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OverviewThe fossil fuel revolution is usually rendered as a tale of historic advances in energy production. In this perspective-changing account, Christopher F. Jones instead tells a story of advances in energy access-canals, pipelines, and wires that delivered power in unprecedented quantities to cities and factories at a great distance from production sites. He shows that in the American mid-Atlantic region between 1820 and 1930, the construction of elaborate transportation networks for coal, oil, and electricity unlocked remarkable urban and industrial growth along the eastern seaboard. But this new transportation infrastructure did not simply satisfy existing consumer demand-it also whetted an appetite for more abundant and cheaper energy, setting the nation on a path toward fossil fuel dependence. Between the War of 1812 and the Great Depression, low-cost energy supplied to cities through a burgeoning delivery system allowed factory workers to mass-produce goods on a scale previously unimagined. It also allowed people and products to be whisked up and down the East Coast at speeds unattainable in a country dependent on wood, water, and muscle. But an energy-intensive America did not benefit all its citizens equally. It provided cheap energy to some but not others; it channeled profits to financiers rather than laborers; and it concentrated environmental harms in rural areas rather than cities. Today, those who wish to pioneer a more sustainable and egalitarian energy order can learn valuable lessons from this history of the nation's first steps toward dependence on fossil fuels. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Christopher F. JonesPublisher: Harvard University Press Imprint: Harvard University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.10cm , Length: 23.50cm Weight: 0.472kg ISBN: 9780674970922ISBN 10: 0674970926 Pages: 320 Publication Date: 29 August 2016 Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General , Tertiary & Higher Education Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Out of stock  The supplier is temporarily out of stock of this item. It will be ordered for you on backorder and shipped when it becomes available. Table of ContentsReviewsWorking at the intersection of technological and environmental history, Jones shows that understanding political economy and social context are integral to understanding energy transitions. His elegantly written and cogently argued narrative of how Americans spent down the planetary savings account of solar energy amassed in fossil fuels is as compelling as a mystery novel. -- Ann Norton Greene * Journal of Interdisciplinary History * Jones rethinks our understanding of the history of energy by examining from a new angle America’s transformation from a society that is dependent on human and animal power to one that relies on fossil fuels and electrical power generation. By focusing on the history of energy infrastructure, Routes of Power demonstrates how this transformation occurred and, in doing so, provides a picture of America’s energy history that is new, concrete, innovative, and persuasive. -- Martin V. Melosi, author of <i>Atomic Age America</i> In Routes of Power, Jones investigates the economics, the social consequences, and the environmental costs of the transformation from muscle power to coal, oil, and electricity. His work demonstrates effectively that technological change is not automatic but requires human effort and ingenuity. -- David E. Nye, author of <i>America’s Assembly Line</i> Working at the intersection of technological and environmental history, Jones shows that understanding political economy and social context are integral to understanding energy transitions. His elegantly written and cogently argued narrative of how Americans spent down the planetary savings account of solar energy amassed in fossil fuels is as compelling as a mystery novel.-- (05/15/2016) In Routes of Power, Jones investigates the economics, the social consequences, and the environmental costs of the transformation from muscle power to coal, oil, and electricity. His work demonstrates effectively that technological change is not automatic but requires human effort and ingenuity.--David E. Nye, author of America's Assembly Line Jones rethinks our understanding of the history of energy by examining from a new angle America's transformation from a society that is dependent on human and animal power to one that relies on fossil fuels and electrical power generation. By focusing on the history of energy infrastructure, Routes of Power demonstrates how this transformation occurred and, in doing so, provides a picture of America's energy history that is new, concrete, innovative, and persuasive.--Martin V. Melosi, author of Atomic Age America Author InformationChristopher F. Jones is Assistant Professor of History in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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