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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Energy industries & utilities
Examining the anthracite coal trade's emergence and legacy in the five counties that constituted the core of the industry, the authors explain the split in the modes of production between entrepreneurial production and corporate production and the consequences of each for the two major anthracite regions. This book argues that the initial conditions in which the anthracite industry developed led to differences in the way workers organized and protested working conditions and the way in which the two regions were affected by the decline of the industry and two subsequent waves of deindustrialization. The authors examine the bourgeois class formation in the coal regions and its consequences for differential regional growth and urbanization. This is given context through their investigation of class conflict in the region and the struggle of workers to build a stable union that would represent their interests, as well as the struggles within the union that finally emerged as the dominant force (the United Mine Workers of American) between conservative business unionists and progressive forces. Lastly, the authors explore the demise of anthracite as the dominant industry, the attempt to attract replacement industries, the subsequent two waves of deindustrialization in the region, and the current economic conditions that prevail in the former coal counties and the cities in them. This book includes a discussion of local politics and the emergence of a strong labor-Democratic tie in the northern anthracite region and a weaker tie between labor and the Democratic party in the central and southern fields.
This accessible work provides a detailed picture of the history of one of the most important companies in the electronic industry.
Management of Change in Water Companies tells real stories of real water companies that went through processes of change and achieved their best results ever in just a few years. It reflects the personal experience of the author from leading processes of change in five different water supply/sewage companies, between 10 and 120 years old and serving from 200,000 to 4,000,000 people. This practical and effective book shows: how to change, modernize and make profitable old-fashioned organizations, how to reduce water loss and promote efficiency in water companies, how to use the savings to rehabilitate and expand infrastructure without increasing tariffs, how to deal with overstaffing, how to plan, finance, build and maintain infrastructure, how to introduce innovation, how to motivate people, how to deal with clients, regulators, unions, shareholders, politicians and the press how to achieve sustainability. The case studies provide for instance, how to halve water losses in less than a year mostly with management measurements and very little investment, how to bring water losses from over 50% to below 20% in six years, how to use the savings from water loss reduction to build a new wastewater system without increasing tariffs, how to connect 100,000 existing buildings to a new sewage system in 4 years and how to get millions of people walking along the banks of rehabilitated urban creeks, rivers and beaches. The book presents case studies, management theory, comparative analysis of situations reported in the literature and the personal experience of an author who has lead a number of successful processes of change in different water companies. Management of Change in Water Companies is essential reading for water utility managers, national and local governments responsible for water policy as well as those concerned with the management of change and risk management. It is also useful to readers interested in the areas of pollution control, energy savings and water losses, and stream / beach / river restoration. Author: Joaquim Pocas Martins is Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, Portugal, and provides excellent courses on the management of change in water companies world-wide.
The last decade has seen not one but two energy revolutions. The first, explosive growth in demand from Asia's rising powers, fueled fears about scarcity and conflict. The second, an American revolution in technology and markets, is rapidly strengthening America's hand in the world. There are major security consequences of these shifts, from Saudi Arabia to Africa to Russia, and the emerging powers are increasingly exposed to them - risks, as well as energy flows, are pivoting to Asia. All while a third revolution is struggling to be born, driven by climate change. Now, the United States faces a strategic choice. It has an enviable position in energy markets, and its naval presence at key chokepoints - from the Persian Gulf to Southeast Asia - gives it enormous potential leverage. But America will have to decide whether it wants to use energy as a stick, or to foster a more stable international system.
This study seeks to help inform federal and state policymakers, energy producers, investors, and consumers about the potential energy market impacts of state and federal policy decisions associated with the Clean Power Plan as proposed. The report outlines the potential electric power sector and broader energy market impacts of policy design options and implementation choices by modeling the Clean Power Plan. In addition to mapping out the impacts on the electric power sector and consumers, the report also assesses the impact of the Clean Power Plan on potential changes in natural gas and coal production at the national and regional level.
No region in the world has seen so much development activity in the last ten years as the Gulf area. Since black gold catapulted the oil-producing countries into the limelight of the international political and economic scene, there has been a proliferation of studies on the larger exporting states. However, many of the so-called small countries have been neglected in this exercise. This book presents the first detailed examination of the bases and extent of economic development in Qatar and considers the need to translate the petroleum-generated growth into viable, self-sustained development. Qatar, though not one of the oil giants, was first in the field of oil development and exhibits a number of special features not shared by its Gulf neighbours: for example in pre-oil boom days it was already in advance of many other Gulf states in the field of education; it has a modest agriculture sector and there is a comparatively strong attachment to the land; and finally it has played an important role in OPEC as a member of the moderate price camp. The individual chapters trace the development of the oil industry, outline public financing and economic policy and sketch the issues involved in industrialisation, absorptive capacity and agricultural development. Examination is made of the social and physical infrastructure as well as money and banking, and the international linkages in trade, foreign aid, economic cooperation efforts and investment opportunities are elucidated. Planners in Qatar know that their revenue base in petroleum is finite, and thus investment of present surplus needs careful planning. The book therefore also outlines current government priorities and suggests areas for future investments. First published in 1979."
Volume 2 of the Getenergy Guides series explores the challenges of developing a technically competent workforce for the oil and gas sector globally. The cases in this Volume explore practical examples of the efforts of oil and gas companies, contractors, educational institutions and governments to develop competent, vocationally-trained employees for the industry. Education and training are increasingly viewed as part of the core business of oil and gas companies operating in today's high cost/high risk environment. This book will highlight the approaches which work and offer a framework against which future initiatives can be measured. This second book in the Getenergy Guides series explores nine cases studies from around the world and offers commentary on each case drawn from Getenergy's wealth of experience in uniting education and training providers and the upstream oil and gas industry on a global basis.
Efficient and equitable water, wastewater and stormwater management for the megacities is becoming an increasingly complex task. The special issue will focus on water management in its totality for megacities, including their technical, social, economic, legal, institutional and environmental dimensions through a series of specially invited case studies from different megacities of the world. At present, around one out of two of the earth's 6.3 billion people live in urban areas. Each year, the world population grows by around 80 millions. Practically all of this growth is urban, primarily due to migration. World's urban population is expected to reach 5 billion by 2030, which is nearly 2/3rd more than in 2000, and would mean that 60% of world's population will live in urban areas. The case studies analysed include some of the most interesting and challenging megacities of this planet, Dhaka, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Riyadh and Sao Paulo. They assess different aspects of how water is intermingled in the overall development milleau. The special issue will considers the magnitudes, nature and extent of the present and future challenges and how these could be meet in socially acceptable and cost-effective ways. The contributors are all acknowledged water experts from different parts of the world. This book was previously published as a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resource s Development.
Increasing world demands for water call for new institutions and rules to minimize economic and political conflicts. Growing water quality problems from industry and agriculture only further exacerbate supply problems. Such conflicts can jeopardize economic and, in some parts of the world, even social order. To help understand the benefits and pitfalls of possible alternative organizations, the contributors focus on local, interregional and international cases, using a variety of economic analysis methods. Practitioners, students, and scholars will find this work a valuable resource in water policy, environmental policy, resource economics, and civil engineering.
The discovery, just forty years ago, of vast oil and gas reserves in the Southwestern part of Norway, and more recently in the Arctic High North region, created an economic titan and posed a vast array of challenges for both the Norwegian government and the residents of this area. How to extract and transport all that oil and gas without despoiling the pristine environment? How to use this wealth in a socially responsible and sustainable way? How to prepare the rural High North citizens-traditionally fishermen and farmers-for a global, high-tech economy? Adopting an original narrative approach to qualitative research, this book tells the stories of 21 individuals either living or having a genuine interest in the High North, from mayors and entrepreneurs to farmers and fishermen. Through these first-hand meetings, it constructs an ethnographic study that reveals how petroleum and development have impacted on the regional economy and culture. This book will be of interest to all stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, and for students and scholars of organization studies, cultural and communication studies, environmental anthropology, natural resource management and sustainable development.
Using a multidisciplinary approach that draws on their in-depth experience in the fields of energy, environment, and economics, the authors develop a comprehensive analytical framework. They apply their methodology to four detailed studies of Sri Lanka's energy sector, illustrating how to address key energy and environmental policy issues found in many developing countries today. Supplementary case examples are presented which also draw on many other countries in Asia and Africa. The main energy-related areas discussed include electric power, new and renewable energy sources, transport and oil-based fuels, and greenhouse gas emissions. The methodological tools of energy and environmental economics provide a rational basis for identifying policy priorities, evaluating them, and developing more sustainable energy options. The results of the studies are presented in an integrated manner, and contribute to the practical resolution of many important public policy issues. How to deal with risk and uncertainty, and how to identify robust policy options, are major themes that run throughout the volume. Energy and environmental economists, and graduate students interested in an introduction to the analytical methods used in recent World Bank projects on renewable energy and sustainable development will find this book of great value, as will decision makers and policy analysts in developing countries.
This book addresses the fundamental issues underlying the debate over electric power regulation and deregulation. After decades of the presumption that the electric power industry was a natural monopoly, recent times have seen a trend of deregulation followed by panicked re-regulation. This important book critically analyses this controversial area from a legal and economic perspective.
Bialer focuses on Israel's attempts to ensure a regular oil supply in the first decade of it's existence. He reveals that its main problems derived from the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict which categorically influenced the stand of governments and international oil companies who held the keys to decision making. The author provides an analysis of the reciprocal relations between Israel and these players and clarifies the unique method which the state adopted in attempting to secure its oil supply.
Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project is a case study that aims to profile best practices for sustainable development, indigenous human rights, and conflict resolution. In 2003, a joint project was developed between the United Nations University of Peace and the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at Arcadia University to study the Boruca hydroelectrical conflict in Costa Rica. The aim was to bring together theory and practice and to reveal the link between peace and conflict resolution and sustainable development. Through partnerships with the Kan Tan Ecological Project and the indigenous communities in the region, and field studies to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and local Civil Society Organizations, faculty and students utilized the mediation framework to identify the needs and interests of the primary conflict stakeholders. Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project represents the culmination of this fieldwork and tests the mediation framework as suitable model for the resolution of environmental conflicts in Latin America. The Boruca project, proposed in the 1970s by the state-run corporation Instituto Costarricense De Electridad (ICE), will build a dam in the Boruca Canyon, changing the flow of the Terraba River and creating an artificial lake of 25.000 hectares. The largest of its kind in Central America, this project will generate approximately 1,500 megawatts and increase Costa Rica's energy production capability by as much as 50%. For ICE, not only will the project satisfy national electrical demand, it will also stimulate economic growth, assist in the development of new technological corridors and new tourism projects, increase employment opportunities, and improve the quality of life for indigenous peoples living in Boruca area. For the indigenous population, however, the project represents a violation of their fundamental human rights since it will force the relocation of 2,000 to 3,000 indigenous peoples, flood areas of archeological and cultural significance to them, and affect their livelihood due to the resulting changes in the biodiversity. They also fear the social and environmental impacts of more tourism in the area. The increasingly dysfunctional communication between the Boruca people and ICE over the past 30 years has led to a breakdown of trust and a stalling of the project's development. Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project follows these conflicts and the process by which the government-owned utility tried to find common ground between all stakeholders. Ultimately, it tests the mediation framework as an appropriate approach to the resolution of development conflicts, exploring the transferability of this approach to other countries in Latin America. This case study provides unique insights into Latin American environmental and development politics and will be of interest to any student, faculty, or policymaker looking to assess the mediation framework.
Water provides benefits as a commodity for agriculture, industry, and households, and as a public good such as fisheries habitat, water quality and recreational use. To aid in cost-benefit analysis under conditions where market determined price signals are usually unavailable, economists have developed a range of alternative valuation methods for measuring economic benefits. This volume provides the most comprehensive exposition to-date of the application of economic valuation methods to proposed water resources investments and policies. It provides a conceptual framework for valuation of both commodity and public good uses of water, addressing non-market valuation techniques appropriate to measuring public benefits - including water quality improvement, recreation, and fish habitat enhancement. The book describes the various measurement methods, illustrates how they are applied in practice, and discusses their strengths, limitations, and appropriate roles. In this second edition, all chapters have been thoroughly updated, and in particular the coverage of water markets and valuation of ecosystem services from water has been expanded. Robert Young, author of the 2005 edition, has been joined for this new edition by John Loomis, who brings additional expertise on ecosystem services and the environmental economics of water for recreational and other public good uses of water.
Water provides benefits as a commodity for agriculture, industry, and households, and as a public good such as fisheries habitat, water quality and recreational use. To aid in cost-benefit analysis under conditions where market determined price signals are usually unavailable, economists have developed a range of alternative valuation methods for measuring economic benefits. This volume provides the most comprehensive exposition to-date of the application of economic valuation methods to proposed water resources investments and policies. It provides a conceptual framework for valuation of both commodity and public good uses of water, addressing non-market valuation techniques appropriate to measuring public benefits - including water quality improvement, recreation, and fish habitat enhancement. The book describes the various measurement methods, illustrates how they are applied in practice, and discusses their strengths, limitations, and appropriate roles. In this second edition, all chapters have been thoroughly updated, and in particular the coverage of water markets and valuation of ecosystem services from water has been expanded. Robert Young, author of the 2005 edition, has been joined for this new edition by John Loomis, who brings additional expertise on ecosystem services and the environmental economics of water for recreational and other public good uses of water.
The catchment area of the Mekong River and its tributaries extends from China, through Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and to Vietnam. The water resources of the Mekong region - from the Irrawaddy and Nu-Salween in the west, across the Chao Phraya to the Lancang-Mekong and Red River in the east- are increasingly contested. Governments, companies, and banks are driving new investments in roads, dams, diversions, irrigation schemes, navigation facilities, power plants and other emblems of conventional 'development'. Their plans and interventions should provide some benefits, but also pose multiple burdens and risks to millions of people dependent on wetlands, floodplains and aquatic resources, in particular, the wild capture fisheries of rivers and lakes. This book examines how large-scale projects are being proposed, justified, and built. How are such projects contested and how do specific governance regimes influence decision making? The book also highlights the emergence of new actors, rights and trade-off debates, and the social and environmental consequences of 'water resources development'. This book shows how diverse, and often antagonistic, ideologies and interests are contesting for legitimacy. It argues that the distribution of decision-making, political, and discursive power influences how the waterscapes of the region will ultimately look and how benefits, costs and risks will be distributed. These issues are crucial for the transformation of waterscapes and the prospects for democratizing water governance in the Mekong region. The book is part of the action-research of the M-POWER (Mekong Program on Water, Environment and Resilience) knowledge network. Published with IFAD, CG|AR Challenge Program on Water & Food, M-POWER, Project ECHEL-EAU and HEINRICH BOLL STIFTUNG
Water Communication aims at setting a first general outlook at what communication on water means, who communicates and on what topics. Through different examples and based on different research and contributions, this book presents an original first overview of "water communication". It sets its academic value as one distinct scientific domain and provides tips and practical tools to professionals. The book contributes to avoid mixing messages, targets and discourses when setting communication related to water issues. The book facilitates coordination within the water sector and its organizations as water is a wide field of applications where inadequate words and language understanding between its stakeholders is one of the main obstacles today. Water Communication provides and describes: a general outlook and retrospective of the history of the water sector in terms of communication the landscape of organizations communicating on water and classification of topics the differences between communication, information, mediation, raising awareness examples of communication campaigns on water Water Communication is a vital resource for communication managers, utility managers, policy makers involved in water management and students in water sciences and environment. Colour figures from the book are available to view on the WaterWiki at: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/WaterCommunicationAnalysisofStrategiesandCampaignsfromtheWaterSector Editor: Celine Herve-Bazin, Celsa - Sorbonne University, Paris, France
Community Based Water Management and Social Capitalprovides scientific understanding of community based water management and how to secure responsible management to satisfy quality and quantity requirements. It shows how community based water management can be synchronized with public water service, by introducing the most recent field experiments and theoretical studies in economics, social science, engineering, and regional planning which include game theory, microeconomics, econometric, statistics, social network analysis, social choice, and micro finance. Six billion people in Asian countries suffer from water scarcity throughout developing countries in Africa, Pacific Islands, Central and South America and Central and Eastern Europe where they are in short supply of public water service.Community Based Water Management and Social Capital presents field experiments and theoretical studies in economics, social science, engineering, and regional planning to investigate important questions: what motives people involve in voluntary water management what is the effect of participatory approach in water management how does social capital work in the voluntary actions what are key factors for effective governance for water management with diverse actors - local people, enterprise, and government; what is necessary for proper water allocation; vi) how to synchronize public water service with community based water management. The book provides students, researchers, practitioners and governments with a comprehensive account of the current situation and perspectives on voluntary water management. It delivers a new scientific understanding on sustainable water management schemes and appropriate institutional social structures to secure inalienable rights to access to water.
The third background report in the New Energy, New Geopolitics series, this report examines the dramatic increase in the production of shale gas and light tight oil in the United States and suggests possible energy scenarios and strategies could emerge from the unconventional revolution. This report pairs with the original "New Energy, New Geopolitics" report and two other background reports, all available from Rowman & Littlefield: New Energy, New Geopolitics: Balancing Stability and Leverage New Energy, New Geopolitics: Background Report 1: Energy Impacts New Energy, New Geopolitics: Background Report 2: Geopolitical and National Security Impacts
Examining the reform and restructuring of the electricity industry in China, India and Russia, this book explores the way that local conditions and institutions shape the commitment, direction and speed of public utility reform in the three countries. It questions the validity of the argument that one model for electricity reforms will work in all countries, on the grounds that the industry is the same everywhere, by examining the World Bank's involvement in economic reforms in developing and transition economies. The author asks how the template developed by the World Bank has affected the three countries and seeks to explain why changes took place, how effectively they have been proceeding, and what the consequences are for these countries. In so doing, Electricity Reform in China, India and Russia challenges both the assumption behind the new reform paradigm - that market competition is the panacea for all the ills of the electricity industry - and the oft-cited belief that a single template can work in different environments. China, India and Russia have different political and economic systems and at different development stages. Xu Yi-chong uses the experience of the three countries to illustrate the complications created by the use of a single template, a policy encouraged by the World Bank, to direct reform and the need to appreciate the different problems that each had to overcome. Academics and students who are interested in comparative politics, comparative economics, public policy and particularly the reform of public utilities will find this work of great interest, as will practitioners and those who are involved in restructuring the electricity industry worldwide.
This publication examines the critical issues surrounding water security (water shortage, water excess, inadequate water quality, the resilience of freshwater systems), providing a rationale for a risk-based approach and the management of trade-offs between water and other (sectoral and environmental) policies. The report sets out a three-step process to "know", "target" and "manage" water risks: (1) appraising the risks, (2) judging the tolerability and acceptability of risks and weighing risk-risk trade-offs, and (3) calibrating appropriate responses. The publication provides policy analysis and guidance on the use of market-based instruments and the complex links between water security and other policy objectives, such as food security, energy security, climate mitigation and biodiversity protection.
The book reveals the changing dynamics of the helium industry on both the supply-side and the demand-side. The helium industry has a long-term future and this important gas will have a role to play for many decades to come. Major new users of helium are expected to enter the market, especially in nuclear energy (both fission and fusion). Prices and volumes supplied and expected to rise and this will prompt greater efforts towards the development of new helium sources and helium conservation and recycling.
This new volume covers the important issues related to environmental emissions from SI and CI engines as well as their formation and various pollution mitigation techniques. The book addresses aspects of improvements in engine modification, such as design modifications for enhanced performance, both with conventional fuels as well as with new and alternative fuels. It also explores some new combustion concepts that will help to pave the way for complying with new emission concepts. Alternative fuels are addressed in this volume to help mitigate harmful emissions, and alternative power sources for automobiles are also discussed briefly to cover the switch over from fueled engines to electrics, including battery-powered electric vehicles and fuel cells. The authors explain the different technologies available to date to overcome the limitations of conventional prime movers (fueled by both fossil fuels and alternative fuels). Topics examined include: * Engine modifications needed to limit harmful emissions * The use of engine after-treatment devices to contain emissions * The development of new combustion concepts * Adoption of alternative fuels in existing engines * Switching over to electrics-advantages and limitations * Specifications of highly marketed automobiles * Emission measurement methods
The first in the Routledge Television Guidebooks series, Science Fiction TV offers an introduction to the versatile and evolving genre of science fiction television, combining historical overview with textual readings to analyze its development and ever-increasing popularity. J. P. Telotte discusses science fiction's cultural progressiveness and the breadth of its technological and narrative possibilities, exploring SFTV from its roots in the pulp magazines and radio serials of the 1930s all the way up to the present. From formative series like Captain Video to contemporary, cutting-edge shows like Firefly and long-lived popular revivals such as Doctor Who and Star Trek, Telotte insightfully tracks the history and growth of this crucial genre, along with its dedicated fandom and special venues, such as the Syfy Channel. In addition, each chapter features an in-depth exploration of a range of key historical and contemporary series, including: -Captain Video and His Video Rangers -The Twilight Zone -Battlestar Galactica -Farscape -Fringe Incorporating a comprehensive videography, discussion questions, and a detailed bibliography for additional reading, J. P. Telotte has created a concise yet thought-provoking guide to SFTV, a book that will appeal not only to dedicated science fiction fans but to students of popular culture and media as well. |
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