Oil Cities

"In this manuscript, Henry Alexander Wiencek takes a local approach to early twentieth-century domestic American energy production, what he calls "a gathering historical force" that was dramatically altering the economic, political, and social fabric of the United States. At this time, firms like Standard Oil were becoming some of the most influential actors on earth, wielding enormous power over the American economy and government--and leading some historians to tell the story of oil as a simple one of triumph and transformation. But, as Wiencek argues, a close look at the industry's venture into North Louisiana reveals a more varied and contested story of interaction, one in which global forces of industrial capitalism collided with--and often had to accommodate--local economic, social, political, and ecological dynamics. Despite its well-documented financial and technological prowess, the oil industry had to adapt its labor, tools, and investments to those circumstances--an international engine of economic power assuming a local form. Wiencek's chapters cover a lot of territory, from the history of oil boomtowns and "illicit" behavior to environmental impacts and political legacies. Not surprisingly, a key part of the story has to do with race. The new oil economy, he shows, collided with long-standing racial ideologies, which delineated sharp economic, social, and legal boundaries within the new industry. Prior to the boom, nearly three-quarters of the area's population was Black, with many rural tenant farmers working the same areas as their enslaved ancestors. But as oil created a lucrative new source of wages, racial violence became a way of ensuring the oil rigs--and the jobs they generated--would remain all white. On the other hand, oil did not naturally adhere to racial boundaries and at times was discovered under Black-owned lands, with complicated legal and social consequences that Wiencek explores via compelling case studies"--

Cities of Oil is the first sustained historical account of the development of the early Canadian petroleum refining and manufacturing industry. In it, Timothy W. Cobban documents the industry’s development in southern Ontario, from its beginnings in the 1850s to its later expansion on the outskirts of London, to Petrolia, and finally to Sarnia. He accounts for all of the industry’s important developments and innovations, particularly the role played by municipalities in fostering its growth. Using extensive archival research, Cobban concludes that municipalities can stimulate the accelerated, sustained development of local industry sectors, thus challenging the dominant view that the influence of municipalities on economic growth is marginal. Cities of Oil demonstrates the importance of accommodating the land and infrastructure needs of industry at critical junctures, and implementing land use policies that encourage the dense clustering of industries. This book will be essential reading for those seeking a greater understanding of industrial growth in the province of Ontario.

Half of the world’s inhabitants now live in cities. In the next twenty years, the number of urban dwellers will swell to an estimated five billion people. With their inefficient transportation systems and poorly designed buildings, many cities—especially in the United States—consume enormous quantities of fossil fuels and emit high levels of greenhouse gases. But our planet is rapidly running out of the carbon-based fuels that have powered urban growth for centuries and we seem to be unable to curb our greenhouse gas emissions. Are the world’s cities headed for inevitable collapse? The authors of this spirited book don’t believe that oblivion is necessarily the destiny of urban areas. Instead, they believe that intelligent planning and visionary leadership can help cities meet the impending crises, and look to existing initiatives in cities around the world. Rather than responding with fear (as a legion of doomsaying prognosticators have done), they choose hope. First, they confront the problems, describing where we stand today in our use of oil and our contribution to climate change. They then present four possible outcomes for cities: ”collapse,” “ruralized,” “divided,” and “resilient.” In response to their scenarios, they articulate how a new “sustainable urbanism” could replace today’s “carbon-consuming urbanism.” They address in detail how new transportation systems and buildings can be feasibly developed to replace our present low efficiency systems. In conclusion, they offer ten “strategic steps” that any city can take toward greater sustainability and resilience. This is not a book filled with “blue sky” theory (although blue skies will be a welcome result of its recommendations). Rather, it is packed with practical ideas, some of which are already working in cities today. It frankly admits that our cities have problems that will worsen if they are not addressed, but it suggests that these problems are solvable. And the time to begin solving them is now.

Cities of Oil is the first sustained historical account of the development of the early Canadian petroleum refining and manufacturing industry.

If our planet is going to survive the climate crisis, we need to act rapidly. Taking cues from progressive cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Oslo, Shenzhen, and Sydney, this book is a summons to every city to make small but significant changes that can drastically reduce our carbon footprint. We cannot wait for national governments to agree on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage the average temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees. In Solved, David Miller argues that cities are taking action on climate change because they can – and because they must. The updated paperback edition of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis demonstrates that the initiatives cities have taken to control the climate crisis can make a real difference in reducing global emissions if implemented worldwide. By chronicling the stories of how cities have taken action to meet and exceed emissions targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, Miller empowers readers to fix the climate crisis. As much a “how to” guide for policymakers as a work for concerned citizens, Solved aims to inspire hope through its clear and factual analysis of what can be done – now, today – to mitigate our harmful emissions and pave the way to a 1.5-degree world.