A fire breaks out in a factory, killing almost 150 people. A nuclear reactor melts down, leaving almost 39,000 square miles of land poisoned by radiation. The German airship Hindenburg falls from the sky in flames. Entire ecosystems are destroyed as millions of gallons of oil spill into the ocean. These are some of the greatest man-made disasters in history, which caused devastation to the environment and to society. Their effects were felt worldwide, as people worked together to overcome these dark moments. In Flash Points: Disaster , readers will learn about the causes of these tragedies and the effects they've had on the world.