Synopses & Reviews
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 scalefor 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.
Review
"A delight to read and will appeal especially to practical people who want to understand what is important in energy and what is not." Dr Derek Pooley CBE, former chief scientist, UK Department of Energy, and member, European Union Advisory Group on Energy
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"This is a brilliant book that is both a racy read and hugely informative . . . It shows . . . how cars might become far more efficient but why planes cannot." David Newbery, director, Electricity Policy Research Group, University of Cambridge
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"If someone wants an overall view of how energy gets used, where it comes from, and the challenges in switching to new sources, this is the book to read." Bill Gates, chairman, Microsoft
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"I would choose Sustainable Energy as a text over its competitors because MacKay has moved the energy discussion in the direction where energy alternatives can be considered quantitatively." American Journal of Physics
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"This is a must-have book for anyone who is seriously interested in energy policy." Scott Kirwin, therazor.org
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"The main text of his book is readable (and witty) and its technical appendices bristle with equations. If the planet and its people are the patient, MacKay's book is the the lab results, temperature chart and electrocardiogram." —The New York Review of Books (April 26, 2012)
Synopsis
The enlightening, best-selling book on understanding sustainable energy and how we can make energy plans that add up.
If you've ever wondered how much energy we use, and where it comes from - and where it could come from - but are fed up with all the hot air and 'greenwash', this is the book for you. Renewable resources are 'huge', but our energy consumption is also 'huge'. To compare 'huge' things with each other, we need numbers, not adjectives.
Sustainable Energy - without the hot air addresses the energy crisis objectively, cutting through all the contradictory statements from the media, government, and lobbies of all sides. It gives you the numbers and the facts you need, in bite-sized chunks, so you can understand the issues yourself and organises 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 book also answers questions surrounding nuclear energy, the potential of sustainable fossil fuels, and the possibilities of sharing renewable power with foreign countries.
Written by David MacKay, who was an esteemed Professor of Engineering at the University of Cambridge and Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Department of Climate Change, this is an uplifting, jargon-free and informative read for all. In it, David 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.
About the Author
David MacKay is a professor in the department of physics at Cambridge University, a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Climate Change, and a regular lecturer on sustainable energy.