MacKay, David J. C.,

Sustainable energy-- without the hot air / David J.C. MacKay. - 366 pages : col. illustrations, color maps ; 23 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

I Numbers, not adjectives -- 1 Motivations -- 2 The balance sheet -- 3 Cars -- 4 Wind -- 5 Planes -- 6 Solar -- 7 Heating and cooling -- 8 Hydroelectricity -- 9 Light -- 10 Offshore wind -- 11 Gadgets -- 12 Wave -- 13 Food and farming -- 14 Tide -- 15 Stuff -- 16 Geothermal . -- 17 Public services -- 18 Can we live on renewables? -- II Making a difference -- 19 Every BIG helps -- 20 Better transport -- 21 Smarter heating -- 22 Efficient electricity use -- 23 Sustainable fossil fuels? -- 24 Nuclear? -- 25 Living on other countries' renewables? -- 26 Fluctuations and storage -- 27 Five energy plans for Britain -- 28 Putting costs in perspective -- 29 What to do now . -- 30 Energy plans for Europe, America, and the World -- 31 The last thing we should talk about -- 32 Saying yes -- Acknowledgments -- III Technical chapters -- A Cars II -- B Wind II -- C Planes II -- D Solar II -- E Heating II -- F Waves II -- G Tide II -- H Stuff II -- IV Useful data -- I Quick reference -- J Populations and areas -- K UK energy history -- List of web links -- Bibliography -- Index -- About the author

The best-selling book on understanding sustainable energy and how we can make energy plans that add up. Addressing the sustainable energy crisis in an objective manner, this enlightening book analyzes the relevant numbers and organizes a plan for change on both a personal level and an international scale--for Europe, the United States, and the world. In case study format, this informative reference answers questions surrounding nuclear energy, the potential of sustainable fossil fuels, and the possibilities of sharing renewable power with foreign countries. While underlining the difficulty of minimizing consumption, the tone remains positive as it debunks misinformation and clearly explains the calculations of expenditure per person to encourage people to make individual changes that will benefit the world at large. If you've thrown your hands up in despair thinking no solution is possible, then read this book - it's an honest, realistic, and humorous discussion of all our energy options.

9780954452933 (pbk.) : No price


Renewable energy sources--Popular works.
Energy conservation.
Environment and Ecology.
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