As the demand for global energy increases, fact-based evaluations of alternative energy sources are needed in order to address the growing interest in how energy is produced, provided, and transported in sustainable ways. Future Energy, Second Edition provides scientists and decision makers with the knowledge they need to understand the relative importance and magnitude of various energy production methods in order to make the energy decisions needed for sustaining development and dealing with climate change. The second edition of Future Energy looks at the present energy situation and extrapolates to future scenarios related to global warming and the increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This thoroughly revised and updated edition contains over 30 chapters on all aspects of future energy, each chapter updated and expanded by expert scientists and engineers in their respective fields providing an unbiased and balanced view of the future of energy. Provides readers with an up-to-date overview of available energy options, both traditional and renewable, as well as the necessary tools to make informed decisions regarding selection, use, and environmental impacts. Covers a wide spectrum of future energy resources presented in a single book with chapters written by experts of the particular field Eleven new chapters including chapters on: solar heating, energy resources in developing nations and frontiers in oil and gas, Arctic drilling and unconventional oil and gas sources, thorium in nuclear fission, ethanol and other options for future transport fuel, fracking, smart grids, new batteries, environmental issues and the energy options for China
It's time for a new approach to environmentalism that focuses on practical solutions rather than problems and speaks to ordinary citizens in simple terms. This clear, positive, and non-partisan guidebook offers Top 10 lists that will help individuals and organizations save money while taking aim at the source of most of our carbon emissions. Reviewing proven and unproven technologies and government programs, it explores opportunities for homeowners, governments, corporations, media, and others. While BF Nagy evaluates clean technology progress to date, he does not dwell on doom and gloom, seek to shame or scold, or propose unlikely overnight lifestyle upheavals. Instead he prioritizes everyday actions and reviews the paybacks and effectiveness of clean building technologies and vehicles, government/utility incentives, and finance structures. Organized for both quick reference and deep dives into the nuts and bolts of saving the plant from environmental ruin, The Clean Energy Age contains specific sections for individuals and organizations using appropriate language and exploring current trends and issues for homeowners, regional and local governments, small businesses, large corporations, investors, politicians, civil servants, urban planners, media people, entertainers, teachers, transportation people, medical professionals, manufacturers, farmers, and others. In addition to technology and government programs it reviews current clean tech business and economic realities and insights into what we can expect in the future. It explores electric vehicles, net-zero smart homes, the Internet of things, smart grids, solar, wind, and geothermal. Each Top 10 list offers detailed explanations as well as a simple, summary format. Other chapters on buildings, electricity, transportation, investment, business, politics & economics, government, and unproven technologies, provide support for the information found in the Top 10 lists and success stories accumulated during consultations with clean technology, government and business specialists. Organized for easy-access by people in different segments, there is something for everyone looking to combat climate change in these pages.
One of GreenBiz's Six Best Sustainability Books of 2016 The next few decades will see a profound energy transformation throughout the world. By the end of the century (and perhaps sooner), we will shift from fossil fuel dependence to rely primarily on renewable sources like solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal power. Driven by the need to avert catastrophic climate change and by the depletion of easily accessible oil, coal, and natural gas, this transformation will entail a major shift in how we live. What might a 100% renewable future look like? Which technologies will play a crucial role in our energy future? What challenges will we face in this transition? And how can we make sure our new system is just and equitable? In Our Renewable Future, energy expert Richard Heinberg and scientist David Fridley explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the shift to renewable energy. Beginning with a comprehensive overview of our current energy system, the authors survey issues of energy supply and demand in key sectors of the economy, including electricity generation, transportation, buildings, and manufacturing. In their detailed review of each sector, the authors examine the most crucial challenges we face, from intermittency in fuel sources to energy storage and grid redesign. The book concludes with a discussion of energy and equity and a summary of key lessons and steps forward at the individual, community, and national level. The transition to clean energy will not be a simple matter of replacing coal with wind power or oil with solar; it will require us to adapt our energy usage as dramatically as we adapt our energy sources. Our Renewable Future is a clear-eyed and urgent guide to this transformation that will be a crucial resource for policymakers and energy activists.
Researchers, politicians and lay persons around the world agree that renewable energy technologies will play an increasingly important role in strengthening national economies in the future. The renewable energy industry has the potential to significantly increase power capacity of several countries and subsequently create many jobs. This book examines recent advances in specific renewable energy systems. Readers will learn about theoretical and applied perspectives which are key to addressing the major issues associated with such systems. Chapters cover solar energy systems, thermal energy storage, bioenergy, hydrogen production, geothermal energy and measurement techniques for these energy systems. Students in engineering programs, and engineers working in academia and the renewable energy sector will be able to broaden their understanding of complex renewable energy projects through the comprehensive overview of both the fundamental concepts and the technical issues covered in the text.
Essential, visionary essays about our post-carbon future Climate change, along with the depletion of oil, coal, and gas dictate that we will inevitably move away from our profound societal reliance on fossil fuels; but just how big a transformation will this be? While many policy-makers assume that renewable energy sources will provide an easy "plug-and-play" solution, author Richard Heinberg suggests instead that we are in for a wild ride; a "civilization reboot" on a scale similar to the agricultural and industrial revolutions. Afterburn consists of 15 essays exploring various aspects of the 21st century migration away from fossil fuels including: Short-term political and economic factors that impede broad-scale, organized efforts to adapt The origin of longer-term trends (such as consumerism), that have created a way of life that seems "normal" to most Americans, but is actually unprecedented, highly fragile, and unsustainable Potential opportunities and sources of conflict that are likely to emerge. From the inevitability and desirability of more locally organized economies, to the urgent need to preserve our recent cultural achievements and the futility of pursuing economic growth above all, Afterburn offers cutting-edge perspectives and insights that challenge conventional thinking about our present, our future, and the choices in our hands. AWARDS FINALIST | 2015 Foreword INDIES: Essays