Michael Welsh – författare

`...an extremely important text both for those who are students and practitioners of EU politics and those who are just interested bystanders. Moreover, because Michael Welsh leavens the sometimes indigestible subject-matter of EU institutional affairs with personal observation and anecdote, it is also one of the clearest and most readable texts around on Europe's institutions. I thoroughly recommend it.' - Sir Leon Brittan Europe United? is written for students and general readers who need basic information about the structure and competences of the European Union. It sets out to de-mystify the subject by explaining treaty provisions in plain language. This is an insider's account which sets out to show that the European Union is far from boring and impenetrable. Indeed the clashes between the member states and Brussels are the stuff of political drama and involve great passion and commitment on the part of those involved.

`...an extremely important text both for those who are students and practitioners of EU politics and those who are just interested bystanders. Moreover, because Michael Welsh leavens the sometimes indigestible subject-matter of EU institutional affairs with personal observation and anecdote, it is also one of the clearest and most readable texts around on Europe's institutions. I thoroughly recommend it.' - Sir Leon Brittan Europe United? is written for students and general readers who need basic information about the structure and competences of the European Union. It sets out to de-mystify the subject by explaining treaty provisions in plain language. This is an insider's account which sets out to show that the European Union is far from boring and impenetrable. Indeed the clashes between the member states and Brussels are the stuff of political drama and involve great passion and commitment on the part of those involved.

This text uses case studies of the effects of deregulation on the US air and rail industries and the United Kingdom nuclear power industry as a basis for identifying likely impacts of electricity deregulation on safety of the US commercial nuclear power industry. Effects of Deregulation on Safety provides a comprehensive overview of the safety experiences of these three case study industries and their implications for the US nuclear power industry. The treatment of the subject is not highly technical, and hence is accessible to a wide range of readers with interests in the subject matter. The book draws on literature from roughly 250 references, ranging from brief news articles to book-length studies of deregulation in a particular industry, as well as original in-depth interviews with representatives of all three case study industries. This wealth of empirical background information allows the book to go beyond mere speculation about the possible adverse safety consequences of deregulation, to identify situations in which particular adverse safety consequences actually occurred.The experience of the case study industries indicates that economic deregulation need not be incompatible with a reasonable safety record, especially in those aspects of safety that are positively related to productivity. But that safety also cannot be taken for granted after deregulation. Careful management attention is needed in order to avoid the types of safety problems that were associated with deregulation in the case study industries.

Effects of Deregulation on Safety provides a comprehensive overview of the safety experiences of these three case study industries and their implications for the U.S. nuclear power industry. The treatment of the subject is not highly technical, and hence is accessible to a wide range of readers with interests in the subject matter. The book draws on literature from roughly 250 references, ranging from brief news articles to book-length studies of deregulation in a particular industry, as well as original in-depth interviews with representatives of all three case study industries.This wealth of empirical background information allows the book to go beyond mere speculation about the possible adverse safety consequences of deregulation, to identify situations in which particular adverse safety consequences actually occurred. The experience of the case study industries indicates that economic deregulation need not be incompatible with a reasonable safety record, especially in those aspects of safety that are positively related to productivity. But that safety also cannot be taken for granted after deregulation. Careful management attention is needed in order to avoid the types of safety problems that were associated with deregulation in the case study industries.

Known as a place of stark beauty, dramatic geographic dimension, and challenging desert terrain, Big Bend National Park is located in West Texas on the north bank of the Rio Grande, adjacent to the Mexican states of Coahuila and Chihuahua. Although a place of natural grandeur, the unique location of this 118-mile long, 1.5 million-acre corridor has led to many challenges between the United States and Mexico, two nations who share one ecosystem but inhabit different political worlds.Big Bend National Park explores the cultural and diplomatic history of this transborder region that was designated a national park on the US side and the site of a long-hoped-for "international peace park" on the other. Michael Welsh demonstrates the challenges faced and lessons learned by both the US and Mexico as they struggled against political and environmental vicissitudes in their attempts to realize the creation of a shared frontier.Geopolitical and environmental conflicts such as Cold War fears, immigration, the war on drugs, international water rights, and more stringent American border security measures after 9/11 all hindered relations between the two countries. But more recently, renewed cooperation and ongoing diplomatic relations have led to new developments. Mexican park personnel began assisting American officials with efforts to re-wild the American side of the river with animal species that had been eliminated, and the Obama administration relaxed some post-9/11 restrictions, allowing American visitors to cross over to the Mexican park and its nearby towns.The ambition of developing a park for peace has yet to materialize, even as individuals and their governments continue to work toward an accord. Big Bend National Park provides a greater understanding of this complex borderland and hopes to help fulfill the aspiration of creating a shared ecosystem and the dream of a park for peace.