Brian Black tells the cultural and environmental history of Oil Creek Valley in Pennsylvania, and investigates the relations among oil production, industrialization, and local residents.

Timothy Silver explores the long and complicated history of the Black Mountains, drawing on both the historical record and his experience as a backpacker and fly fisherman.

Sir Crispin Tickell scans what industrial countries can and have to do in order to give a lead in global arrangements to alleviate economic and ecological problems.

A collection of essays examining the tortured environmental history of Pittsburgh, a region blessed with an abundance of natural resources as well as a history of intensive industrial development.