Energy resources Books

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewVery informative and eye-opening in many ways -- Ha-Joon Chang, author of 23 Things They Don't Tell You About CapitalismIt is reassuring to read an author so impervious to rhetorical fashion and so eager to champion uncertainty . . . Smil's book is at its essence a plea for agnosticism, and, believe it or not, humility - the rarest earth metal of all. His most valuable declarations concern the impossibility of acting with perfect foresight. Living with uncertainty, after all, "remains the essence of the human condition." Even under the most optimistic scenario, the future will not resemble the past -- Nathaniel Rich * New York Times *A grumpy, pugnacious account that, I would argue, is intellectually indispensable in the run up to this year's COP27 climate conference in Egypt. In short, How the World Really Works fully delivers on the promise of its title. It is hard to formulate any higher praise -- Simon Ings * New Scientist *You can agree or disagree with Smil - accept or doubt his 'just the facts' posture-but you probably shouldn't ignore him . . . In Smil's provocative but perceptive view, unrealistic notions about carbon reduction are partly, and ironically, attributable to the very productivity that societies achieved by substituting machine work, powered by fossil fuels, for draft animals and human laborers * Washington Post *This accessible and witty book cuts to the chase of what we need to know -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, 'Editor's Choice' *If you are anxious about the future, and infuriated that we aren't doing enough about it, please read this book -- Paul Collier, author of The Future of Capitalism"I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist; I am a scientist," Smil writes in the introduction, with typically Smilian swagger. In fact, he is more of a numberist, a polymath with a gift for rigorously crushing complex data into pleasing morsels of information -- Pilita Clark * Financial Times *Smil's meticulously researched words are for anyone who wants his priors reexamined and feathers ruffled -- Joakin Book * AIER *Ambitious and eye-opening . . . provides valuable insight as opposed to the agenda-pushing rhetoric commonly found in mainstream scientific literature. Data-rich, informative and eye-opening, How the World Really Works is a captivating read -- Lily Pagano * Reaction *A compelling, fascinating, and most important, realistic portrait of the world and where it's going -- Steven Pinker, on Numbers Don’t LieCanadian polymath Vaclav Smil taught at the University of Manitoba for half a century. In this brilliant book, he does the hard work of crunching complicated data to present a clear and surprising picture of how our world - especially our physical world - really does work -- Chrystia Freeland, Deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Canada * Bloomberg, 'Best Books of 2022' *This is a compelling read. It uses science and practical examples to clearly illustrate the kinds of resources we are consuming on this planet today - and the quantities, too. It lays bare how demanding the changes will be in our daily lives if the green transition in energy away from fossil fuels is to be achieved. It also makes clear how far humanity is lagging behind the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Getting China and India fully on board with this is absolutely critical if climate warming is to be even moderately tamed -- Olli Rehn, Governor, Bank of Finland, and governing council member, European Central Bank * Bloomberg, 'Best Books of 2022' *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling historian and acclaimed broadcasterA rich social history Paxman's book could hardly be more colourful, and I enjoyed each page enormously' DOMINIC SANDBROOK, SUNDAY TIMESVividly told Paxman's fine narrative powers are at their best' THE TIMESCoal is the commodity that made Britain. Dirty and polluting though it is, this black rock has acted as a midwife to genius. It drove industry, religion, politics, empire and trade. It powered the industrial revolution, turned Britain into the first urban nation and is the industry that made almost all others possible.In this brilliant social history, Jeremy Paxman tells the story of coal mining in England, Scotland and Wales from Roman times, through the birth of steam power to war, nationalisation, pea-souper smogs, industrial strife and the picket lines of the Miner's Strike.Written in the captivating style of his bestselling book The English, Paxman ranges widely across Britain to explore stories of engineers and inventorTrade Review‘[A] rich social history … Given coal’s image, a popular history might seem a foolhardy undertaking. Yet Paxman’s book could hardly be more colourful, and I enjoyed every page enormously … A mining community, as Paxman points out, was not just a place of dirt and danger. It was a “place where you slept and ate, visited the doctor, fell in love, had your children and entertained yourself” … One day soon, Paxman says, we may forget it was ever there. But his book does a fine job of bringing it alive, and deserves the widest possible readership’Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times ‘A rich seam of history … Coal made Britain top nation, but we don’t talk about it much … Much more than the story of an industry: it is a history of Britain from an unusual angle, vividly told, that throws new light on familiar features of our national landscape … Paxman’s fine narrative powers are at their best in his account of [miner’s strikes] … From its beginnings to its end, the industry that made our country what it is, for good and ill, was a brutal business. Paxman is determined that we should not forget it’Emma Duncan, The Times ‘[A] terrific history … Paxman is not afraid to call out poor behaviour … A rich seam for acerbic Paxman’Kathryn Hughes, Mail on Sunday ‘A really interesting, timely book’Steve Wright, BBC Radio 2 ‘The history of coal in Britain might not sound immediately gripping, but it was. Paxo brings it all to life – the men, women and children toiling in the dark, in conditions no one could endure today. The courage of those communities shines from every page’Conn Iggulden, Daily Express ‘Filled with fun facts … Jeremy Paxman is particularly good at explaining why coal mattered so much. He has a sharp pen, and a good eye for detail’Daily Telegraph ‘Paxman tells a good story and he doesn’t mind who knows it. Ebullient and condescending at the same time, he is particularly good on set pieces’New Statesman

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Book SynopsisBuild your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right levelWe use oil every day whether on the bus to school or writing with a pen. But where does it come from? What impact is our use of it having on the environment? What will happen when we run out completely? Explore the answers to these questions in this detailed information book, with stunning photographs and clear diagrams.Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a complex, substantial text with challenging themes to facilitate sustained comprehension, bridging the gap between a reading programme and longer chapter books.Text type: A non-chronological report.Curriculum links: Geography: Improving the Environment, Citizenship: Choices.This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.

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Book SynopsisThis open access book presents detailed pathways to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, globally and across ten geographical regions. Based on state-of-the-art scenario modelling, it provides the vital missing link between renewable energy targets and the measures needed to achieve them. Bringing together the latest research in climate science, renewable energy technology, employment and resource impacts, the book breaks new ground by covering all the elements essential to achieving the ambitious climate mitigation targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. For example, sectoral implementation pathways, with special emphasis on differences between developed and developing countries and regional conditions, provide tools to implement the scenarios globally and domestically. Non-energy greenhouse gas mitigation scenarios define a sustainable pathway for land-use change and the agricultural sector. Furthermore, results of the impact of the scenarios on employment and mineral and resource requirements provide vital insight on economic and resource management implications. The book clearly demonstrates that the goals of the Paris Agreement are achievable and feasible with current technology and are beneficial in economic and employment terms. It is essential reading for anyone with responsibility for implementing renewable energy or climate targets internationally or domestically, including climate policy negotiators, policy-makers at all levels of government, businesses with renewable energy commitments, researchers and the renewable energy industry.Part 2 of this title can be found at this Link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-99177-7Trade Review“Based on state-of-the-art scenario modelling, the book provides the vital missing link between renewable energy targets and the measures needed to achieve them. Its robustly modelled scenarios indicate how to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, globally and across ten geographical regions. … The book is an essential read for anyone who is responsible for implementing renewable energy or climate targets internationally or domestically, including climate policy negotiators, policy-makers at all levels of government, businesses … .” (eurekalert.org, February, 5, 2019)​Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisEver since the Industrial Revolution energy has been a key driver of world politics. From the oil crises of the 1970s to today’s rapid expansion of renewable energy sources, every shift in global energy patterns has important repercussions for international relations. In this new book, Thijs Van de Graaf and Benjamin Sovacool uncover the intricate ways in which our energy systems have shaped global outcomes in four key areas of world politics: security, the economy, the environment and global justice. Moving beyond the narrow geopolitical focus that has dominated much of the discussion on global energy politics, they also deftly trace the connections between energy, environmental politics, and community activism.The authors argue that we are on the cusp of a global energy shift that promises to be no less transformative for the pursuit of wealth and power in world politics than the historical shifts from wood to coal and from coal to oil. This ongoing energy transformation will not only upend the global balance of power; it could also fundamentally transfer political authority away from the nation state, empowering citizens, regions and local communities. Global Energy Politics will be an essential resource for students of the social sciences grappling with the major energy issues of our times.Trade Review"In a complex and rapidly changing energy landscape, this comprehensive overview of the global politics of energy is particularly welcome. It skillfully connects the dots between energy markets, geopolitics, the environment, and local activism across a range of energy technologies and sectors. For anyone who wants to understand the complexities and depth of the global energy challenge, Global Energy Politics is essential reading." —Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General Emeritus of the International Renewable Energy Agency "An important contribution to thinking through the current energy era and the future transition." —Morgan Bazilian, Executive Director of the Payne Institute for Earth Resources and Research Professor of Public Policy, Colorado School of Mines "a well-informed, empirically rich systematic analysis of different parts of the energy sector that builds directly on the latest research." —Gavin Bridge, Durham University "Global Energy Politics is a comprehensive, well-researched, and valuable guide to the energy challenges of our time. Thijs Van de Graaf and Benjamin Sovacool deploy a variety of analytical perspectives: geopolitics, economics, sustainability, and justice, discussing promising technological innovations and the institutional and political challenges to decarbonization." —Robert O. Keohane, Princeton University "We are in the middle of a global energy transformation. Van De Graaf and Sovacool’s comprehensive text provides students with an essential guide to this changing global energy landscape." —Johannes Urpelainen, John Hopkins University "Keeping pace with the changing global energy landscape and its influence on political, economic and social issues has become exponentially more difficult in a world where unprecedented risks and technological advances are upending the norms of the last century. Global Energy Politics is a valuable resource for those seeking to understand and navigate the shifting relationships between energy markets, geopolitics, climate, equity, and emerging technologies at this critical energy crossroad." —Jason Bordoff, Columbia University "[Global Energy Politics] is very welcome… This book provides a wide-ranging panorama of global energy politics … and would be an excellent read for undergraduate and post-graduate students tackling the subject." —Asian Century Institute "The most important contribution of this book comes through employing systems thinking to deal with energy issues. Van De Graaf and Sovacool have opened up a technical and difficult topic to social scientists while at the same time broadening traditional IR approaches." —International Affairs "The book is well-researched, up to date, and it presents complex and interrelated energy topics in an easily accessible and impressively pedagogical way... Their multidisciplinary socio-technical approach offers a deeper understanding than could be attained through the lens of any single discipline in isolation." —International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics "An excellent survey and overview of various elements of global energy politics. The writing is clear and accessible, yet covers impressive ground and accommodates the infinite complexity of the subject at hand. This book serves as a comprehensive introductory text and will be a useful read to students of energy politics across a variety of disciplines, and particularly students attempting to find a point of entry into the rapidly growing subfield of energy geographies." —The American Association of Geographers (AAG) Review of Books "Sovacool and Van de Graaf bring us closer to the broader research agenda we need to map the different pathways of global transformation that may emerge from the transition…Their chapter on “energy justice”, which investigates the detrimental impacts of renewable energy supply chains on communities when social justice concerns are side-lined, is particularly welcome." —Michel J. Albert, AlternativesTable of ContentsForeword by Adnan Z. Amin 1. Introduction: Systems, frames, and transitions 2. The history and functioning of key energy markets Part I: World Politics Through an Energy Prism 3. Energy and security 4. Energy and the economy 5. Energy and the environment 6. Energy and justice Part II: Governing the Energy Transition 7. Energy technologies and innovation 8. National and regional energy policy 9. Global energy governance 10. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisDambisa Moyo is the critically acclaimed author of How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid. She was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009. She holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University and a Masters from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and has worked at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs. She was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia.Trade ReviewIf Moyo's calculations are correct, we are in big trouble - which makes the central premise of her book all the more arresting...It's not hard to see why Moyo is such a hit as a public intellectual -- Decca Aitkenhead * Guardian *Written to clarify important global questions, this book deserves a wide audience * Kirkus Reviews *With Winner Take All, Dambisa Moyo offers a timely and provocative answer to two crucial questions: How are China's leaders rushing to meet their country's exploding demand for energy, and what does this mean for the rest of us? It's a recipe for conflict-and at a crucial moment for the future of the global economy -- Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and author of 'The End of the Free Market'For anyone longing to make sense of tectonic, eco-political shifts occurring in the commodities market, Winner Takes All is a fascinating and important book. By focusing her razor-sharp mind on China's central role in the new commodities rush, Moyo sheds light on and makes sense of a profound and dramatic moment in our history. Her book is a must-read -- Peter Munk, Chairman and Founder, Barrick Gold Corporation[Praise for How The West Was Lost] Moyo is a very serious lady indeed -- Dominic Lawson * The Times *Moyo's diagnosis of the recent disasters in financial markets is succinct and sophisticated...I applaud her brave alarum -- Paul Collier * The Observer *

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisStudies how oil has shaped the societies and cultures of the modern and contemporary Middle East.Trade Review"This groundbreaking collection of interdisciplinary essays is a major contribution to understanding the social life of oil in the Middle East. Rather than the usual and reductive focus on the geopolitics of oil or the impact of its financial revenues in enabling states and ruling elites, the contributors shed light on the many ways in which oil has shaped everyday social experience, covering topics from the ecology and the built environment of cities and nation states to the public imaginaries and the cultural and material lives of ordinary peoples. ?" -Kaveh Ehsani, DePaul University

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Book SynopsisDominic Boyer examines the politics of wind power and how it is shaped by myriad factorsfrom the legacies of settler colonialism and indigenous resistance to state bureaucracy and corporate investmentwhile outlining the fundamental impact of energy and fuel on political power.Trade Review"Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals." -- L. L. Johnson * Choice *"Howe and Boyer look back on the past with fresh eyes. . . . Howe and Boyer’s project has many virtues. For one, it articulates the perils of corporate wind economies. For another, it positions Indigenous communities (like the Zapotec) not as outmoded objects for anthropological inquiry, but (á la Gayatri Spivak) as 'active [producers] of culture.' Most importantly, perhaps, is how Wind and Power in the Anthropocene documents alternatives to corporate wind ventures like Mareña. The book highlights, for example, community-based initiatives that also seek to harness the awesome power of istmeño wind—projects that promote communal welfare and environmental justice." -- Stacey Balkan * Public Books *"The duograph is an interesting and novel way to approach collaborative writing, which I enjoyed engaging with. . . . Energopolitics elegantly brings together political theory and ethnography. -- Anna G. Sveinsdóttir * Journal of Latin American Geography *“In Wind and Power in the Anthropocene, a two-volume ‘duograph,’ Cymene Howe, in Ecologics, and Dominic Boyer, in Energopolitics, explore the development of wind parks during the early twenty-first century on the isthmus of Tehuantepec…. One of the most refreshing components of their collaborative and individual writing is the clarity of their position as researchers in this project as they circulated among politicians, indigenous peoples, and corporate officials. It is a necessary exercise, as they argue, for appreciating the entrenchment of the wind in local political and social relations.” -- Nathan Kapoor * Technology and Culture *“Boyer’s book seeks ways around human-centered notions of politics.... More important than his theoretical discussion is his contention that in order to understand aeolian politics in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, one must attend to situated, historical processes with which transitions to renewable energy become intimately entangled.” -- Chakad Ojani * Anthropology Book Forum *“[Ecologics and Energopolitics] make strong arguments on political processes in the field of wind energy in Mexico...[and] are important contributions to an anthropology of energy, a still growing field within the discipline.” -- Oliver D. Liebig * Anthropos *Table of ContentsJoint Preface to Wind and Power in the Anthropocene / Cymene Howe and Dominic Boyer ix Acknowledgments xix Introduction 1 1. Ixtepec 27 2. La Ventosa 60 3. Oaxaca de Juaréz 95 4. Distrito Federal 127 5. Guidxiguie' (Juchitán de Zaragoza) 158 Joint Conclusion to Wind and Power in the Anthropocene / Cymene Howe and Dominic Boyer 194 Notes 199 References 225 Index 251

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Book SynopsisIf, in the ancient world, it was guns and germs and steel that determined the fates of people and nations, in modern times it is electricity. No other form of power translates into affluence and influence like it. Though demand for it is growing exponentially, it remains one of the most difficult forms of energy to supply and to do so reliably. Storage is even harder. This paradox has shaped global politics, affected the outcome of wars, and underlies the growing chasm between rich and poor, educated and uneducated. It is changing the game for business, and the requirements of national defence. It is altering the landscape and complicating the task of dealing effectively with climate change.In this book, Robert Bryce explains the unique nature of electricity as a commodity. He draws on stories from history to illustrate the stunning impact of our quest to harness it, illuminates exactly what is required to successfully sustain it, and explores the impact on societies and individuals when it collapses.As billions of people around the world still live in darkness, the gap between the electricity haves and have-nots widens, with profound political and ethical consequences. Modern life, even civilisation, has become ever more dependent on a source of energy that must be produced locally and in the moment, in a reliably steady stream at particular wattage, conveyed on wires strung on poles or threaded through pipes. If the lights go out, so does our manner of living, with potentially devastating consequences.

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Book SynopsisThis second edition of Climate Change is an accessible and comprehensive guide to the science behind global warming. Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon provide a broad, informative introduction to the science that underlies our understanding of the climate system and the effects of human activity on the warming of our planet.Trade ReviewThis text should have great appeal for teaching an introductory undergraduate course on climate change science as well as a broad survey for graduate students. The book is well written with concepts adequately explained. Mathez and Smerdon have done a great job at hitting many of the very important concepts for understanding past, present, and future climate change as well as what we can and should do about it. I particularly liked the “back of the envelope” sections that let students confront some quantitative thinking without getting bogged down in mathematical details. The many illustrations and beautiful photos should make the book appealing to students as well as the general public. -- Lonnie G. Thompson, Distinguished University Professor, School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State UniversityMathez and Smerdon present a concise, accurate description of the workings of our climate system that is rich with historical context, vivid graphics, and concrete examples. The beauty and wonder of our atmosphere and oceans are on full display, even as many of their mysteries are revealed for the nonspecialist. Readers will not only understand the fundamental causes and implications of climate change, but they also will understand the diverse set of tools and approaches that scientists use to study the climate system in all its complexity. This book is a treasure trove of insights for anyone with an affinity for science and an interest in the future of our planet and its inhabitants. -- Kim M. Cobb, Georgia Power Chair and ADVANCE Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of TechnologyA superb textbook, easily one of the best currently available. Very few texts are written as thoughtfully as this one. Mathez and Smerdon hit a home run! -- Scott Mandia, cofounder and chairman of the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, Professor of Physical Sciences at Suffolk County Community CollegeThis book has great coverage of all the salient issues—the history of climate science, the climate science of (pre)-history, the scientists' own histories, and, most importantly, what this means going forward. The writing is clear while also comprehensive and the look and feel of the book make it a text you want to dive in to at random, confident that you'd find something interesting. -- Gavin Schmidt, climate scientistInformative and insightful, this textbook clearly explains the basic science of the Earth's climate system and the human influence on it. Superb illustrations bring the science to life, and the historical stories that accompany the key concepts paint a vivid picture of not only what we know, but how and why we learned it. -- Katharine Hayhoe, Co-Director of the Climate Science Center, Texas Tech UniversityThis excellent updated text on climate change was written by scientists in geophysics and climate change....Recommended. All readers. * Choice *Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new second edition. . . is ideal and highly recommended as a climate change curriculum textbook. * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceProloguePart I. The Climate System1. The Atmosphere2. The World Ocean3. Ocean–Atmosphere Interactions4. The Carbon Cycle and How It Influences Climate Part II. Climate Change and Its Drivers5. The Concept of Radiation Balance, a Scientific Framework for Thinking About Climate Change6. Radiative Forcing, Feedbacks, and Some Other Characteristics of the Climate System7. Learning from the Climate of the Distant PastPart III. Consequences of Climate Change8. The Climate of the Recent Past and Impacts on Human History9. Observing the Change10. Greenland, Antarctica, and Sea-Level RisePart IV. The Future11. Climate Models and the Future12. Climate Change Risk in an Unknowable Future13. Energy and the FutureEpilogueNotesGlossary BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisHow does Nature work? When one looks closely at the enormously complex web of life, it is impossible not to be caught by the wonder of how all living things - including rocks and crystals - are interconnected. Just as there is thought behind action, so there is energy behind matter. Schauberger is able to demonstrate how Nature works because he has been able to observe and describe how its energies manifest and produce the material world.

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Book SynopsisThe provision of sustainable energy supplies for an expanding and increasingly productive world is one of the major issues facing civilisation today. Renewable Energy examines both the practical and economic potential of the renewable energy sources to meet this challenge. The underlying physical and technological principles behind deriving power from direct solar (solar thermal and photovoltaics), indirect solar (biomass, hydro, wind and wave) and non-solar (tidal and geothermal) energy sources are explained, within the context of their environmental impacts, their economics and their future prospects. Renewable Energy provides both perspective and detail on the relative merits and state of progress of technologies for utilizing the various ''renewables''. The analysis considers emissions, sustainability, cost implications and energy security, as political and economic pressures move society towards a low-carbon future. From an overview of basic energy conversion processes, throughTrade ReviewReview from previous edition I have reviewed many textbooks on renewable energy and this one stands clearly above them all. It provides an excellent balance between technical content and practical application. * Douglas J Reinemann, Professor of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA *The quality of illustrations in Renewable Energy , as well as the inclusion of energy data for North America, make this and its sister volume, Energy Systems and Sustainability , my top choice for any energy program in higher education. * James Leidel, Director of Clean Energy Syctems, Oakland University, USA *A great introductory text for teaching, and an excellent reference for your bookshelf. * Ian Mason, University of Canterbury, NZ *An excellent overview of all the principal renewable energy technologies, placing them in the context of the overall power system. Individual chapters are all written by experts, but edited into a common style so that the level of detail is comparable across all chapters. The best book of its sort on the market. * Paul Younger, University of Glasgow *Excellent textbook for an introductory course on renewable energy systems. Some mathematical principles are introduced to reinforce concepts. Overall excellent material to get undergraduate students engaged with the field before digging into the detail. * Tom Norton, Harper Adams University, UK *This textbook continues the high standards of previous editions in terms of the clarity with which it explains the technologies while offering high quality graphics. * Peter Connor, University of Exeter *Table of Contents1: Introducing Renewable Energy 2: Thermodynamics and Heat Pumps 3: Solar Thermal Energy 4: Solar Photovoltaics 5: Bioenergy 6: Hydroelectricity 7: Tidal Power 8: Wind Energy 9: Wave Energy 10: Geothermal Energy 11: Integrating Renewable Energy 12: Renewable Energy Futures A1: Appendix: Investing in renewable energy A2: Appendix: Units

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Book SynopsisEnergy Systems and Sustainability provides an exploration of the economic, social, environmental, and policy issues raised by current systems of energy use, as well as describing their key physical and engineering features.Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Primary energy 3: What do we use energy for? 4: Forms of energy 5: Coal 6: Heat to motive power 7: Oil and gas 8: Oil and gas engines 9: Electricity 10: Nuclear power 11: Future of nuclear power 12: Costing energy 13: Penalties 14: Remedies

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Book Synopsis'Entertaining and insightful' -- Evening Standard'One of the most important books of the year... Compelling' Jamie Bartlett, Literary Review'Timely' -- New StatesmanAs the world becomes better connected and we grow ever more dependent on technology, the risks to our infrastructure are multiplying. Whether it's a hostile state striking the national grid (like Russia did with Ukraine in 2016) or a freak solar storm, our systems have become so interlinked that if one part goes down the rest topple like dominoes.In this groundbreaking book, former government minister Oliver Letwin looks ten years into the future and imagines a UK in which the national grid has collapsed. Reliant on the internet, automated electric cars, voice-over IP, GPS, and the internet of things, law and order would disintegrate. Taking us from high-level government meetings to elderly citizens waiting in vain for their carers, this book is a wake up call for why we should question our unshakeable faith in technology. But it's much more than that: Letwin uses his vast experience in government to outline how businesses and government should respond to catastrophic black swan events that seem distant and implausible - until they occur.Trade ReviewEntertaining and insightful... The picture [Letwin] paints is bleak as he uses chapters that alternate between a fictional depiction of chaotic meltdown in the year 2037 and analysis of the real-life causes to show why such disaster could occur. * Evening Standard *One of the most important books of the year... compelling * Jamie Bartlett, Literary Review *Timely... it provides an insight into the mindsets that prevent politicians and civil servants from properly preparing for catastrophes. * New Statesman *A vivid and engaging account of how the risks inherent in our increasing dependence on technology could someday coalesce into a perfect storm with disastrous consequences. Apocalypse How? reads like a dystopian thriller, but makes it clear that the dangers are very real. * Martin Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Rise of the Robots *A vital guide for anyone in business or government who wants to know how to respond when apparently distant and implausible events strike home. * Prospect *Masterful, disturbing and informed, Letwin takes us to the abyss - to a society paralysed by the total failure of its interconnected power and communications networks. His contingency plans should be mandatory reading. * Professor Richard Susskind OBE, Chair of Advisory Board, Oxford Internet Institute *From severe floods and accelerating climate change to cyber-attacks and space weather, there is a whole series of threats that could bring a modern country to a standstill. Oliver Letwin spent more time than any minister in recent history trying to understand, prevent and combat the unexpected disasters that could engulf a modern government. * David Cameron *Table of Contents0: Prologue 1: Could it happen? 2: The Cabinet Office 3: The social impact of black-swan events 4: Out in the darkness 5: Fragility and resilience 6: A difficult choice 7: Myths and realities 8: For whom the bell tolls 9: The global perspective

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Book SynopsisModern societies require energy systems to provide energy for cooking, heating, transport, and materials processing, as well as for electricity generation. Energy systems include the primary fuel, its conversion, and transport to the point of use. In many cases this primary fuel is still a fossil fuel, a one-use resource derived from a finite supply within our planet, causing considerable damage to the environment. After 300 years of increasing reliance on fossil fuels, particularly coal, it is becoming ever clearer that the present energy systems need to change. In this Very Short Introduction Nick Jenkins explores our historic investment in the exploitation of fossil energy resources and their current importance, and discusses the implications of our increasing rate of energy use. He considers the widespread acceptance by scientists and policy makers that our energy systems must reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and looks forward to the radical changes in fuel technology that will be necessary to continue to provide energy supplies in a sustainable manner, and extend access across the developing world. Considering the impact of changing to an environmentally benign and low-carbon energy system, Jenkins also looks at future low-carbon energy systems which would use electricity from a variety of renewable energy sources, as well as the role of nuclear power in our energy use.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Energy systems 2: Fossil fuels 3: Electricity systems 4: Nuclear power 5: Renewable energy systems 6: Future energy systems Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisOil Leaders offers an unprecedented glimpse into the strategic thinking of top figures in the energy world from the 1980s through the recent past. Ibrahim AlMuhanna—a close adviser to four different Saudi oil ministers over that span of time—examines the role of individual and collective decision making in shaping market movements.Trade ReviewThe geopolitics of energy is like a global chess match—each move reverberates around the world. No one can tell the inside story of Saudi Arabia, the world’s number one oil exporter, and the power plays and intrigue within OPEC like Ibrahim AlMuhanna. -- John Defterios, former emerging markets editor, anchor, and correspondent, CNNThis book offers unique insight into the thinking of key decision makers and sheds light on events that continue to shape the oil market to this day. It is indispensable for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the intricate world of energy policy decision making. -- Bassam Fattouh, director of the Oxford Institute for Energy StudiesA fascinating account of the people who shaped the oil market over the past forty years. An adviser to every Saudi oil minister over that time, AlMuhanna was literally ‘in the room’ to observe many of these leaders, how they made decisions, and the impact of their choices. A must-read for students of energy, geopolitics, and decision making. -- Mark Finley, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public PolicyIn this book, Ibrahim AlMuhanna reveals for the first time the inner workings of the most important oil supplier in the world, Saudi Arabia. The stories are fascinating, the relationships are complex, and the revelations are stunning. A must-read for anyone in the energy and financial community! -- Gary Ross, chief executive officer of Black Gold Investors LLC and founder of PIRA Energy GroupIbrahim AlMuhanna has had a front-row seat at the center of international oil diplomacy for more than three decades, and he brings his observations and perspectives from those many years of change together in Oil Leaders. -- Daniel Yergin, author of The New Map, The Prize, and The QuestOil Leaders provides useful insights into how Riyadh communicates with the market, suggestingthat the kingdom will continue to wield its reserves as both an economic and a political weapon in theyears to come. -- Javier Blas * Bloomberg *[AlMuhanna's] revelations of governance and diplomacy are gold dust...such books are all too rare. -- Jim Krane * Financial Times *Offers a rare view inside the Saudi government, providing insight into the forces behind Saudi policy. * H-Environment *AlMuhanna provides recollections of meetings and stories of how negotiations developed, that readers would otherwise not have access to, as they would neither be recorded nor available in archives. * International Affairs *Oil Leaders reveals the agency of individuals. Too often the perception is that impersonal market forces determine everything, but political leaders do matter and the decisions they make do have an impact. * Survival *Recommended for students and researchers in political science, international relations, and Global Affairs, and economists and business personnel in oil production and marketing. * Arab Studies Quarterly *Table of ContentsForeword, by Robert McNallyPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Decisions, Decision Makers, and Oil1. Ahmed Zaki Yamani: Good Start, Difficult Ending2. Hisham Nazer: Shifting Interests and Looking Nationally3. Saddam Hussein and Sheikh Ali al-Sabah: Invasion of a Nation4. Luis Giusti, the Jakarta Agreement, and Its Aftermath5. Prince Saud al-Faisal: An Interim Energy Leader6. Hugo Chavez: The Rise of a Man and the Decline of a Nation7. King Abdullah, George W. Bush, and Gordon Brown: The Shadows of 20088. Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden: A Revolving U.S. Energy Policy9. Ali Al-Naimi: The Road to Doha10. Vladimir Putin: Placing Russia on the Global Oil Map11. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman: The Forty-Five Day Oil ShockConclusion: Thoughts About the FutureNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisA THE TIMES BEST SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR'AN IMPORTANT READ FOR ANYONE IN NEED OF OPTIMISM' BILL GATES'DAZZLING AND DEEPLY REPORTED' DAVID WALLACE-WELLS'HIGHLY READABLE . . . ENGAGING STORIES OF PEOPLE BEHIND SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANCES IN RECENT DECADES' FINANCIAL TIMESIt's now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.Our age will be defined by the climate emergency. But contrary to the doomist narrative that's taken hold, the world has already begun deploying the solutions needed to deal with it.On a journey across five continents, Climate Capitalism tracks the unlikely heroes driving the fight against climate change. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world's longest-operating wind turbine, or the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people working to scale technologies that are finally able to bend the emissions curve.Through stories that bring people, policy and technology together, Akshat Rathi reveals how the green economy is not only possible, but profitable. This inspiring blend of business, science, and history provides the framework for ensuring that future generations can live in prosperity and that the wheels of progress don't falter.Trade ReviewFew books on either climate or capitalism manage to be as insightful as they are readable, but Rathi cracks it. He delivers his powerful and hopeful message with both substance and style, and reminds us of the immensely important role of great storytelling as we reimagine our economy -- Paul Polman, co-author of NET-POSITIVE and former CEO of Unilever[A] bold new book. Climate change is a crisis that requires urgent action, but Rathi shows how we can harness capitalism to tackle it. Give it to the doomsayer in your life -- John Schwartz, journalism professor at UT Austin and veteran NYT reporterAre you suffering from climate anxiety? Go take a few deep breaths and then pre-order this book. You'll learn about fascinating people who show that solutions for climate change are both possible and profitable -- Will Mathis, reporter for Bloomberg NewsThere are very few people as well-situated as Akshat Rathi is to describe and assess our current efforts to cope with climate change . . . Here he puts it all together in a marvelous report . . . [Rathi] gives hope that we might make it work. An inspiring book! -- Kim Stanley RobinsonIt's easy to feel fear or despair in the face of humanity's greatest challenge, but fortunately work on solutions began decades ago . . . Rathi's brilliantly written account of some of those stories is an inspiration to keep going in a fight which we have no other option than to win -- Bryony Worthington, member of the UK’s House of LordsAddressing climate change will make us richer, happier, healthier, more equal and more safe. Do we take the bargain? That is the animating question of Rathi's illuminating and incisive book, which offers the dazzling and deeply reported argument that the answer should be, overwhelmingly, yes -- David Wallace-Wells, author of THE UNINHABITABLE EARTHClimate innovation has accelerated far faster than many realize and by shining a spotlight on the solutions and innovators driving progress, Climate Capitalism is an important read for anyone in need of optimism about our ability to build a clean energy future -- Bill GatesA highly readable reminder that efforts to cut emissions are achieving a lot more than is widely realised. Rathi brings this shift to life with engaging stories of people behind some of the most important advances in recent decades -- Pilita Clark, Financial Times

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Book SynopsisA global energy revolution is unfolding before our eyes: ever-growing numbers of electric vehicles on our roads, laptops that last all day on a single charge and solar panels on our roofs, all reliant on lithium-ion batteries. This revolution is happening at breath-taking speed, with the potential to completely transform key industries and the way we live. For the first time in history, we can now actually store this green energy we talk so much about. Often referred to as the new oil', lithium allows large amounts of energy to be squeezed into a very small space. Demand is soaring, and the lithium business is full of drama: bitter rivalries, shady deals and exceptionally talented visionaries such as Elon Musk, who is building lithium battery giga-factories across the world. This book travels from the salt lakes of the Tibetan plateau, where Chinese governmentlinked companies extract lithium, to Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, which hold the world's biggest resources of the mineral. It r

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Book SynopsisIn 2006 Abu Dhabi launched an ambitious project to construct the world’s first zero-carbon city: Masdar City. In Spaceship in the Desert Gökçe Günel examines the development and construction of Masdar City''s renewable energy and clean technology infrastructures, providing an illuminating portrait of an international group of engineers, designers, and students who attempted to build a post-oil future in Abu Dhabi. While many of Masdar''s initiatives—such as developing a new energy currency and a driverless rapid transit network—have stalled or not met expectations, Günel analyzes how these initiatives contributed to rendering the future a thinly disguised version of the fossil-fueled present. Spaceship in the Desert tells the story of Masdar, at once a “utopia” sponsored by the Emirati government, and a well-resourced company involving different actors who participated in the project, each with their own agendas andTrade Review"Spaceship in the Desert is the fascinating story of a 'zero-carbon eco-city' that demonstrates the stark difference between vision and reality. . . . Günel’s first-hand reportage is insightful and objective." -- Barry Silverstein * Foreword Reviews *"The book is not only a rich ethnographic description of Masdar in all of its intricacies, but also a larger reflection on how global risks are framed according to the beliefs and situated actions of various interest groups." -- Gerardo del Cerro Santamaría * International Journal of Urban and Regional Research *"The global climate crisis is serious, but Günel shows that our attempts to tackle it are less so. . . . Our contemporary moral mess, from the GCC to Massachusetts, can be seen all too clearly through the pages of Günel’s account." -- Deen Sharp * Public Books *"Günel’s deft ethnographic sensibilities and creatively designed fieldwork further distinguish her contributions to anthropological studies of climate change, governance, knowledge production, infrastructure, materialism, and futurity more broadly. . . . Through fascinating and critical ethnographic descriptions, Günel offers a piercing glimpse into the front-lines of global climate change action." -- Gebhard Keny * Ethnos *"Spaceship in the Desert is a timely contribution to a growing field of anthropological scholarship on energy. . . . This book has the potential to attract readers from across the social sciences, not just within anthropology. The richness of ethnographic detail drawn in connection with the work of key thinkers may satisfy some readers." -- Idalina Baptista * Anthropological Quarterly *"Compelling and thought-provoking. . . . Günel encourages us as academics and as persons to rethink, renegotiate, and recreate our imaginations of the future through climate change technologies that do not preserve the status quo, but rather, alter it in the present." -- Hai Ri (Sophia) Jeon * Anthropology Book Forum *“[Günel’s] brilliant ethnography of Masdar reminds us of the limits of the third pilot of Spaceship Earth—the market.... Günel’s study also shows how the scope of climate change demands administrative bodies beyond corporations and states.” -- Troy Vettese * Viewpoint Magazine *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction. The Soul of Carbon Dioxide 1 Part I. Knowledge 1. Inhabiting the Spaceship 37 2. Beautiful Buildings and Research Contracts 65 Part II. Technology 3. Ergos: A New Energy Currency 101 4. An Expensive Toy 127 Part III. Governance 5. Subsurface Workings 157 Epilogue. The Potential Futures of Abu Dhabi's Masdar 183 Notes 199 References 237 Index 249

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Book SynopsisThis book explores how Qatar became a major player in the global energy market. Part historical analysis, part in-the-room narrative, it is the definitive account of oil and gas development in Qatar.Trade ReviewFrom Black Gold to Frozen Gas is the definitive account of Qatar’s growth from a tiny backwater to a major force in global markets and regional politics. This book draws on Tusiani’s fifty years working in Qatar’s gas industry to provide a fascinating and well-told insider’s account, featuring both deep research and unique personal insight. -- Lisa Anderson, Columbia UniversityA unique historical account of Qatar’s energy industry. Tusiani and Johnson detail the country’s accomplishments as well as covering the challenges faced along the way. This book will be a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Qatar, global energy, and geopolitics. -- Talal Abdulla Al-Emadi, dean, Qatar University College of LawTable of ContentsForewordPrefaceList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. Qatar Before Oil: A Historical Perspective2. Qatar’s First Oil Concession: Twists and Turns3. Eureka! Oil Is Discovered at Qatar’s Dukhan Field4. Choppy Waters: Qatar’s First Marine Oil Concession5. Qatar’s Ruler Presses for Better Oil Terms6. Labor Strikes, Another Abdication, and an Industrial Project7. Independence, First Gas Liquids Project, and a Bloodless Coup8. The Early Khalifa Years: 1970s Resource Nationalism9. Explosion Destroys Qatar’s First NGL Plant10. Crunch Time Looms for North West Dome Gas Field11. Partners Selected for Major North Field Gas Project12. Qatar Embarks on First Stage of North Field Gas Project13. Rocky Road for Qatar’s First LNG Project14. Tough Launch for Mobil’s RasGas LNG Project15. Financial Difficulties Mount After 1995 CoupEpilogue: North Field Gas Transforms Qatar into Energy SuperpowerAcknowledgmentsBibliographyIndexAbout the Authors

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Book SynopsisIn the age of global climate change, society will require cities that are environmentally self-sufficient, able to withstand various environmental problems and recover quickly. It is interesting to note that many smart solutions for cities are leading to an unsustainable future, including further electrification, an increased dependence on the Internet, Internet of Things, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence, and basically any technology that leads us to consume more electricity. This book examines critical topics in Smart Cities such as true sustainability and the resilience required for all cities. It explores sustainability issues in agriculture and the role of agri-technology for a sustainable future, including a city's ability to locally produce food for its residents. Features: Discusses safety, security, data management, and privacy issues in Smart Cities Examines the various emerging forms of transportation infrastructure and new vehiTable of ContentsPart I: Smart Urban Development, Sustainability and Resilience. Chapter 1. Sustainable Urbanization: Why We Have to Change: Toward Justice and Lifestyles That Respect the Planet and Its Inhabitants. Chapter 2. The Interaction Between Resilience and Intelligence of Cities. Part II: Food Security and Smart Urban Agriculture. Chapter 3. Nurturing Clever Cities: The Intersection Between Urban Agriculture and Smart Technologies. Chapter 4. Sustainable Food: The Role of Digital Agritechnology. Part III: Smart City, Built Environment and Data Privacy. Chapter 5. Is This Architecture Sustainable? Operational Energy Efficiency and The Pursuit of Behavioral Change Through Building Operation. Chapter 6. Alphabet is Here to ‘Fix’ Toronto: Algorithmic Governance in Sidewalk Labs’ Smart City. Chapter 7. Future Transport and Logistics in Smart Cities: Safety and Privacy.

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Book SynopsisThe wind power business has grown from a niche sector within the energy industry to a global industry that attracts substantial investment. In Europe wind has become the biggest source of new power generation capacity, while also successfully competing with the gas, coal and nuclear sectors in China and the US. Wind Power looks at the nations, companies and people fighting for control of one of the world's fastest growing new industries and how we can harness one of the planet's most powerful energy resources. The book examines the challenges the sector faces as it competes for influence and investment with the fossil fuel industry across the globe. Over the course of this volume, Backwell analyses the industry climbers, the investment trends and the technological advancements that will define the future of wind energy. This second edition is revised throughout and contains new material on frontier wind markets and industry consolidation, as well as the cost reductionsTrade Review'Ben Backwell's new book on wind power is a great read, provides the best current overview of the wind industry, how it got to where it is, and what the future challenges are. Highly recomended!' Henrik Stiesdal, Wind Power Pioneer Table of ContentsForewordIntroductionChapter 1. From Maoism to Lear JetsChapter 2. Big industry moves inChapter 3. China shakes the wind industryChapter 4. Emerging powersChapter 5. The offshore frontierChapter 6. After CopenhagenChapter 7. Turbine manufacturers in troubleChapter 8. The Wind Industry Bounces BackChapter 9. Tipping point: Windpower’s iPhone momentChapter 10. Challenges for the wind-turbine industryConclusion

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Book SynopsisIn The Birth of Energy Cara New Daggett traces the genealogy of contemporary notions of energy back to the nineteenth-century science of thermodynamics to challenge the underlying logic that informs today''s uses of energy. These early resource-based concepts of power first emerged during the Industrial Revolution and were tightly bound to Western capitalist domination and the politics of industrialized work. As Daggett shows, thermodynamics was deployed as an imperial science to govern fossil fuel use, labor, and colonial expansion, in part through a hierarchical ordering of humans and nonhumans. By systematically excavating the historical connection between energy and work, Daggett argues that only by transforming the politics of work—most notably, the veneration of waged work—will we be able to confront the Anthropocene''s energy problem. Substituting one source of energy for another will not ensure a habitable planet; rather, the concepts of energy and work themsTrade Review“Cara New Daggett's The Birth of Energy is a landmark work in the emergent field of energy humanities. In it, Daggett offers a brilliant genealogy of our modern conception of energy, explaining how Victorian empire, evolutionary theory, Presbyterianism, and thermodynamics helped to refashion the Aristotelian idea of energy as ‘dynamic virtue’ into a phenomenon having to do with the movement of matter and, above all, labor. Now facing a world warmed by burning fossil fuels, Daggett gives us a roadmap to thinking energy beyond the Protestant ethic of perpetual work.” -- Dominic Boyer, author of * Energopolitics: Wind and Power in the Anthropocene *“This complex, ambitious book represents a significant contribution to energy studies, offering an innovative history that situates the scientific discovery of energy within nineteenth-century cultures of imperialism, industrialization, and the governance of work. Cara New Daggett helps reframe the Anthropocene as the most recent realization of our profoundly misguided understanding of energy.” -- Stephanie LeMenager, author of * Living Oil: Petroleum Culture in the American Century *"The Birth of Energy is without doubt a landmark contribution to energy humanities and political theory, and one that greatly enriches and advances conceptual debates about energy and work in the Anthropocene." -- James Palmer * Antipode *“The Birth of Energy is a major contribution to the environmental humanities that speaks to the notion of ‘political ecology’ in the most literal sense.” -- Gustav Cederlöf * Journal of Political Ecology *“The book is at its strongest when diagnosing the reverberations of the past in the current moment…. The Birth of Energy has much to offer to scholars engaged in questions of fossil fuels, imperialism, labor, and environmental politics.” -- Jennifer Thomson * Environmental History *“Daggett’s The Birth of Energy is an impressive book, timely in our political and ecological climate and thorough in its systematic narration of energy in the Victorian period.... The book will appeal to a range of scholars, including those interested in the history of science, the energy humanities, global nineteenth-century studies, and post-colonial studies.” -- Kameron Sanzo * Victorian Review *“The Birth of Energy is packed with fascinating details, and Daggett provides an impressive synthesis of a wide range of scholarship on energy.... Daggett argues for interrogating our received concepts and ways of knowing.” -- Alyssa Battistoni * Perspectives on Politics *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction: Putting the World to Work 1 Part I. The Birth of Energy 1. The Novelty of Energy 15 2. A Steampunk Production 33 3. A Geo-Theology of Energy 51 4. Work Becomes Energetic 83 Part II. Energy, Race, and Empire 5. Energopolitics 107 6. The Imperial Organism at Work 132 7. Education for Empire 162 Conclusion. A Post-Work Energy Politics 187 Notes 207 Bibliography 239 Index 255

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Book SynopsisFrom the animal world to the forces that make things go, young minds have big questions about how the world works. The answers to these questions wait in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Unlock the world around you with STEM and Me.

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Book SynopsisBiotechnological Applications of Biomass provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art of biomass utilization in agriculture and pharmaceuticals. The information contained herein is useful to researchers and other readers interested in biomass utilization and production of bioproducts.

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Book SynopsisIn our everyday imaginations we use the laws of nature with their tremendous possibilities of technical progress for the benefit of mankind. The three catastrophes of Chernobyl (26 April 1986), Fukushima Daichii (11 March 2011) and in the Gulf of Mexico, explosion of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizon (20 April 2010), have shaken this world view. Who directed this development? Is it a matter of human error or technical failure? For the answer, approaches from the natural sciences and the humanities are presented.Table of Contents Preface.- . 1 Four selected accident events.- 2 Cause-effect structure and intentional structure.- 3 Space-time structure.- 4 Evaluation and outlook.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the key aspects that will define future sustainable energy systems: biofuels, green nanomaterials and the production of bioethanol and bio-hydrogen from bio-waste. Bio-based fuels are the future energy carriers for internal combustion engines as they have lower environmental impact and higher efficiency. The book clearly illustrates the requirement for a unified engineering approach based on solid mathematical and engineering principles. Aside from the ecological advantages, support for sustainable energy can help the socioeconomic situation of developing countries by providing a consistent supply of new energy along with the generation of new job opportunities. The sustainable energy applications and existing contextual investigations provide useful guidance for the broad comprehension of the significance of sustainable energy.Technical topics discussed in the book include: Thermochemical Conversion process; Catalytic conversion process; Rankine cycle; Nanomaterials; Table of ContentsPreface Participants of the reviewing process 1. Current scenario of Renewable Energy in India and its possibilities in the Future 2. Application of green nanomaterials for sustainable energy systems: A review of current status 3. Production of energy from biowaste: An overview of the underlying biological technologies 4. Coconut Shell-Based Activated Carbon Supported Metal Oxides in Catalytic Cracking Activity 5. Biofuels – Is it a Sustainable Alternative? 6. Current Research Trends on the Utilization of Mono and Hybrid nano-fluids for Solar Energy Applications 7. Modification and application of vegetable oils for Biofuels 8. A Green Automotive Industry for A Sustainable Future 9. Thermochemical conversions of contaminated biomass for sustainable phytoremediation Author Index Keyword Index

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Book SynopsisEveryday life as we knew it is increasingly challenged in a world of climate, social, health and political crisis. Emerging technologies, data analytics and automation open up new possibilities which have implications for energy generation, storage and energy demand. To support these changes we urgently need to rethink how energy will be sourced, shared and used. Yet existing approaches to this problem, driven by engineering, data analytics and capital, are dangerously conservative and entrenched. Energy Futures critically evaluates this context, and the energy infrastructures, stakeholders, and politics that participate in it, to propose plausible, responsible and ethical modes of encountering possible energy futures. Imagining anthropocene challenges, emerging technologies and everyday life otherwise through empirically grounded studies, opens up possible energy futures. Energy Futures proposes and demonstrates a new critical and interventional futures-oriented energy anthropology. Combining the theories and methods of futures anthropology with the critical expertise and perspectives of energy anthropology creates a powerful mode of engagement, which this book argues is needed to disrupt the dominant narratives about our energy futures. Its contributors collectively reveal and evidence through innovative ethnographic practice how new knowledge about imagined and possible energy futures can be mobilised in engagements with emerging technologies, anthropocene challenges and everyday realities. In doing so it brings together authors, analytical expertise and ethnographic evidence from the global south, north and places in between, generated through innovative methodologies including remote video and comic strip methods and documentary video practice as well as long term fieldwork.

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Book SynopsisReviews the latest advances in biofuel manufacturing technologies and discusses the deployment of other renewable energy for transportation Aimed at providing an interface useful to business and scientific managers, this book focuses on the key challenges that still impede the realization of the billion-ton renewable fuels vision. It places great emphasis on a global view of the topic, reviewing deployment and green energy technology in different countries across Africa, Asia, South America, the EU, and the USA. It also integrates scientific, technological, and business development perspectives to highlight the key developments that are necessary for the global replacement of fossil fuels with green energy solutions. Green Energy to Sustainability: Strategies for Global Industries examines the most recent developments in biofuel manufacturing technologies in light of business, financial, value chain, and supply chain concerns. It also covers the use of otTable of ContentsAbout the Editors xxi List of Contributors xxv Foreword xxxi Preface xxxiii Part I Structure of the Energy Business 1 1 Economic Growth and the Global Energy Demand 3Jürgen Scheffran, Miriam Felkers and Rebecca Froese 1.1 Historical Context and Relationship Between Energy and Development 3 1.2 Conceptual Framework for Pathways of Energy Use 6 1.3 World Population Trends and Prospects 7 1.4 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Economic Growth 8 1.5 Global Energy Development 11 1.6 Global Emissions of Greenhouse Gases 14 1.7 Linkages Between Kaya Factors 16 1.8 Development of Energy Investment 28 1.9 Conditions for Energy Transition and Decarbonization 31 1.10 Perspectives 37 Acknowledgments 38 References 38 2 The Energy Mix in Japan Post-Fukushima 45Seiji Nakagame 2.1 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by Japan 45 2.2 Energy Dependence 46 2.3 The Energy Policy of Japan 48 2.4 Paris Agreement 49 2.5 Prospective Energy Demand 50 2.6 Improvement in Energy Efficiency 50 2.7 Reduction of CO2 Emission in Electric Generation 51 2.8 Development of New Technologies for Decreasing GHG Emissions 51 2.9 Production and Use of Bioethanol in Japan 51 2.10 Production and Use of Hydrocarbons in Japan 52 2.11 Production and Use of Hydrogen in Japan 52 2.12 Contributions of the Japanese Government to Fundamental Research and Development 52 2.13 Perspectives 53 References 53 3 Green Energy in Africa, Asia, and South America 57Daniel de Castro Assumpção, Marcelo Hamaguchi, José Dilcio Rocha and Adriano P. Mariano 3.1 Introduction 57 3.2 South America 58 3.3 Africa 62 3.4 Southeast Asia 66 3.5 China 69 3.6 Global Perspectives 72 References 72 4 The Development of Solar Energy Generation Technologies and Global Production Capabilities 77F. John Hay and N. Ianno 4.1 Introduction 77 4.2 Sunlight and Photosynthesis 78 4.3 Photovoltaic Devices 79 4.4 Overview of Solar Photovoltaic Applications 82 4.5 Perspectives 83 References 84 5 Recent Trends, Opportunities and Challenges of Sustainable Aviation Fuel 85Libing Zhang, Terri L. Butler and Bin Yang 5.1 Introduction 85 5.2 Overview of the Jet Fuel Market 86 5.3 Assessment of Environmental Policy and Economic Factors Affecting the Aviation Industry 93 5.4 Current Activities Around Biojet in the Aviation Industry 98 5.5 Challenges of Future Biojet Fuel Development 100 5.6 Perspectives 104 Acknowledgments 105 References 105 6 The Environmental Impact of Pollution Prevention and Other Sustainable Development Strategies Implemented by the Automotive Manufacturing Industry 111Sandra D. Gaona, Cheryl Keenan, Cyril Vallet, Lawrence Reichle and Stephen C. DeVito 6.1 Introduction 111 6.2 Overview of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry 112 6.3 Chemicals and Chemical Waste in Automotive Manufacturing 114 6.4 Pollution Prevention in Automotive Manufacturing 121 6.5 Perspectives 131 Disclaimer 134 References 134 7 The Global Demand for Biofuels and Biotechnology-Derived Commodity Chemicals: Technologies, Markets, and Challenges 137Stephen R. Hughes and Marjorie A. Jones 7.1 Introduction 137 7.2 Overview of Global Energy Demand 137 7.3 Petroleum Demand and Petroleum Products for Potential Replacement by Bioproducts 140 7.4 Role of Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals in Renewable Energy Demand 143 7.5 Achieving Petroleum Replacement with Biobased Fuels and Chemicals 145 7.6 Projections of Global Demand for Biobased Fuels and Chemicals 149 7.7 Potential Impacts on Price of Transportation Fuels and Chemicals Assuming Various Scenarios of World Economic Growth 151 7.8 Projection of Energy-Related CO2 Emissions With or Without Remediation Technology 151 7.9 Government Impact on Demand for Biofuels and Biobased Chemicals 152 7.10 Perspectives 154 References 155 Part II Chemicals and Transportation Fuels from Biomass 157 8 Sustainable Platform Chemicals from Biomass 159Ankita Juneja and Vijay Singh 8.1 Introduction 159 8.2 2-Carbon 161 8.3 3-Carbon 163 8.4 4-Carbon 166 8.5 5-Carbon 169 8.6 6-Carbon 171 8.7 Perspectives 174 References 175 9 Biofuels from Microalgae and Seaweeds: Potentials of Industrial Scale Production 185Licheng Peng, Freeman Lan and Christopher Q. Lan 9.1 Introduction 185 9.2 Biofuels 186 9.3 Biofuels from Microalgae and Seaweeds 191 9.4 Recent Developments in Algae Processing Technologies 195 9.5 Potential for Industrial Scale Production 200 9.6 Progresses in the Commercial Production of Alga-Based Biofuels 205 9.7 Perspectives 209 References 210 10 Advanced Fermentation Technologies: Conversion of Biomass to Ethanol by Organisms Other than Yeasts, a Case for Escherichia coli 219K. T. Shanmugam, Lorraine P. Yomano, Sean W. York and Lonnie O. Ingram 10.1 Introduction 219 10.2 Zymomonas mobilis 222 10.3 Escherichia coli 223 10.4 Osmotic Stress of High Sugar Concentration 227 10.5 Inhibitor-Tolerant Ethanologenic E. coli 227 10.6 Engineering Bacterial Biocatalysts Other than E. coli for the Production of Ethanol Using the PDC/ADH Pathway 229 10.7 Ethanol Production by Non-PDC Pathways 230 10.8 Partition of Carbon at the Pyruvate Node 231 10.9 Other Metabolic Pathways that Contribute to Ethanol Production 231 10.10 Perspectives 232 Acknowledgements 232 References 233 11 Clostridia and Process Engineering for Energy Generation 239Adriano P. Mariano, Danilo S. Braz, Henrique C. A. Venturelli and Nasib Qureshi 11.1 Introduction 239 11.2 Recent Technological Advances 241 11.3 Economic Modelling and Case Study 246 11.4 Perspectives 263 Acknowledgements 263 References 264 12 Fuel Ethanol Production from Lignocellulosic Materials Using Recombinant Yeasts 269Stephen R. Hughes and Marjorie A. Jones 12.1 Review of Current Fuel Ethanol Production 269 12.2 Evolution of Cost of Cellulosic Ethanol Production 272 12.3 Technological Opportunities to Reduce Cellulosic Ethanol Production Costs 277 12.4 Perspectives: Approaches to Optimize the Use of Lignocellulosic and Waste Materials as Feedstocks 279 References 281 13 Enzymes for Cellulosic Biomass Hydrolysis and Saccharification 283Elmar M. Villota, Ziyu Dai, Yanpin Lu and Bin Yang 13.1 Introduction 283 13.2 Glycosyl Hydrolases: General Structure and Mechanism 286 13.3 The Cellulase Enzyme System 289 13.4 The Hemicellulase Enzyme System 295 13.5 Microorganisms for Biomass Hydrolysis 299 13.6 Perspectives 308 Acknowledgement 309 References 309 14 Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuels and Green Commodity Chemicals 327Mairi J. Black, Onesmus Mwabonje, Aiduan Li Borrion and Aurelia Karina Hillary 14.1 Introduction 327 14.2 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 328 14.3 The Origin and Principles of Life Cycle Assessment 329 14.4 Developing a Life Cycle Assessment 329 14.5 Scope of the Life Cycle Assessment: Attributional verses Consequential 331 14.6 Biofuels and Green Commodity Chemicals 332 14.7 Feedstocks for Biofuels 332 14.8 Conversion of Feedstock 333 14.9 Supply Chain and Logistics 335 14.10 Using LCA as a Tool to Assess GHG Emissions and Other Impacts Associated with Bioethanol Production and Supply 335 14.11 Discussion on the Suitability of LCA 336 14.12 Perspectives: Moving Forward with the LCA Concept 348 References 349 Part III Hydrogen and Methane 355 15 Biotechnological Production of Fuel Hydrogen and Its Market Deployment 357Carolina Zampol Lazaro, Emrah Sagir and Patrick C. Hallenbeck 15.1 Introduction 357 15.2 Hydrogen Production Through Dark Fermentation 358 15.3 Hydrogen Production Through Photofermentation 370 15.4 Hydrogen Production by Combined Systems 370 15.5 Perspectives 379 Acknowledgements 383 References 383 16 Deployment of Biogas Production Technologies in Emerging Countries 395Guangyin Zhen, Xueqin Lu, Xiaohui Wang, Shaojuan Zheng, Jianhui Wang, Zhongxiang Zhi, Lianghu Su, Kaiqin Xu, Takuro Kobayashi, Gopalakrishnan Kumar and Youcai Zhao 16.1 Introduction 395 16.2 Types of Feedstock 397 16.3 Pretreatment Technologies of Anaerobic Digestion Feedstocks 404 16.4 Full-scale Implementation Status of Anaerobic Digestion in Developing Countries 413 16.5 Perspectives 416 References 416 17 Hydrogen Production by Algae 425Tunc Catal and Halil Kavakli 17.1 Importance of Hydrogen Production 425 17.2 Hydrogen Producing Microorganisms 427 17.3 Hydrogen Producing Algae (Macro–Micro) Species 428 17.4 Production of Biohydrogen Through Fermentation 431 17.5 Technologies (Solar Algae Fuel Cell/Microbial Fuel Cell) 433 17.6 Possibility of Commercial Production of Hydrogen 434 17.7 Perspectives and Future Implications of Algae in Biotechnology 437 References 438 18 Production and Utilization of Methane Biogas as Renewable Fuel 447Ganesh Dattatraya Saratale, Jeyapraksh Damaraja, Sutha Shobana, Rijuta Ganesh Saratale, Sivagurunathan Periyasamy, Gunagyin Zhen and Gopalakrishnan Kumar 18.1 Introduction 447 18.2 Anaerobic Digestion 448 18.3 Mechanism of Anaerobic Digestion 449 18.4 Significant Factors Influencing Anaerobic Digestion 455 18.5 Strategies Applied to Enhance Microalgae Methane Biogas Production 456 18.6 Utilization of Methane Biogas as a Renewable Fuel 458 18.7 Perspectives 459 References 459 Part IV Perspectives 465 19 Integrated Biorefineries for the Production of Bioethanol, Biodiesel, and Other Commodity Chemicals 467Pedro F Souza Filho and Mohammad J Taherzadeh 19.1 Introduction 467 19.2 Types of Biorefineries 468 19.3 Biorefinery Platforms 471 19.4 Integrated Biorefineries 472 19.5 Coproducts 475 19.6 Integrating Ethanol and Biodiesel Refineries 480 19.7 Economical Aspects 482 19.8 Perspectives 484 References 484 20 Lignocellulosic Crops as Sustainable Raw Materials for Bioenergy 489Emiliano Maletta and Carlos Hernández Díaz-Ambrona 20.1 Introduction 489 20.2 Major Lignocellulosic Industrial Crops 492 20.3 Social, Economic and Environmental Aspects in Sustainability Criteria 498 20.4 Processing Alternatives for Lignocellulosic Bioenergy Crops 502 20.5 Filling the Gap: From Farm to Industry 503 20.6 Perspectives 506 References 508 21 Industrial Waste Valorization: Applications to the Case of Liquid Biofuels 515Haibo Huang and Qing Jin 21.1 Introduction 515 21.2 Types of Industrial Waste for Biofuel Production 516 21.3 Ethanol Production 517 21.4 Butanol 523 21.5 Biodiesel 527 21.6 Perspectives 531 References 531 22 The Environmental Impact of Pollution Prevention, Sustainable Energy Generation, and Other Sustainable Development Strategies Implemented by the Food Manufacturing Sector 539Sandra D. Gaona, T.J. Pepping, Cheryl Keenan and Stephen C. DeVito 22.1 Introduction 539 22.2 Overview of the Food Manufacturing Industry 540 22.3 Chemicals and Chemical Wastes in the Food Manufacturing Industry 545 22.4 Pollution Prevention in Food Manufacturing 554 22.5 Perspectives 563 Disclaimer 564 References 564 23 Financing Strategies for Sustainable Bioenergy and the Commodity Chemicals Industry 569Praveen V. Vadlani 23.1 The Current Financing Scenario at Global Level 569 23.2 Ethanol Biofuel Industry – An Overview 572 23.3 Bio-Based Industry – Current Status and Future Potential 577 23.4 Financing and Investment Strategy for Bio-Based Industries 579 23.5 Perspectives and Sustainable Financing Approach – Change in Wall Street Mindset in the Valuation of Bio-Based Industries 583 Acknowledgements 584 References 585 24 Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability as Forces of Change 587Asutosh T. Yagnik 24.1 Introduction 587 24.2 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 587 24.3 From CSR to Corporate Sustainability 597 24.4 Perspectives 603 References 607 25 The Industrial World in the Twenty-First Century 613Alain A. Vertès 25.1 Introduction: Energy and Sustainability 613 25.2 Transportation in the Twenty-First Century: A Carbon Tax Story 622 25.3 Cities of Change 627 25.4 The Chemical Industry Revisited 629 25.5 Paradigm Changes in Modes of Consumption 633 25.6 International Action for Curbing the Pollution of the Atmosphere Commons: The Case of CFCs and the Ozone Layer 634 25.7 Social Activism as an Engine of Change: Requiem for a Wonderful World 635 25.8 Perspectives: A Brave New World 636 References 639 Index 649

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Book SynopsisFrom the animal world to the forces that make things go, young minds have big questions about how the world works. The answers to these questions wait in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Unlock the world around you with STEM and Me.

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Book SynopsisA pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”  Across the country, fracking—the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing—is being touted as the nation’s answer to energy independence and a fix for a flagging economy. Drilling companies assure us that the process is safe, politicians push through drilling legislation without a serious public-health debate, and those who speak out are marginalized, their silence purchased by gas companies and their warnings about the dangers of fracking stifled.   The Real Cost of Fracking pulls back the curtain on how this toxic process endangers the environment and harms people, pets, and livestock. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a pharmacologist, combine their expertise to show how contamination at drilling sites translates into ill health and heartbreak

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest challenges facing human civilization is the provision of secure, affordable energy without causing catastrophic environmental damage. As the world''s largest economy, and as a world leader in energy technologies, the United States is a particularly important case. In the light of increased competition from other countries (particularly China), growing concerns about the local and global environmental impacts of the energy system, an ever-present interest in energy security, and the realization that technological innovation takes place in a complex ecosystem involving a wide range of domestic and international actors, this volume provides a comprehensive and analytical assessment of the role that the US government should play in energy technology innovation. It will be invaluable for policy makers in energy innovation and for researchers studying energy innovation, future energy technologies, climate-change mitigation, and innovation management. It will act as a suppTrade Review'… this volume is an invaluable addition to a wider energy innovation literature that can, and should, be read by US policy-makers, particularly at the federal level. It is an account of how the US federal government has been responding to the need for [research, development and demonstration] RD&D in the energy sector. It is a critical analysis of how the RD&D aspect of US energy innovation, especially its ever-changing political dynamics can be accelerated. It also offers a thorough discussion of how RD&D could be systematically facilitated through a structured approach. It is a concise, well-focused study of the RD&D aspect of a rather complex and messy energy innovation system.' Laurence L. Delina, Journal Science and Public PolicyTable of Contents1. The need to transform US energy innovation Matthew Bunn, Laura Diaz Anadon and Venkatesh Narayanamurti; 2. Expanding, and improving targeting of, US investment in energy innovation: an analytical approach Laura Diaz Anadon, Gabriel Chan and Audrey Lee; 3. Reforming US energy innovation institutions: maximizing the return on investment Nathaniel Logar, Venkatesh Narayanamurti and Laura Diaz Anadon; 4. Encouraging private-sector energy technology innovation and public-private cooperation Charles Jones, Laura Diaz Anadon and Venkatesh Narayanamurti; 5. Maximizing the benefit from international energy innovation cooperation Ruud Kempener, Matthew Bunn and Laura Diaz Anadon; 6. Transforming US energy innovation: how do we get there? Laura Diaz Anadon, Venkatesh Narayanamurti and Matthew Bunn.

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Book SynopsisThe global energy transition from carbon-intensive to renewable fuels has increasingly demanded a better understanding of the causes and consequences of the rapid development of unconventional oil and gas. Focusing on key countries including the United States, Canada, China, Argentina, the United Kingdom and Australia, this book consists of case studies and in-depth analyses that weigh up the risks and rewards at regional, national and global scales. Explaining how and why unconventional fuels are transforming the global energy landscape, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are explored through a political, economic and governance-based perspective. Emphasis is placed on how to regulate the industry, encompassing local issues, stakeholder engagement and the social licence to operate. The new baseline studies and standards introduced in this book provide a timely insight into the trade-offs across the social, economic and environmental domains, making this ideal for researchers and policymakers in energy fields, and for graduate students.Trade Review'Risks, Rewards and Regulation of Unconventional Gas is a useful and thought-provoking book. It provides a foundation for further research and analysis. A complete reading brings to the surface two general issues that might otherwise lay hidden in the deeper strata of law and policy. First, what is the role of higher-order rules in the development of unconventional gas? … Second, the book also raises (by the vacuum of omission) the most interesting and important question in natural resources law today: to what degree are governments and institutions victims of 'regulatory capture'?' James Hickling, The Cambridge Law JournalTable of ContentsForeword; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. The rise of unconventional gas: the story so far Ian Cronshaw, R. Quentin Grafton and Michal Moore; 2. Geopolitical dimensions of global unconventional gas perspectives Frank Umbach; 3. Unconventional gas development in Asia-Pacific: looking for common ground Juan Roberto Lozano-Maya; 4. Unconventional hydrocarbons and the US technology revolution Martin Evans; 5. Risks and opportunities of unconventional natural gas: Australia and the United States Ian Cronshaw and R. Quentin Grafton; 6. Economics of shale gas in the United States Francis O'Sullivan; 7. Unconventional natural gas in China LV Jianzhong and Zhang Huanzhi; 8. The Argentina approach for developing unconventional gas resources Luis Stinco and Silvia Barredo; 9. Unconventional gas in the United Kingdom Michael Bradshaw; 10. Alberta natural gas: landlocked largesse Michal Moore; 11. Managing the regulatory risk of unconventional natural gas Michal Moore; 12. Regulation of unconventional gas in Colombia Ana Cristina Sánchez-Thorin and Orlando Cabrales; 13. Regulation of unconventional gas in India Vijay Kelkar and Rahool Panandikar; 14. Failure to frack: pitfalls of governance and risk in Polish shale gas Michael Carnegie LaBelle; 15. Unconventional gas regulation in Australia and the US: case studies of four jurisdictions Ian Cronshaw and R. Quentin Grafton; 16. Regulation of unconventional hydrocarbons in Alberta, Canada Michal Moore; 17. When unconventional becomes conventional: regulation of natural gas development in British Columbia, Canada Paul Jeakins; 18. Leading practice regulation for unconventional reservoir development in South Australia Barry Goldstein, Michael Malavazos and Belinda Hayter; 19. Best practice for community engagement: determining who and what is at stake? Peta Ashworth; 20. Managing the impact of coal seam gas water extraction in the Surat basin Randall Cox; 21. Whole of landscape assessment and planning in the management of unconventional natural gas exploration and production in Australia John Williams, Ann Milligan and Tim Stubbs; 22. Unconventional energy in British Columbia: a post-Tsilhqot'in view William Nikolakis; 23. Fugitive emissions from coal seam gas production Stuart Day; Appendix; Glossary; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive compilation of all reports, testimony, correspondence and other publications issued by the Congressional Research Service on Energy and Environment during the month of March.

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Book SynopsisEnergy plays a vital role in Americans'' lives and in the U.S. economy as a whole, particularly in the provision of electricity, transportation, heating and cooling, and industrial processing - the four main energy-consuming sectors of the economy. This book examines the various commodities used to generate energy in the United States, focusing on the two largest energy-consuming sectors of the U.S. economy; electricity and transportation, and the differences in how they expose U.S. households and businesses to disruptions, either domestic or international, in the supply of energy.

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Book SynopsisU.S. policymakers have considered and deliberated on several policy designs that could potentially reduce energy-related carbon emissions. In his 2011 State of the Union address, President Obama proposed the concept of a Clean Energy Standard (CES) that would result in 80% of U.S. electricity generation from clean energy sources by 2035. In March of 2012, the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 (S.2146) was introduced in the Senate. The primary goal of S.2146 is to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the U.S. electricity sector, which represents approximately 41% of total U.S. CO2 emissions. Generally, the approach used to achieve this goal is to require certain utility companies to source a portion of their electricity generation from qualified clean energy generators. Utilities located in either Alaska or Hawaii are exempted from CES requirements. This book examines the policy proposals and impacts of the Clean Energy Standard Act with a focus on compliance requirements and clean energy credits.

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Book SynopsisRecent events have renewed long-standing congressional interest in safe management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and other high level nuclear waste. These issues have been examined and debated for decades, sometimes renewed by world events like the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The incident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactor complex in Japan, combined with the termination of the Yucca Mountain geologic repository project, have contributed to the increased interest. This book focuses on the current situation with spent nuclear fuel storage in the United States. It addresses the SNF storage situation, primarily at current and former reactor facilities and former reactor sites for the potentially foreseeable future. Although no nation has yet established a permanent disposal repository for SNF and other forms of high-level radioactive waste, there is broad consensus that a geological repository is the preferred method for these wastes.

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