An award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist offers an insightful, no-holds-barred exploration of today s most controversial yet promising new energy technology: fracking.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of injecting fluid into the ground at extremely high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks and release the oil and natural gas inside. It has been the subject of three major films, countless news articles, and has become a hotly contested topic both for its environmental impact and its positive effect on the economy and job creation.
In "Frackistan," Russell Gold examines both sides of the arguments and illuminates the truth of this frequently misunderstood technology. It is a thrilling journey filled with memorable and colorful characters: a green-minded Texas oilman who created the first modern frack; an Oklahoman natural gas empire builder who gave the world an enormous new supply of energy but was brought down by his own success; and a cast of many. Gold melds his natural gift for engaging, in-depth storytelling and reportage with his insight into the energy industry to bring to life the fascinating history of how this major new source is changing the way we use energy.
"Frackistan" is not simply the story of fracking: It is the compelling and thought-provoking story of the modern global economy and how the United States and the world have been forever changed.

The digital transformation of the 21st century has affected all facets of society and has been highly advantageous in many industries, including urban planning and regional development. The practices, strategies, and developments surrounding urban e-planning in particular have been constantly shifting and adapting to new innovations as they arrive. Trends and Innovations in Urban E-Planning provides an updated panorama of the main trends, challenges, and recent innovations in the field of e-planning through the critical perspectives of diverse experts. This book adds new and updated evidence on recent changes in this field and provides critical insights on these innovations. Covering topics such as citizen engagement, land property management, and spatial planning, this book is an essential resource for students and educators of higher education, researchers, urban planners, engineers, public officials, community groups, and academicians.

Our societies have become very crisis-prone. This book explores crises and the methods of anticipation, management and reconstruction, and considers a risk-crisis-territorial development continuum. The aim is to better understand a widely used concept and clarify the methods of action in the field of crisis management. The different forms of learning proposed to better face future crises are also questioned. This book invites us to analyze the resources available to support crisis management and reconstruction, and consider the unequal access to these resources in different territories in order to design future territorial strategies. This often results in a form of territorial inertia after the crises. However, some innovate, imagine renewed territories, prepare for reconstruction, or even recompose territories now in order to make them more resilient. The crisis can then be the driving force or the accelerator of these changes and contribute to the emergence of new practices, or even new urban and territorial utopias.

Ross Dowling and David Newsome present an original, substantial and much-needed contribution to the field which will further our understanding of geotourism in theory and practice. This Handbook defines, characterizes and explores the subject through a range of international perspectives and case studies, identifying geotourism as a rapidly emerging form of urban and regional sustainable development. With extensive case studies from North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa, this global Handbook examines and explains the relationship between geology and tourism. Thematically arranged sections cover the relationship of geology with tourism, sustainability and society, geotourism in urban areas, and interpretation and education strategies. The final two sections assess geotourism?s impact through wide-ranging case studies of UNESCO global geoparks and geotourism in a range of countries. The eminent academics and practitioners demonstrate how geotourism is a vehicle future for engaging the public and protecting geosites, as well as emphasising the importance of sustainability. An essential resource for students and educators, this Handbook provides an international perspective for those interested in tourism, environmental geography, ecology and geology. Written with practitioners in mind, this book reveals how tourism professionals and geologists can build a common vision by working together in sharing knowledge at the nexus of geology and tourism. Contributors include: M. Allan, E. Aparecida Del Lama, R.S. Aquino, A. Asrat, N. Azman, T. Brown, M. Burlando, H.S. Cahyadi, R.M. Clary, K. Crawford, E. da Silva Guimaraes, R. Dowling, A. Dumaliang, B.C. Dumaliang, P. Erfurt, S. Espiner, N.T. Farsani, M. Garofano, A. Gates, C. Gomez, J.E. Gordon, M. Gray, N. Grunert, S.A. Halim, Herlina, Y. Jeon, J. Johnston, H.T. Kobryn, I. Komoo, L. Kubalikova, U. Lagally, J. Larwood, E.A. Lima, M. Machado, P. Migon, R. Miller, C. Neto de Carvalho, D. Newsome, R. Pena, H. Purdie, A. Riganti, J.P.R. Rivera, D.A. Ruban, H. Samodra, L. Sheydder de Oliveira Lopes, R.C. Soares, K. Takenouchi, M. Thomas, H. Torigoe, M. Van Kranendonk, J. Weber, G. Worton, K. Xu

A completely up-to-date introduction to the most common group of bees in Britain. Bees, for most people, mean honey or bumble bees, but in fact these social species make up only a small proportion of the species that live in Britain. Open your eyes to the so-called ‘solitary’ bees, and discover a wonderfully diverse population – miners, leafcutters, carpenters and masons – many of which can be found in your own back garden. Solitary bees come in a variety of colours and sizes, with some as large as bumblebees and some only a few millimetres long, and many are key pollinators for our crops and wildflowers. This comprehensive book will tell the story of how these bees live, reproduce and thrive: discover the numerous strategies used by male bees to find females and persuade them to mate; follow the females as they build their nests – or in the case of ‘cuckoo’ species, sneak into the nests of their neighbours – and watch as the new generation appears. Explore the interactions between flowering plants and their bee visitors, asking what the plants get from the relationship, as well as how the bees select the plants they visit, and the ingenuity required to extract pollen, nectar and other rewards. Finally, learn places where bees flourish and what can be done to encourage them and ensure they continue to pollinate our flowers and crops. Drawing on all the latest research as well as the authors’ own observations in the field, this timely New Naturalist gives a wonderful insight into the complicated lives of solitary bees, and the complexity of the behaviour and ecology of this remarkable group of insects.

This is a guide to understanding entrepreneurial ecosystems: what they are, why they matter, and to whom they matter. Ben Spigel explores this popular new theory of economic development, locating the intellectual roots of ecosystems, explaining the practices and processes that allow ecosystems to support the creation and growth of innovative entrepreneurial firms. Investigating why some places are able to support innovative, high-growth entrepreneurship while others cannot, this book looks at the characteristics of entrepreneurial places in both developed and developing countries to identify the role of factors such as culture, social networks and economic history. Going beyond just the different combinations of different people and factors of a place, Spigel explores the social and economic processes such as learning and entrepreneurial recycling that power how ecosystems develop and influence high-growth venture creation. Entrepreneurship and economic geography scholars will appreciate the strong theoretical exploration of this new approach to understanding entrepreneurship. It will also be a helpful read for public officials, policy makers, and ecosystems builders looking to delve further into this prominent new concept in local economic development policy.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Original and thought-provoking, this book investigates how creative experiences, interactions, and place-specific dynamics and contexts are shaping the expanding field of creative tourism across the globe. Exploring the evolution of research in this field, the authors investigate pathways for future research that advance conceptual questions and pragmatic issues. Bringing together an array of international perspectives and research approaches, this book investigates the growing synergies between creativity and tourism. Contributors from a variety of disciplines utilize key case studies to examine the development of creative tourism in both the global North and South, including: World Heritage Sites in Malaysia; small communities in Thailand; small town 'creative outposts' in Canada; community-engaged projects in rural Russia; Gangneung, Korea's 'coffee city'; the pioneering creative tourism city of Santa Fe; and a participatory museum in Croatia. Both the growing diversity and scope of creative tourism and the expanding body of literature on this topic makes this timely Research Agenda a vital read for scholars of tourism studies, especially as it offers much-needed suggestions of areas for future research, at doctoral and post-doctoral levels. Tourism policy makers and creative tourism practitioners will also find this a useful read. Contributors: M. Blapp, P. Brouder, M.-A. Delisle, N. Duxbury, M.L. Emmendoerfer, J. Erkkila-Hill, I. Freitas, R. Goja, B. Hanifl, M. Hiltunen, D.A. Jelincic, T. Jokela, S.-M. Koistinen, H.d.S. Lopes, M. Matetskaya, O. Matos, S. Miettinen, O. Mitas, M. Pereira, P. Remoaldo, V. Ribeiro, G. Richards, M. Senkic, U.-S. Seo, A. Svyatunenko, S.-H. Tan, S.-K. Tan, T. Vongvisitsin, J. Wisansing

Editor Michael Burger brings together a comprehensive assessment of how one statutory provision - Section 115 of the Clean Air Act, ''International Air Pollution'' - provides the executive branch of the U.S. government with the authority, procedures, and mechanisms to work with the states and private sector to take national climate action. This collaborative effort reflects the most current thinking on Section 115 and how it relates to the Paris Agreement , the U.S. Supreme Court, and U.S. politics. The contributors dive deep into the key implementation issues EPA, the states and industry would need to address. Federal policymakers in a new presidential administration could use this book as a foundation for developing a national policy regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The book also provides detailed law and policy analyses for environmental lawyers and policy professionals, key to understanding the practice of climate law and policy in the U.S.

The depletion of fossil fuels is a major issue in energy generation; hence, biomass and renewable energy sources, especially bioenergy, are the solution. The dependence on bioenergy has many benefits to mitigate environmental pollution. It is imperative that the global society adopts these alternative, sustainable energy sources in order to mitigate the constant growth of climate change. Biomass and Bioenergy Solutions for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainability highlights the challenges of energy conservation and current scenarios of existing fossil fuel uses along with pollution potential of burning fossil fuel. It further promotes the inventory, assessment, and use of biomass, pollution control, and techniques. This book provides the solution for climate change, mitigation, and sustainability. Covering topics such as biofuel policies, economic considerations, and microalgae biofuels, this premier reference source is an essential resource for environmental scientists, environmental engineers, government officials, business leaders, politicians, librarians, students and faculty of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

The environmental challenges of the twenty-first century have raised profound questions regarding the suitability of environmental law to manage the many complex issues at hand. This insightful book considers how the law has adapted to address these challenges and considers the ways in which it might be used to cope with environmental risks and uncertainties, whilst also promoting resilience and greater equality. The book uses a multi-disciplinary approach to address the compatibility of law with the notions of risk and resilience, it scrutinises how capable these approaches are to effect equitable solutions to environmental risks, and it raises important questions about multi-level and participatory governance. Key chapters examine a variety of global experiments in countries such as China and countries in Latin America, to generate further governance of the environment, improve the available legal tools and give a voice to more diverse groups. Students and scholars across a variety of fields such as environmental studies, socio-legal studies, law, and risk regulation will find this an stimulating read. Senior policy-makers in central and local government, regulators and risk managers will also find this book imperative in their efforts to manage the dilemmas of environmental control. Contributors include: F.H. Barnes, D. Curran, C. Holley, B.M. Hutter, C. Ituarte-Lima, T. Johnson, J. McDonald, L. Patton, O.W. Pedersen, D. Satterthwaite, E. Sofronova, H. Wang

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. Tourism is integral to local, regional and national development policies; as a major global economic sector, it has the potential to underpin economic growth and wider development. Yet, transformations in both the nature of tourism and the dynamic environment within which it occurs give rise to new questions with regards to its developmental role. This Research Agenda offers a state-of-the-art review of the research into the tourism-development nexus. Bringing together contributors from across the globe, this Research Agenda answers the key questions including: Are growth-focused tourism policies becoming increasingly detrimental to destination development? Can mass forms of tourism in fact generate more benefits than alternative forms of tourism? Does the role of the state in supporting tourism-induced development require reconsideration? How effective is tourism-related philanthropy in contributing to development? Is community-based tourism a realistic development policy? To what extent can tourism contribute to what is still the most pressing development challenge, namely poverty reduction? A Research Agenda for Tourism and Development offers valuable insights for students and researchers of development studies and tourism, as well as for policymakers and practitioners in tourism industries.

It is not a question whether the world is in transition, rather it is quite clear to see that the world is transitioning into new uncharted territories. Digital transformation has taken over the many facets of management and will create advantages for the organizations that are innovative with these competitive core capabilities. From manufacturing to education, every business sector is shifting their traditional ways of doing business to reach organizational goals and survive. Innovation takes the lead here. In this digitalized era, it is obvious that firms and organizations will not survive if they do not adapt to the changing demands and business strategies of the new era. New developments in information technologies provides an essential base for digital transformation leading to many artificial intelligence implications. This can lead to time-effectiveness, lowered costs, better timing, and improved efficiency in personalized products and services. New forms of work, new performance criteria, new training and new development programs for employees and new recruitment and selection procedures will be among the most important issues of new human resource management systems. This stems from the urgency of digital transformation in the new World order. All organizations need to establish new management strategies, policies, and practices to govern vital transformations in the new age. This will be achieved by formulating and implementing a digital transformation strategy which fits to all levels of management in today's organizations. From supply chain management systems to human resource management within organizations need to be transformed accordingly with the digital transformation strategy. For all these reasons, the latest research on the selected subjects of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship will fill a critical gap in the related literature. This reference book aims to bring together the emerging topics of digital transformation, information technologies, new management strategies and digital practices in human resources and new forms of work. At the same time, it provides theoretical infrastructure to share the latest empirical research findings within management, artificial intelligence and digital business functions and strategies. A tremendous contribution will be made to the contemporary research on these subjects by collecting the most up to date research findings and combining these with the theoretical framework. The most popular contemporary topics in digitalization in management fields and information technologies will provide valuable insight for understanding today's business organizations operating in a global, dynamic, and complex environment. The chapters of the book will handle an up-to-date topic, mostly based on technological advances, and readers will benefit from learning the latest management skills and techniques. This book will fill a critical gap by providing digital business strategies and emerging digital human resources issues from the perspective of innovation.

Over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the increasing accuracy and legibility of cartographic projections, the proliferation of empirically based chorographies, and the popular vogue for travel narratives served to order, package, and commodify space in a manner that was critical to the formation of a unified Britain. In tandem with such developments, however, a trenchant anti-cartographic skepticism also emerged. This critique of the map can be seen in many literary works of the period that satirize the efficacy and value of maps and highlight their ideological purposes. Against the Map argues that our understanding of the production of national space during this time must also account for these sites of resistance and opposition to hegemonic forms of geographical representation, such as the map. This study utilizes the methodologies of critical geography, as well as literary criticism and theory, to detail the conflicted and often adversarial relationship between cartographic and literary representations of the nation and its geography. While examining atlases, almanacs, itineraries, and other materials, Adam Sills focuses particularly on the construction of heterotopias in the works of John Bunyan, Aphra Behn, Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Johnson, and Jane Austen. These "other" spaces, such as neighborhood, home, and country, are not reducible to the map but have played an equally important role in the shaping of British national identity. Ultimately, Against the Map suggests that nation is forged not only in concert with the map but, just as important, against it.