A Field PhilosopherS Guide To Fracking How One Texas Town Stood Up To Big Oil And Gas

Product Descriptionfrom The Front Lines Of The Fracking Debate, A Field Philosopher Exploresone Of Our Most Divisive Technologies.When Philosophy Professor Adam Briggle Moved To Denton, Texas,He Had Never Heard Of Fracking. Less Than Three Years Later He Wouldsuccessfully Lead A Citizens Initiative To Ban Hydraulic Fracturing Indenton-The First Texas Town To Challenge The Oil And Gas Industry.On His Journey To Learn About Fracking And Its Effect On Communities,He Leaped From The Ivory Tower Into The Fray.In Beautifully Narrated Chapters, Briggle Brings Us To Town Hall Debatesand Neighborhood Meetings Where Citizens Wrestle With Issues Few Fullyunderstand. Is Fracking Safe? How Does It Affect The Local Economy?Why Are Bakeries Prohibited In Neighborhoods While Gas Wells Arepermitted Next To Playgrounds? In His Quest To Answer Such Questions,Our Field Philosopher Turns From Policy Advisor To Activist.Granting Aninsider Look At The Struggle Between Citizen And Industry, Briggle Givesus A Completely New Way To Think About The Politics Of Innovation.Reviewambitious. Briggle Excels In The Abstract. His Ability To Apply Philosophic Treatises From Socrates To Hobbes To Kant To The Dilemma Of The Oil And Gas Boom Sweeping This Country Is Admirable. [He] Is Lucid In Describing A System That By AnyoneS Analysis Favors The Rights Of Those Who Own The Oil And Gas Beneath The Ground Over Those Who Live Atop It.-James Osborne, Dallas Morning Newsout Of The University And Into The Streets, Briggle Brings The Practice Of Field Philosophy To The Question Of Whether Fracking Is Feckless Or FeasibleIt Is A Fraught Story, But Briggle Tells It Warmly And Cogently, Exploring Both The Interpersonal Relationships Involved And Some Of The Geological Science Behind Fracking.-Kirkus Reviews, Starred Reviewin This Blunt Yet Hopeful Chronology, Briggle Confers With Scientists, Engineers, Policy Makers, And Fellow Citizens To Gain A Broad Overview Of Fracking. BriggleS Philosophical Framing Of The Conversation Sets His Work Apart And Helps Provide Further Insight On This Divisive Topic.-Publishers Weeklythis Rousing Account Of A Great PeopleS Victory Is Also The Occasion For Some Real Reflection About The Mad Push Forward Now Degrading The Planet In Deep And Desperate Ways.-Bill Mckibben, Author Of Deep Economyas Extreme Energy Extraction Moves Next To Backyards And Playgrounds, Where Do We Draw The Line Between Reasonable Risk And Recklessness? You Owe It To Your Children And Your Grandchildren To Read This Book.-Helen Slottje, Architect Of The New York State Fracking Ban And Winner Of The Goldman Environmental Prizebriggle Offers A Compelling Look At The Environmental Issues And A Broader Look At Citizen Engagement In Ethics And Social Policy.-Vanessa Bush, Booklistthrough The Story Of Denton And His Theory Of Innovation, Briggle Shows Us How The Texas Government Is A Subsidiary Of Oil And Gas Corporate Interests, Not A Government Of, By, Or For The People.-Lon Burnham, Former Representative For Texas House District 90Briggle Beautifully Captures How The Mad Rush To Drill And Frack This Country Has Led To One Of The Fastest-Growing Grassroots Movements In American History. When We Finally Ban Fracking Across The World, It Will Be Because Strong Communities Like Denton, Texas, Showed Us The Way.-Josh Fox, Director Of Gasland And Gasland 2About The Authoradam Briggle Teaches Philosophy At The University Of North Texas In Denton, Where He Also Serves On A Citizens Advisory Group. He Contributes To Slate, Truthout, And Other Publications. His Work And The Denton Story Have Been Featured In The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Bbc, Npr, Washington Post, And Newsweek.