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Energy Metropolis: An Environmental History of Houston and the Gulf Coast (Pittsburgh Hist Urban Environ)

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Description

Houston’s meteoric rise from a bayou trading post to the world’s leading oil supplier owes much to its geography, geology, and climate: the large natural port of Galveston Bay, the lush subtropical vegetation, the abundance of natural resources. However the attributes that have made it attractive for industry, energy, and urban development have also made it particularly prone to quite a few environmental problems. Energy Metropolis presents a comprehensive history of the development of Houston, examining the factors that have facilitated unprecedented growth-and the environmental cost of that development.

The landmark Spindletop strike of 1901 made affordable high-grade Texas oil the fuel of choice for ships, industry, and the infant automobile industry. Literally overnight, oil wells sprang up around Houston. In 1914, the opening of the Houston Ship Channel connected the city to the Gulf of Mexico and international trade markets. Oil refineries sprouted up and down the channel, and the petroleum products industry exploded. By the 1920s, Houston also became a leading producer of natural gas, and the economic opportunities and ancillary industries created by the brand new energy trade led to a population boom. By the end of the twentieth century, Houston had change into the fourth largest city in The united states.

Houston’s expansion came at a price, alternatively. Air, water, and land pollution reached hazardous levels as legislators turned a blind eye. Frequent flooding of altered waterways, deforestation, hurricanes, the energy demands of an air-conditioned way of life, increased automobile traffic, exponential population growth, and an ever-expanding metropolitan area all escalated the need for massive infrastructure improvements.

The experts in Energy Metropolis examine the steps Houston has taken to conquer laissez-faire politics, indiscriminate expansion, and infrastructural overload. What emerges is a profound analysis of the environmental consequences of large-scale energy production and unchecked growth.


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