| Description |
xv, 226 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-223). |
| Contents |
Introduction -- How "normal" came to be -- Why a renewable world will be different -- pt. I. The context : it's all about energy -- 1. Energy 101 -- What is energy? -- Laws of thermodynamics -- Net energy -- Life cycle impacts -- Operational versus embodied energy -- Energy resource criteria -- 2. A quick look at our current energy system -- Growth -- Energy rich, energy poor -- Energy resources -- End use -- pt. II. Energy supply in a renewable world : opportunities and challenges -- 3. Renewable electricity: falling costs, variability, and scaling challenges -- Price is less of a barrier -- Intermittency -- Storage -- Grid redesign -- Demand management -- Capacity redundancy -- Scaling challenges -- Lessons from Spain and Germany --- Pushback against wind and solar -- 4. Transportation : the substitution challenge -- Electrification -- Biofuels -- Hydrogen -- Natural gas -- Sails and kites -- A less mobile all-renewable future -- 5. Other uses of fossil fuels : the substitution challenge continues -- High-temperature heat for industrial processes -- Low-temperature heat -- Fossil fuels for plastics, chemicals, and other materials -- Where's our stuff? -- 6. Energy supply : how much will we have? how much will we need? -- Energy returned on energy invested of renewables -- Building solar and wind with solar and wind -- Investment requirements -- The efficiency opportunity : we may not need as much energy -- Energy intensity -- The role of curtailment and the problem of economic growth -- 7. What about ...? -- Nuclear power -- Carbon capture and storage -- Massive technology improvements -- |
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pt. III. Preparing for our renewable future -- 8. Energy and justice -- Energy and equity in the least industrialized countries -- Energy and equity in rapidly industrializing nations -- Energy and equity in highly industrialized countries -- Policy frameworks for enhancing justice while cutting carbon -- 9. What government can do -- Support for an overall switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy -- Support for research and development of ways to use renewables to power more industrial processes and transport -- Conservation of fossil fuels for essential purposes -- Support for energy conservation in general : efficiency and curtailment -- Better greenhouse gas accounting -- 10. What we the people can do -- Individuals and households -- Communities -- Climate and environmental groups, and their funders -- 11. What we learned -- We really need a plan : no, lots of them -- Scale is the biggest challenge -- It's not all about solar and wind -- We must begin preadapting to having less energy -- Consumerism is a problem, not a solution -- Population growth makes everything harder -- Fossil fuels are too valuable to allocate solely by the market -- Everything is connected -- This really does change everything. |
| Summary |
"Over the next few decades, we will see a profound energy transformation as society shifts from fossil fuels to renewable resources like solar, wind, biomass. But what might a one hundred percent renewable future actually look like, and what obstacles will we face in this transition? Authors explore the practical challenges and opportunities presented by the shift to renewable energy."--Page 4 of cover. |
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"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."--Publisher's description. |
| Subject |
Clean energy.
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Renewable resource integration.
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Renewable energy sources.
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Clean energy. (OCoLC)fst01920487
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Renewable energy sources. (OCoLC)fst01094570
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Renewable resource integration. (OCoLC)fst01910116
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BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Energy.
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SCIENCE / Energy.
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SCIENCE / Global Warming & Climate Change.
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TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Power Resources.
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| Added Author |
Fridley, David, 1956- author.
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Post Carbon Institute, issuing body.
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| Added Title |
Laying the path for 100% clean energy |
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Laying the path for hundred percent clean energy |
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Laying the path for one hundred percent clean energy |
| ISBN |
9781610917797 (paperback) |
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1610917790 (paperback) |
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9781610917803 (electronic) |
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