Crude Reality: Petroleum in World History (Exploring World History)

This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum shaped human life since it was first discovered leaking inconspicuously from the soil. Leading environmental history specialist Brian C. Black connects the subsequent exploitation of petroleum to patterns in world history while tracing the intricate links between energy and people after 1850. For a century, human dependence on petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap crude—a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results of environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization—lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. This “crude reality” becomes tragic when we measure our overwhelming reliance on this geological ooze.Considering the nature of oil itself as well as the specifics of humans’ remarkable relationship with it, Crude Reality reveals our modern conundrum and then suggests the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, the author argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. Black brings to this book a global perspective and a wide-ranging technical knowledge presented specifically for general readers, making its scope much broader than any other survey. Written by a major scholar on the history of petroleum, it is an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history. This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum shaped human life since it was first discovered leaking inconspicuously from the soil. Leading environmental history specialist Brian C. Black connects the subsequent exploitation of petroleum to patterns in world history while tracing the intricate links between energy and people after 1850. For a century, human dependence on petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap crude—a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results of environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization—lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. This “crude reality” becomes tragic when we measure our overwhelming reliance on this geological ooze.Considering the nature of oil itself as well as the specifics of humans'remarkable relationship with it, Crude Reality reveals our modern conundrum and then suggests the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, the author argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. Black brings to this book a global perspective and a wide-ranging technical knowledge presented specifically for general readers, making its scope much broader than any other survey. Written by a major scholar on the history of petroleum, it is an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history.The paperback edition features an updated epilogue and a bibliography. This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how Petroleum shaped human life since it was first discovered leaking inconspicuously from the soil. Leading environmental history specialist Brian C. Black connects the subsequent exploitation of Petroleum to patterns in world history while tracing the intricate links between energy and people after 1850. For a century, human dependence on Petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap Crude-a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results of environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a Petroleum-powered civilization-lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. This "Crude reality" becomes tragic when we measure our overwhelming reliance on this geological ooze. Considering the nature of oil itself as well as the specifics of humans' remarkable relationship with it, Crude Reality reveals our modern conundrum and then suggests the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, the author argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. Black brings to this book a global perspective and a wide-ranging technical knowledge presented specifically for general readers, making its scope much broader than any other survey. Written by a major scholar on the history of Petroleum, it is an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history This introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum shaped human life since it was first discovered leaking inconspicuously from the soil. The author, an environmental history specialist connects the subsequent exploitation of petroleum to patterns in world history while tracing the intricate links between energy and people after 1850. For a century, human dependence on petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap crude, a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results of environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization, lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. This "crude reality" becomes tragic when we measure our overwhelming reliance on this geological ooze. Considering the nature of oil itself as well as the specifics of humans' remarkable relationship with it, this book reveals our modern conundrum and then suggests the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, the author argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. The author brings to this survey a global perspective, making it broad in scope, and a wide-ranging technical knowledge; it is a contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history This Introduction To The History Of Oil Tells The Story Of How Petroleum Shaped Human Life Since It Was First Discovered Leaking Inconspicuously From The Soil. Leading Environmental History Specialist Brian C. Black Connects The Subsequent Exploitation Of Petroleum To Patterns In World History While Tracing The Intricate Links Between Energy And People After 1850. --from Publisher Description. Part I: Cultural Exchange, 1750-1890. Infrastructure: Drilling For Saltwater -- From Black Goo To Black Gold -- Crossing Borders To Increase Supply -- Modeling Big Oil -- Infrastructure: Shipping Crude Throughout The Globe -- Part Ii: Going Mobile, 1890-1960. Infrastructure: Pumping Gas -- Hitting The Road -- Marching For Petroleum : Supply And Weapons -- Infrastructure: Want Fries With That? -- Part Iii: The Globalization Of Petroleum Dominance, 1960-present. Infrastructure: Big Science Helps Big Oil -- Consuming Cultures -- To Have And Have Not -- Infrastructure: Nymex And The Commodity Of Crude -- Part Iv: Living With Limits And Energy Transitions, 1980-present. Infrastructure: Climate Change Reveals A New World Order -- Peak Oil, Climate Change, And Petroleum Under Siege -- Portrait Of Addiction: U.s. Petroleum Use. Brian C. Black. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16604101-crude-reality) Crude Reality This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum shaped human life since it was first discovered leaking inconspicuously from the soil. Leading environmental history specialist Brian C. Black connects the subsequent exploitation of petroleum to patterns in world history while tracing the intricate links between energy and people after 1850. Today, we see the disastrous results of environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization--lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. This "crude reality" becomes tragic when we measure our overwhelming reliance on this geological ooze. Black brings to this book a global perspective and a wide-ranging technical knowledge presented specifically for general readers, making its scope much broader than any of the other surveys. Written by a major scholar on the history of petroleum, it is an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history. Non-Fiction,History Considers the history of petroleum's engineering, production, refining, and consumption, and synthesizes recent scholarship linking overreliance on the resource to environmental degradation and economic disparity