Download or read book Energy and Civilization written by Vaclav Smil and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-11-13 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society throughout history, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. "I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next 'Star Wars' movie. In his latest book, Energy and Civilization: A History, he goes deep and broad to explain how innovations in humans' ability to turn energy into heat, light, and motion have been a driving force behind our cultural and economic progress over the past 10,000 years. —Bill Gates, Gates Notes, Best Books of the Year Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done. The conversion of energy on Earth ranges from terra-forming forces of plate tectonics to cumulative erosive effects of raindrops. Life on Earth depends on the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy into plant biomass. Humans have come to rely on many more energy flows—ranging from fossil fuels to photovoltaic generation of electricity—for their civilized existence. In this monumental history, Vaclav Smil provides a comprehensive account of how energy has shaped society, from pre-agricultural foraging societies through today's fossil fuel–driven civilization. Humans are the only species that can systematically harness energies outside their bodies, using the power of their intellect and an enormous variety of artifacts—from the simplest tools to internal combustion engines and nuclear reactors. The epochal transition to fossil fuels affected everything: agriculture, industry, transportation, weapons, communication, economics, urbanization, quality of life, politics, and the environment. Smil describes humanity's energy eras in panoramic and interdisciplinary fashion, offering readers a magisterial overview. This book is an extensively updated and expanded version of Smil's Energy in World History (1994). Smil has incorporated an enormous amount of new material, reflecting the dramatic developments in energy studies over the last two decades and his own research over that time.
Download or read book Molecular Biology of The Cell written by Bruce Alberts and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Energy Sprawl Solutions written by Joseph M. Kiesecker and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2017-06-15 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the next several decades, as human populations grow, the demand for energy will soar. But renewable energy sources have a large energy sprawl--the amount of land needed to produce energy--which can threaten biodiversity. In Energy Sprawl Solutions, scientists Joseph M. Kiesecker and David Naugle provide a roadmap for preserving biodiversity despite the threats of energy sprawl. Their strategy--development by design--identifies and sets aside land where biodiversity can thrive while consolidating development in areas with lower biodiversity value. This contributed volume features case studies from countries around the world, each describing a different energy sector and the way they have successfully maximized biodiversity protection. This book provides a needed guide for elected officials, industry representatives, NGOs and community groups who have a stake in sustainable energy-development planning.
Download or read book The Material Basis of Energy Transitions written by Alena Bleicher and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-08-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Material Basis of Energy Transitions explores the intersection between critical raw material provision and the energy system. Chapters draw on examples and case studies involving energy technologies (e.g., electric power, transport) and raw material provision (e.g., mining, recycling), and consider these in their regional and global contexts. The book critically discusses issues such as the notion of criticality in the context of a circular economy, approaches for estimating the need for raw materials, certification schemes for raw materials, the role of consumers, and the impact of renewable energy development on resource conflicts. Each chapter deals with a specific issue that characterizes the interdependency between critical raw materials and renewable energies by examining case studies from a particular conceptual perspective. The book is a resource for students and researchers from the social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering, as well as interdisciplinary scholars interested in the field of renewable energies, the circular economy, recycling, transport, and mining. The book is also of interest to policymakers in the fields of renewable energy, recycling, and mining, professionals from the energy and resource industries, as well as energy experts and consultants looking for an interdisciplinary assessment of critical materials. Provides a comprehensive overview of key issues related to the nexus between renewable energy and critical raw materials Explores interdisciplinary perspectives from the natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences Discusses critical strategies to address the nexus from a practitioner's perspective
Download or read book Energy and Economic Growth written by Timothy J. Foxon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-10-18 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Access to new sources of energy and their efficient conversion to provide useful work have been key drivers of economic growth since the industrial revolution. Western countries now need to transform their energy systems and move away from the single-minded pursuit of economic growth in order to reduce our carbon emissions, and to allow the environmental space for other countries to develop in a more sustainable way. Achieving this requires understanding of the dynamics of economic and industrial change with appreciation of the dependence of economies on ecological systems. Energy and Economic Growth thus examines the links between three issues: history of energy sources, technologies and uses; ecological challenges associated with the current dominant economic growth paradigm; and the future low carbon energy transition to mitigate human-induced climate change. Providing a historical understanding of the relevant connections between physical, social and economic changes, the book enables the reader to better understand the connection between their own energy use and global economic and environmental systems, and to be able to ask the right questions of our political and business leaders. This is a valuable resource for students, scholars and policy makers with an interest in energy, climate change and economic thinking.
Download or read book Providing for Energy Efficiency in Homes and Small Buildings written by American Association for Vocational Instructional Materials and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Delivering Energy Law and Policy in the EU and the US written by Raphael J. Heffron and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From evaluating policy delivery on wind farms in Texas in the US, to developing nuclear power in the Middle East, this book presents fresh thinking on key concepts and ideas on energy law and policy delivery. The contributors write from a range of perspectives, including the sciences, law, politics, economics and engineering.
Download or read book Future Energy written by Trevor M. Letcher and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2008-07-30 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Future Energy will allow us to make reasonable, logical and correct decisions on our future energy as a result of two of the most serious problems that the civilized world has to face; the looming shortage of oil (which supplies most of our transport fuel) and the alarming rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 50 years (resulting from the burning of oil, gas and coal and the loss of forests) that threatens to change the world’s climate through global warming. Future Energy focuses on all the types of energy available to us, taking into account a future involving a reduction in oil and gas production and the rapidly increasing amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. It is unique in the genre of books of similar title in that each chapter has been written by a scientist or engineer who is an expert in his or her field. The book is divided into four sections: • Traditional Fossil Fuel and Nuclear Energy • Renewable Energy • Potentially Important New Types of Energy • New Aspects to Future Energy Usage Each chapter highlights the basic theory and implementation, scope, problems and costs associated with a particular type of energy. The traditional fuels are included because they will be with us for decades to come - but, we hope, in a cleaner form. The renewable energy types includes wind power, wave power, tidal energy, two forms of solar energy, bio-mass, hydroelectricity, geothermal and the hydrogen economy. Potentially important new types of energy include: pebble bed nuclear reactors, nuclear fusion, methane hydrates and recent developments in fuel cells and batteries. - Written by experts in the key future energy disciplines from around the globe - Details of all possible forms of energy that are and will be available globally in the next two decades - Puts each type of available energy into perspective with realistic, future options
Download or read book Energy Services Fundamentals and Financing written by David Borge-Diez and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-10-30 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy Services Fundamentals and Financing, first volume of the Energy Services and Management series, provides a global view of energy services schemes and practices. The book discusses the role of energy services within the larger energy landscape and explores key technical aspects of energy systems for power, heating and cooling, including renewable energy systems and combined heat and power. The book analyzes energy efficiency in several electrical devices, such as motors, lighting and vehicles. It then examines actual energy services business models and policy, before presenting a quick reference section that includes key models and calculations. Provides an innovative approach to the fundamental aspects related with energy services, including technology implementation and financial schemes Discusses tools to measure process efficiency and sustainability in power and heating applications Includes case studies, models and calculations, both technical and financial, as well as downloadable data for simulation and modeling
Download or read book Diet and Health written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1989-01-01 with total page 765 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Diet and Health examines the many complex issues concerning diet and its role in increasing or decreasing the risk of chronic disease. It proposes dietary recommendations for reducing the risk of the major diseases and causes of death today: atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (including heart attack and stroke), cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, and dental caries.
Download or read book Eat for Energy written by Ari Whitten and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2022-05-10 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A deep dive into the underlying cellular cause of chronic fatigue, burnout, and brain fog, with a framework for restoring cognitive function, alertness, and an abundance of energy. Chronic fatigue, burnout, brain fog—no matter what we call it, our constant feeling of being drained affects all that we hold dear. There are very real culprits of our fatigue, and they don’t lie in our preconceived notions of caffeine intake or adrenal fatigue, nor does the replenishment of our energy lie in overhauling our lifestyle in time-consuming and unrealistic ways. Instead, the core underlying cause lies in our cells, specifically our mitochondrial deficiency, and the solution can be found in simple, straightforward, nutritional strategies that address our body’s biology. Ari Whitten, functional health practitioner and creator of The Energy Blueprint program, takes you on a deep dive of our cellular energy centers, illuminating the clear nutritional methodologies and specific foods, supplements, and compounds you can use to: · Get better sleep · Lower your blood pressure · Help stabilize your blood sugar levels · Lose excess weight · Improve memory and concentration · Increase mental well-being Get your body out of defense mode and into a state of optimal performance to live at the peak of your energy, brain function, mood, and health.
Download or read book Beyond the Molecular Frontier written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-03-19 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chemistry and chemical engineering have changed significantly in the last decade. They have broadened their scopeâ€"into biology, nanotechnology, materials science, computation, and advanced methods of process systems engineering and controlâ€"so much that the programs in most chemistry and chemical engineering departments now barely resemble the classical notion of chemistry. Beyond the Molecular Frontier brings together research, discovery, and invention across the entire spectrum of the chemical sciencesâ€"from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical processing technology. This reflects the way the field has evolved, the synergy at universities between research and education in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the way chemists and chemical engineers work together in industry. The astonishing developments in science and engineering during the 20th century have made it possible to dream of new goals that might previously have been considered unthinkable. This book identifies the key opportunities and challenges for the chemical sciences, from basic research to societal needs and from terrorism defense to environmental protection, and it looks at the ways in which chemists and chemical engineers can work together to contribute to an improved future.
Download or read book Providing for Energy written by Twentieth Century Fund. Task Force on United States Energy Policy and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Powering Forward written by Bill Ritter, Jr. and published by Fulcrum Publishing. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A historic energy revolution is underway in the United States. Wind, sunlight, and other sustainable resources are now the fastest growing sources of energy in the U.S. and worldwide. American families are installing power plants on their roofs and entire communities are switching to 100 percent renewable energy. The urgent need to prevent climate change is causing people around the planet to question their reliance on carbon-intensive oil, coal, and natural gas. Author Bill Ritter, Jr., the 41st governor of Colorado and one of America's key thought leaders on this topic, discusses the forces behind the energy revolution, the new ways we must think about energy, and the future of fossil and renewable fuels. It is an essential read for any who want to understand one of history's biggest challenges to peace, prosperity, and security in the United States. Written in partnership with the Center for a New Energy Economy.
Download or read book Energy Supply and Demand written by David B. Rutledge and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-12-12 with total page 519 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores trends and projections in energy supply and demand using real-life case studies and modeling techniques.
Download or read book The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions written by Ortwin Renn and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2020-04-04 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions provides a conceptual and empirical approach to stakeholder and citizen involvement in the ongoing energy transition conversation, focusing on projects surrounding energy conversion and efficiency, reducing energy demand, and using new forms of renewable energy sources. Sections review and contrast different approaches to citizen involvement, discuss the challenges of inclusive participation in complex energy policymaking, and provide conceptual foundations for the empirical case studies that constitute the second part of the book. The book is a valuable resource for academics in the field of energy planning and policymaking, as well as practitioners in energy governance, energy and urban planners and participation specialists. Explains both key concepts in public participation and involvement, along with empirical results gained in implementing these concepts Links theoretical knowledge with conceptual and real-life applications in the energy sector Instructs energy planners in how to improve planning and transformation processes by using inclusive governance methods Contains insights from case studies in the fully transitioned German system that provide an empirical basis for action for energy policymakers worldwide
Download or read book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster written by Bill Gates and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2021-02-16 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical—and accessible—plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, he describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions, where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively, where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete, practical plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions—suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers, and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
