dr. Ott’s presentation will weave the legacy of the Exxon Valdez spill into current issues of public health, environmental pollution, and our energy future—and inspire individuals to take action.
This event is sponsored by the UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment (530.752.5643, johnmuir.ucdavis.edu, jmie@ucdavis.edu) and NIEHS/UC Davis Superfund Basic Research and Training Program.
Media Contact:
- Lisa Marie Jacobs, Dragonfly Sisters Press, (907) 424-7576, lmjacobs@gci.net, to arrange interviews with Dr. Riki Ott before the event or while she is in the area.
- Sharon Ruth, John Muir Institute of the Environment, (530) 754-9178, seruth@ucdavis.edu, for information about this event and for background materials. Materials available include Riki Ott’s resume, a chapter by chapter summary of Sound Truth and Corporate Myths, book endorsements, tip sheet, and high resolution images of the author and clean-up of the Exxon Valdez spill.
Sound Truth and Corporate Myths: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, Paperback, Dragonfly Sisters Press; $24.95. ISBN 0964522667