Sustainable Energy - without the hot air

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.

David JC MacKay

Part I - Numbers, not adjectives Motivations The balance sheet Cars Wind Planes Solar Heating and cooling Hydroelectricity Light Offshore wind Gadgets Wave Food and farming Tide Stuff Geothermal Public services Can we live on renewables? Part II - Making a difference Every BIG helps Better transport Smarter heating Efficient electricity use Sustainable fossil fuels? Nuclear? Living on other countries' renewables? Fluctuations and storage Five energy plans for Britain Putting costs in perspective What to do now Energy plans for Europe, America, and the World The last thing we should talk about Saying yes Acknowledgments Part III - Technical chapters Cars II Wind II Planes II Solar II Heating II Waves II Tide II Stuff II Part IV - Useful data Quick reference Populations and areas UK energy history List of web links Bibliography Index About the author