Download or read book The Power of Renewables written by Chinese Academy of Engineering and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-01-29 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States and China are the world's top two energy consumers and, as of 2010, the two largest economies. Consequently, they have a decisive role to play in the world's clean energy future. Both countries are also motivated by related goals, namely diversified energy portfolios, job creation, energy security, and pollution reduction, making renewable energy development an important strategy with wide-ranging implications. Given the size of their energy markets, any substantial progress the two countries make in advancing use of renewable energy will provide global benefits, in terms of enhanced technological understanding, reduced costs through expanded deployment, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional generation from fossil fuels. Within this context, the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals. Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable.

Download or read book Energy and Environmental Concerns 2006 written by National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-09-27 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The generation of electricity by wind energy has the potential to reduce environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels. Although the use of wind energy to generate electricity is increasing rapidly in the United States, government guidance to help communities and developers evaluate and plan proposed wind-energy projects is lacking. Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects offers an analysis of the environmental benefits and drawbacks of wind energy, along with an evaluation guide to aid decision-making about projects. It includes a case study of the mid-Atlantic highlands, a mountainous area that spans parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. This book will inform policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels.

Download or read book Electricity from Renewable Resources written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-04-05 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A component in the America's Energy Future study, Electricity from Renewable Resources examines the technical potential for electric power generation with alternative sources such as wind, solar-photovoltaic, geothermal, solar-thermal, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources. The book focuses on those renewable sources that show the most promise for initial commercial deployment within 10 years and will lead to a substantial impact on the U.S. energy system. A quantitative characterization of technologies, this book lays out expectations of costs, performance, and impacts, as well as barriers and research and development needs. In addition to a principal focus on renewable energy technologies for power generation, the book addresses the challenges of incorporating such technologies into the power grid, as well as potential improvements in the national electricity grid that could enable better and more extensive utilization of wind, solar-thermal, solar photovoltaics, and other renewable technologies.

Download or read book U S Health in International Perspective written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-04-12 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

Download or read book Understanding Environmental Policy written by Steven Cohen and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-06-03 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first edition of this pragmatic course text emphasized the policy value of a "big picture" approach to the ethical, political, technological, scientific, economic, and management aspects of environmental issues. The text then applied this approach to real-world case examples involving leaks in underground storage tanks, toxic waste cleanup, and the effects of global climate change. This second edition demonstrates the ongoing effectiveness of the book's framework in generating meaningful action and policy solutions to current environmental issues. The text adds case examples concerning congestion taxes, e-waste, hydrofracking, and recent developments in global climate change, updating references and other materials throughout and incorporating the political and policy changes of the Obama administration's first term and developments in national and global environmental issues.

Download or read book Energy Law and the Environment written by Rosemary Lyster and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-08-31 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unsustainable practices worldwide in energy production and consumption have led to a plethora of environmental problems. Until recently environmental law largely overlooked the relevance of energy production and consumption; energy was seen to be of little significance to the advancement of sustainable development. This has changed since 2000 with the global concern attached to climate change, the publication by the United Nations of the World Energy Assessment and the detailed consideration given to this issue at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. Australia has been seen to be lagging behind the other major industrialised nations of the world in addressing sustainable energy issues. This book was first published in 2006.

Download or read book The Green Industrial Revolution written by Woodrow W. Clark II and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2014-11-26 with total page 589 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new green industrial revolution is driven by a variety of global environmental concerns. In some regions, it is spurred by the scarcity of cheap affordable renewable energy that will also lead to a reduced reliance on fossil fuel in the production of power. In others, it is driven by a need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power generation. This book provides a comprehensive review of the most popular green “disruptive technologies in energy production as well as their economic impact. In addition, the book includes a multitude of international case studies where these technologies are currently deployed and their economic impact on the region. Clearly explains the scientific, engineering, technological, and economics driving the Green Revolution in power generation A guide to technologies such as renewable energy, smart green grids, and emission control technologies Packed with international case studies that provides real-world examples of how these technologies are currently being deployed around the world Explains the economic impact which these new technologies will play in building global sustainability

Download or read book Energy Security written by Carlos Pascual and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy security has become a top priority issue for the United States and countries around the globe, but what does the term "energy security" really mean? For many it is assuring the safe supply and transport of energy as a matter of national security. For others it is developing and moving toward sustainable and low-carbon energy sources to avoid environmental catastrophe, while still others prioritize affordability and abundance of supply. The demand for energy has ramifications in every part of the globe—from growing demand in Asia, to the pursuit of reserves in Latin America and Africa, to the increased clout of energy-producing states such as Russia and Iran. Yet the fact remains that the vast majority of global energy production still comes from fossil fuels, and it will take a thorough understanding of the interrelationships of complex challenges—finite supply, environmental concerns, political and religious conflict, and economic volatility—to develop policies that will lead to true energy security. In E nergy Security, Brookings scholars present a realistic, cross-disciplinary look at the American and global quests for energy security within the context of these geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges. For example, political analysts Pietro Nivola and Erin Carter wrap their arms around just what is means to be "energy independent" and whether that is an advisable or even feasible goal. Suzanne Maloney addresses "Energy Security in the Persian Gulf: Opportunities and Challenges," while economist Jason Bordoff and energy analyst Bryan Mignone trace the links between climate policies and energy-access policies. Carlos Pascual and his colleagues examine delicate geopolitical issues. Assuring long-term energy security remains one of the industrialized world's most pressing priorities, but steps in that direction have been controversial and often dangerous, and results thus far have been tenuous. In this insightful volume, Brookings

Download or read book Controversial Issues in Energy Policy written by Alfred A. Marcus and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1992-09-03 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A key long-term challenge faced by the United States and other leading world economies is breaking the link between economic growth and oil consumption. The energy price shocks of 1973 and 1979 showed the fragility of these dependent relationships and their impact on world politics. Alfred Marcus ably examines U.S. energy policymaking and reveals both the shortcomings and failures--as well as the surprising successes--of past energy-policy efforts. Following a review of events that transpired in the Persian Gulf after August, 1990, Marcus examines worldwide trends in energy production/consumption since the first energy-supply crisis of 1973. Ensuing chapters discuss the economics and politics of energy policy, the role(s) of markets and governments, and parts played by supplier and user nations from countries to cartels. Unique to this text is Marcus's review of U.S. policies and reactions to energy shortages as compared with the experiences of other major consuming nations (Japan, France, and Great Britain). At a time when energy policy is among the most important issues in world politics, Controversial Issues in Energy Policy skillfully outlines new and enduring issues of energy policy for academics and students in public policy, political science, public administration, and economics, as well as policy makers. "Marcus provides a valuable insight into the dynamics of policy and politics around a vitally important resource." --Political Studies Association

Download or read book Offshore Wind Energy written by Julia Köller and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-11-22 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides the only compendium of the research efforts of the German Federal Republic for the development of offshore wind energy that summarizes the main findings of German accompanying research. The main objective of the book is to show the relevance of the new results and realizations of the research projects for the planning and permission process for offshore wind energy plants.

Download or read book Energy Sustainability and the Environment written by Fereidoon Sioshansi and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2011-06-02 with total page 641 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The complexity of carbon reduction and economic sustainability is significantly complicated by competing aspects of socioeconomic practices as well as legislative, regulatory, and scientific requirements and protocols. An easy to read and understand guide, Sioshansi, along with an international group of contributors, moves through the maze of carbon reduction methods and technologies, providing steps and insights to meet carbon reduction requirements and maintaining the health and welfare of the firm. The book’s three part treatment is based on a clear and rigorous exposition of a wide range of options to reduce the carbon footprint Part 1 of the book, Challenge of Sustainability, examines the fundamental drivers of energy demand – economic growth, the need for basic energy services, and the interdependence of economic, political, environmental, social, equity, legacy and policy issues. Part 2 of the book, Technological Solutions, examines how energy can be used to support basic energy service needs of homes, commercial and industrial facilities and for other applications. Part 3 of the book, case studies, covers a number of innovative projects, initiatives, concepts or self-imposed targets in different parts of the world with the aim of significantly reducing energy use and carbon footprint of a company, a community, a city or an entire country. There was a widespread recognition among environmental engineers and energy economist of the importance of carbon reduction while sustaining the firm’s economic growth. The only book to bring together both subjects into one easy to understand reference, Carbon Reduction and Economic Sustainability not only clearly explains which option has the lowest energy/carbon footprint but also which option would better suit the business in question. This includes carbon reduction for residential, transport, industrial and public sectors. The only book to clearly explain the economic and environmental engineering aspects of carbon reduction. Case studies taken from a number of international projects. Carbon reduction options for all sectors of society. The role of the planning system in carbon reduction.

Download or read book Energy and Climate Change written by David Coley and published by . This book was released on 2008-05-27 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Energy and Climate Change' provides an introduction to the subject examining the relationship between energy and our global environment. The book covers the fundamentals of the subject, discussing what energy is, why it is important, as well as the detrimental effect on the environment following our use of energy.

Download or read book Gilberton Coal to clean Fuels and Power Project written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 690 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Climate Change written by Great Britain: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2006-03-28 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This programme sets out the Government's policies and priorities for action on climate change in the UK and internationally. The first section examines the nature and scale of the challenge posed by climate change. It describes the existing international framework for action, including the G8 and EU meetings and resulting plans of action. The Government intends to build on these developments, and also try to influence the rapidly growing economies of India, China, Brazil and others so that they evolve as low-carbon economies. The major part of the report is concerned with the UK's attempt to deliver the Kyoto Protocol target of reducing emissions of six greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent below base year levels over the 2008-2012 period, and also the domestic goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010. Projections indicate that CO2 reduction by 2010 will only be some 10.6 per cent below the 1990 level. Sections on the UK emission inventory and projections, the strategy to reduce emissions, and the energy supply sector, are followed by chapters covering particular economic sectors: business; transport, domestic; agriculture and forestry; the public sector. Among policies outlined here are: encouragement of microgeneration and renewable sources of energy; investigation of carbon capture and storage; support for energy efficiency in business, local and central government; increase uptake of biofuels; include aviation in the emissions trading scheme for the EU from 2008; raise energy standards of new and refurbished buildings; introduce the Code for Sustainable Homes; strengthen consumer demand for energy efficiency. The Government also sets out its approach to encourage personal action, as citizens, consumers, motorists and business people. Provision of better information to the public, including an online service on the environmental impact of everyday products and services, will be supplemented by a plan for action on sustainable consumption by the end of 2006.

Download or read book Policy Networks Environmental Impacts and Economic Consequences of Clean Energy in the U S written by Hongtao Yi and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ABSTRACT: This dissertation contributes to the public policy literature by examining energy policy in the U.S. In a three paper format, this dissertation investigates different dimensions of energy policy. First, it covers both policy process and policy analysis. Second, it covers different levels of governance in the U.S. All three levels of governance, national, state and local levels, are covered in this study. Third, it examines different aspects of energy policy, including network interactions among policy actors, environmental impacts and growth of green jobs. In the first paper, I investigate the formation of networks among the clean energy NGOs in the U.S. With network data collected on the hyperlinks from the websites of these NGOs, testable hypotheses are proposed to test the driving mechanisms for the energy policy networks in the U.S. In the second paper, I evaluate the effectiveness of these policy tools in reducing carbon emissions in electric power sector. With a panel data set for 48 continental states from 1990 to 2008, three fixed-effect panel regressions are estimated to test the impacts of these policy tools on total carbon emissions, electricity generation and carbon intensity. In the third paper, I examine the short-term direct employment effects of state and local clean energy and climate policies in U.S. metropolitan areas (MSAs) in year 2006.

Download or read book Eco Pioneers written by Steve Lerner and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 1998-07-31 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idea for Eco-Pioneers came to Steve Lerner while he was attending the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Although he was moved by the vision of sustainable development evoked by citizens and officials at the summit, as a reporter he felt a need to put a human face on the rhetoric and find out what sustainable development actually looks like in the United States. He spent the next four years searching out what he came to call "eco-pioneers"—the modern pathfinders who are working in the American pragmatic tradition to reduce the pace of environmental degradation. These practical visionaries are people who are willing to push the limits of whatever tools they can find for dealing with ecological problems. Lerner provides case studies of eco-pioneers who are exploring sustainable ways to log forests, grow food, save plant species, run cattle, build houses, clean up cities, redesign rural communities, generate power, conserve water, protect rivers and wildlife, treat hazardous waste, reuse materials, and reduce both waste and consumption. Some of those profiled run businesses, some address environmental practices within their immediate community, and some combine their environmental concerns with social goals such as the creation of inner-city jobs. Together they are creating ways of living and working that many analysts believe to be essential to an ecologically sustainable future.