The Renaissance of Renewable EnergyThis book provides detailed yet easily understandable information about sustainable energy alternatives in the context of growing public concern about climate change, the impending fuel crisis and environmental degradation. It deals with the history of energy use and the factors that have led to the current interest in energy alternatives, and assesses the chance of renewable energy replacing fossil fuels in the future. The authors manage to make a highly complex and often intimidating subject not only accessible but also engaging and entertaining. This book unpacks but never simplifies the science of energy, leavening the more technical passages with anecdotes, metaphors, examples and imagery. By also dealing with the history, politics and economics of energy use, it offers both scientific and non-scientific readers a deeper understanding of the most important issue of our age. |
Contents
Where Does Energy Come From? | 26 |
How Much Energy Is Enough? | 45 |
How Energy Is Produced | 69 |
The Politics and Economics of Energy | 171 |
The Price of Energy Consumption | 189 |
Energy from My Backyard | 232 |
References | 273 |
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agriculture animal Arvizu atoms Biello biodiesel Bioenergy bioethanol biofuels biogas biomass capacity carbon dioxide cells century chemical China climate change coal combustion commercial concentrated consumed converted costs countries crops Earth economic ecosystems efficiency electricity emissions energy consumption energy production energy sources energy supply engine environmental EROI ethanol Europe exajoules extraction Figure fossil fuels geothermal energy geothermal power global energy grid human hydroelectric hydrogen hydropower impact increase industrial installed kilometres kilowatt-hours land megawatts methane metres million molecules natural gas nuclear power pollution power plants power stations primary energy projects pumped PV plant released renewable energy roughly scenario Scientific American sector silicon Smil solar energy solar power solar PV solar thermal steam storage stored sustainable temperature tion tonnes transport U.S. dollars United uranium waste Wikimedia Commons wind farms wind power wind turbines wood