Crude conservation: nature, pollution, and technology at Standard Oil's New Jersey refineries, 1870-2000

“Crude Conservation: Nature, Pollution, and Technology at Standard Oil’s New Jersey Refineries, 1870-2000” investigates the complex environmental and technological histories of petroleum refining. I explore how two of Standard Oil’s refineries—located in Bayonne and Linden, New Jersey, each operating for over one hundred years—contributed significantly to the social changes wrought by oil. Since the late nineteenth century, oil has profoundly altered almost all aspects of modern American life. However, many Americans are insulated from direct exposure to the negative consequences of its use, such as environmental degradation and climate change. Oil refining itself is often overlooked in a growing literature on the history of energy, yet refineries are central to transforming crude oil into petroleum products. Refineries and processes of material transformation are significant in exploring oil’s social and environmental consequences. I examine Standard Oil of New Jersey’s history pollution, its refinery conservation methods, and its public relations rhetoric of scientific, technological, and environmental expertise. I argue the company constructed a reputation for expertise that allowed it to join and ultimately shape debates over what to do about oil pollution. Standard Oil of New Jersey worked hard to convince Americans that it was not creating, but rather solving, environmental problems.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Raechel Lut