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Customer Reviews (1)

A choice pick for anyone serious about then environment and modern science
So with all the debate, scientific advancements, and environmental policies, how is the planet doing overall? "Science Magazine's State of the Planet: 2008-2009" is a collection of scholarly discussions of the current events of science and technology and the debate around it - and the counter-debate. The result is scholarly, intriguing, and bound to make readers consider what they know and learn other options. Editor Donald Kennedy and his crew have put together an up to date primer on the subjects that will enlighten and educate. "Science Magazine's State of the Planet: 2008-2009" is a choice pick for anyone serious about then environment and modern science.
... Read more

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More and more people believe we must quickly wean ourselves from fossil fuels - oil, natural gas and coal - to save the planet from environmental catastrophe, wars and economic collapse. Professor Jaccard argues that this view is misguided. We have the technological capability to use fossil fuels without emitting climate-threatening greenhouse gases or other pollutants. The transition from conventional oil and gas to their unconventional sources including coal for producing electricity, hydrogen and cleaner-burning fuels will decrease energy dependence on politically unstable regions.In addition, our vast fossil fuel resources will be the cheapest source of clean energy for the next century and perhaps longer, which is critical for the economic and social development of the world's poorer countries. By buying time for increasing energy efficiency, developing renewable energy technologies and making nuclear power more attractive, fossil fuels will play a key role in humanity's quest for a sustainable energy system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good Research But Lack of Economic Theory
Jaccard makes some strong arguments throughout the book. Clearly a lot of research has gone into the data.
However, Jaccard makes a lot of assumptive statements, not backed up by enough economic theory. The book swings between being from an ecologist's point of view and an economic stance, but Jaccard makes his thoughts know when he jokes that economists "don't know they are lying", and that economics' "abstract models get in the way of seeing reality".
Further more, there is no mention of the Hotelling Principle that is key to this area of energy and natural resource economics.
A good read if you are wanting to know more about fossil fuels, but a bit disappointing if you are wanting to learn more than the scaremongering propaganda that you read in a newspaper.

Why the solution to energy consumption is not limited to finding an alternative to fossil fuels
"Sustainable Fossil Fuels: The Unusual Suspect in the Quest for Clean and Enduring Energy" tackles the task of explaining why the solution to energy consumption is not limited to finding an alternative to fossil fuels. The author argues that there is evidence that the world has untapped resources and an energy reserve supply of fossil fuels to last perhaps 800 years (for gas and coal), and that rising prices of precious fuel resources should not be assumed to mean the end of stored fossil fuel energy is imminent. Considering the options of renewable energy, nuclear power, and energy efficiency, the author states:" The end (goal) is a low impact and low risk energy system that can meet expanded human energy needs indefinitely and do this as inexpensively as possible, without succumbing to cataclysmic forces at some future time...it is unjustifiable to rule out fossil fuels in advance of a holistic comparison that considers critical decision factors. These factors include cost... the human desire to minimize the risk of extreme events...to ensure adequate and reliable energy supplies free from geopolitical turmoil, and to sustain values, institutions and lifestyles (p. 355)." Jaccard believes that fossil fuels are likely to continue to provide a significant resource to the global energy system during a gradual transition to a sustainable global energy system, perhaps over a period of more than a century. "Sustainable Fossil Fuels" makes a convincing argument for thorough review of the cost of energy sustainability, leading to an unprejudiced reconsideration of continuing the mixed use of fossil fuels. A handy chapter reading guide suggests the best way to read the book, considering the following key questions: What is energy sustainability (Chapter 1)? Is our current energy path sustainable (chapter 2)? Chapter 3: The prospects for clean, secondary energy, Chapter 4: The usual suspects: efficiency, nuclear and renewables, Chapter 5: The unusual suspect: how long can fossil fuels last - and does it mater? Chapter 6: Can we use fossil fuels cleanly - and what might it cost? and last, Chapter 7: Sustainable energy choices: comparing the options. "Sustainable Fossil Fuels" is a convincing argument for the continued judicious planned use of fossil fuels while seeking alternative sustainable energy choices. It is enhanced by a bibliography of 22 pages and many graphs and charts and footnotes. References are made to pertinent web sites for further information as well.

Clean fossil fuel - an oxymoron?
Given all the talk of "peak oil" in the media, it appears that the public has accepted the message that we are running out of all manner of fossil fuels. Regardless, high pump prices aren't viewed as signs of increasing scarcity, but rather of increased collusion among big oil companies.

This book provides a very useful compendium of energy industry information, and argues convincingly that fossil fuels will not run out for quite some time. The information the book contains would go far to dispelling a lot of fossil fuel "urban myths" if energy consumers took the time to read it.

Other recently released books on energy and climate change encourage readers to "stick it" to big oil and big coal by going "off-grid", etc., and don't sufficiently explore how these same companies can play a role in a more sustainable energy future.

While fossil fuels may never be viewed as "clean" by the public, they will certainly endure for centuries as Jaccard attests. This book is a useful read for those interested in learning how to make fossil fuel-based economies more sustainable, using more facts and less media hyperbole.

Extraordinary tour of our imminent choices
Complete. Here and now. Solid. It takes the reader on a 360 degree loop, at least for the next 100 years. Professor Jaccard evidently knows how to deliver a class. Good economic analysis, just three things I wanted to mention:

1. The book needs a relative sense of the urgency for policy that fosters carbon capture -with its corresponding research of possible CO2 leaks- a starting point, if not the cornerstone of his proposal.
2. Idem 1 but for legislation that promotes the adaptation of new technologies (ingenuity) to replace the vanishing fossil fuels. These technologies are intrinsically linked to the success of the proposal as a whole.
3. I wasn't very convinced on the transportation front. If combustion from "Status Enhancement Vehicles" represents almost half of the total anthropogenic-related pollution, shouldn't we be focusing more on them? The current technologies are mentioned and explained, but transportation is key in our urban societies and needs a push from governments if a transition is to take place in the short run. Taxing private vehicle owners (Yes, like smokers!)could be a means to promote and build alternative clean transportation and at the same time curb driving.

I understand that the book cannot cover all the issues at hand. In 361 pages, it addresses and explains with surprising clarity our current situation and possible solutions. Worth every page.

Unsustainable sustainability
Jaccard's book is a good survey of many of the issues and problems surrounding energy use.But he pays lip service to some critically important issues.

Despite a few brief glimpses outside, Jaccard takes the usual economist's "closed system" approach and couples it with the usual technotopian idea that humans have the ingenuity to find technological fixes for virtually any problem.In talking about the future impact of human activity on the natural world, Jaccard comments that "any individual unavoidable hazards can be ones from which the system could recover within a reasonable time, either from natural processes alone or in concert with human remediation efforts" (p. 355)

A BBC News report that states that, due to human activity, "organisms are disappearing at something like 100 to 1,000 times the background levels' seen in the fossil record."( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4563499.stm )This loss of biodiversity has a direct impact on human health and wealth.To date, "natural processes" and "human remediation efforts" have not managed to bring back any extinct species.

Jaccard promotes the idea of "zero emission" fossil fuels at the point of use, but neglects the fact that large quantities of fossil fuels and resources are required by the operation of, and even production of, the machinery and infrastructure required to produce those fuels.He talks about the expansion of "clean" nuclear energy, but again neglects the emissions from mining, processing, and transporting fuel, storing and safeguarding spent fuel, and the construction of power plants and machinery.More importantly, Jaccard fails to mention the social irresponsibility of leaving behind toxic mine tailings and wastewater, spent fuel, and power plants that are decommissioned after their relatively short life span.Despite protocols and regulations, these will pose a hazard to future generations for thousands of years.

As a further example of "closed system" thinking, Jaccard talks about the expansion of "renewables," including solar and wind power, again without mentioning how dependent upon fossil fuels these energy sources are t present, for materials, production, and maintenance.

Finally, Jaccard neglects to mention that the growth he predicts depends heavily upon so many other resources, many of which are becoming increasingly scarce, and which rely on the current relatively cheap and abundant fossil fuels for extraction, processing, and production.

Despite the title of his book, Jaccard does briefly acknowledge that fossil fuel use, even in the manner he promotes, is not indefinitely sustainable, and would require enormous efforts and will to reduce GHG emissions, let alone solve all the other waste stream and resource issues.Indeed, almost appearing as repentance at the last minute, Jaccard's very last sentence acknowledges that a "sustainable fossil fuel future does not guarantee a sustainable human presence on this shrinking planet." (p. 361)

So much for sustainability. ... Read more

Product Description
Pure environmentalism and pure resource exploitation can be integrated together to form an encompassing sustainability solution. This is the main message of this book based on an innovative "structure-concentration-incentives" methodology applied to Egypt. This methodology provides a basis for achieving environmental sustainability based on endogenous source-driven forces of change in contrast to the traditional effects-dominant oriented approach. Though the book's methodology could be used as a framework of analysis in environmental sustainability research for any developing country, Egypt provides a rich case study because of its historical, socio-economic, and political constructs. Sustainable development is generally seen as a tradeoff between resource efficiency and social equity such that total resource essentials in society can become sustainable in the long run in a manner that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Environmental sustainability cannot be implemented without the direct inclusion of structure (form), concentration (effect), and incentives (drivers) as critical policy choices because: (1) they constitute a necessary condition in any country's path towards sustainable development, (2) they must be implemented simultaneously as a target and constraint, and (3) they require social and political sacrifice complemented by endogenous-based systems in contrast to authoritarian solutions. Egypt, Energy and the Environment presents research on Egypt's energy and environmental resources from multidisciplinary perspectives. It offers sustainability solutions to many of the country's problems relating to energy, pollution, water, gender, wildlife, politics, economics, management, ecology, and information technology.The book's method of analysis can be applied to other developing countries as well. ____________________________Tarek H. Selim is Associate Professor of Economics at the American University in Cairo and Faculty Affiliate to Harvard Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. He has published extensively in leading international journals and presented papers in many conferences. His research output includes more than fifty research articles and book reviews, and he won his school's research excellence award in 2006. Professor Selim has PhD in economics from George Washington University, MBA from Johns Hopkins, and holds professional certificate programs from MIT, Harvard, Georgetown, Oxford, and Imperial College. ... Read more

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This text aims to be a driving force for an economically sound and sustainable development of developing countries. It looks at the provision of geothermal energy within the framework of sustainable energy development for power generation, rural electrification and so forth. ... Read more

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This report examines East Asia’s energy future over the nexttwo decades through two energy scenarios. It outlines the strategicdirection of East Asia’s energy sector to meet its growing energydemand in an environmentally sustainable manner, and presents a pathwayof policy frameworks and financing mechanisms to get there.

The report concluded that it is within the reach for East Asia tostabilize CO2 emissions by 2025, improve local environment, and enhanceenergy security, without compromising economic growth, throughlarge-scale deployment of energy efficiency and low-carbontechnologies. It is in developing countries’ interests to getonto the sustainable energy path.

To achieve these goals requires that the governments in the regiontake immediate action to transform their energy sectors toward muchhigher energy efficiency and more widespread use of low-carbontechnologies. The window of opportunity is closing fast, as delayingaction would lock the region into a long-lasting high-carboninfrastructure.

This shift requires major domestic policy and institutional reforms.The first step is to improve energy efficiency, which requires a mix ofenergy pricing reforms, regulations such as energy efficiencystandards, and financial incentives are required to overcome the marketbarriers. The second step is to scale up renewable energy, which needsto provide financial incentive policies for renewable energy such asfeed-in tariffs or tax on fossil fuels. Furthermore, acceleratedresearch and development are important for innovation and newtechnologies. Finally, building low-carbon cities is essential tocontain the rapid urban energy growth through compact urban design,public transport, clean vehicles, and green buildings.

These countries cannot do it alone. Developed countries need totransfer substantial financing and low-carbon technologies. The WorldBank Group is committed to scaling up policy advice, knowledge sharing,and financing in sustainable energy to help the region’sgovernments make such a shift. The technical and policy means exist forsuch transformational changes, but only strong political will andunprecedented international cooperation will make them happen.

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This comprehensive overview of energy production offers a sweeping analysis of energy policy in the United States since 1945. It describes how policies have led to a high production and consumption model that has provided generally stable supplies of relatively cheap energy. The authors examine the four interrelated institutions that make up the industry: energy Prime Movers, Industry Shapers, Energy Users, and Industry Regulators. They explore the alternative frameworks and policy instruments available to elected and appointed officials. The book also discusses problems and opportunities that could arise in the future.

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Sustainable development and global climate change have figured prominently in scientific analysis and international policymaking since the early 1990s. This book formulates technology strategies that will lead to environmentally sustainable energy systems, based on an analysis of global climate change issues using the concept of sustainable development. The authors focus on environmentally compatible, long-term technology developments within the global energy system, while also considering aspects of economic and social sustainability. The authors analyze a large number of alternative scenarios and illustrate the differences between those that meet the criteria for sustainable development and those that do not. As a result of their analysis, they identify a variety of promising socio-economic and environmental development paths that are consistent with sustainable development. One sustainable-development scenario and its policy implications are then presented in detail from a technology change perspective. The authors propose ambitious targets for technology adoption that are judged to achieve the desired socio-economic and environmental goals. Although the optimal policy mix to pursue these targets is clearly country-specific, the authors suggest that energy-related R&D that leads to technology performance improvements and the promotion of technology adoption in niche markets are the policy options which will yield the most significant long-term benefits.Policymakers, economists and researchers working on sustainability, energy economics, and technology change and innovation will welcome this topical and highly readable book. ... Read more

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The quantity of fossil fuels left on the planet islimited, and their use is subject to further restrictions due to constraints on CO2 emissions.This crisis has brought to the forefront of the political agenda the need for a conversion to a sustainable society.In this compelling book, a backcasting approach based on energy flows is used to evaluate the physical constraints on sustainable development. The starting point for the backcasting approach is the definition of a desired situation at a determined point in the future.This leads to the development of scenarios that connect our present status with the desired future point.This detailed, quantitative approach gives insights into the challenges that lie ahead in order to realise our goal.The book clearly displays large sets of expectations concerning the development of future population size and wealth, technological improvements and resource quantities.These are used to discuss the overall possibility for a transition to a sustainable society and highlight the dilemma between equity and environmental quality.A selection of other energy-scenario studies using different approaches are also discussed and contrasted with the backcasting model.The book concludes with some reflections on the institutional and socio-psychological aspects of a transition to sustainability and recommends a goal-oriented policy to implement this change. Transition to a Sustainable Society will prove essential reading for those with an interest in ecological economics, energy and environmental policy makers, and research planners. ... Read more

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Solar thermal systems available today offer efficiency and reliability. They can be applied in different conditions to meet various requirements in the residential, commercial and industrial building sectors. The potential for this technology and the associated environmental benefits are significant.

This fully updated edition of 2004’s bestselling guide offers clear guidance on planning and installing a solar thermal system, crucial to the successful uptake of this technology. All major topics for successful project implementation are included. Beginning with resource assessment and an outline of core components, it details solar thermal system design, installation, operation and maintenance for single households, large systems, swimming pool heaters, solar air and solar cooling applications. Details on how to market solar thermal technologies, a review of simulation tools and data on regional, national and international renewable energy programs are also provided.

In short, the book offers comprehensive guidance for professionals who wish to install solar thermal technology. This new edition will be a highly valued resource for architects and engineers alike who are working on new projects, electricians, roofers and other installers, craftsmen undertaking vocational training and anyone with a specialized and practical interest in this field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good book but lacking important sizing info !
I am an engineer and recently I had to look into designing big solar thermal systems. I agree with a previous reviewer that nothing from the US comes even close to the usefulness of the information included in this book.
The book seems to be a compilation of different materials, mostly german. I also owe the "Grosse Solaranlagen" (Big solar systems) book published by SolarPraxis in Germany:

[...]

Initially I thought that the information is redundant because the diagrams and pictures look the same in both books. Reading both I realized that this book reproduces only a part of the german book. Unfortunately it does not go into the specifics of actually sizing the system (flows, circulation pumps, pressures, solar stores). For me without that info, it is of limited use.

The book is good as an introduction to different schemes and on how to approach the problem, but it cannot be used to actually size a system.

I recommend the SolarPraxis german books if you can read them.

Not really for the general USA reader .. all SI units.
This is a very good book for the right reader ... unfortunately you need to be familiar and able to use the SI system.

[...]

It goes from simple to complex and domestic to commercial scale with calculations and illustrations. However, the concepts of design and consumption are more suited to the frugal European rather than the average middle class American (no insult intended but American energy consumption is about twice that of a European). Smaller houses, smaller more efficient appliances etc.

You should have it!!
I bought this book immediately after was published. It's a great reference book and very good introduction to solar heating systems. What I liked the most is how the book is set up. It gives you brief overview what the solar energy is, hot it works, and it explains difference between solar panels, what efficiency and solar fraction of solar panels is. And not only that... it tells you about system components, how to design residential systems, large scale systems and way more. As a technical manager for large thermal solar company I always recommend this book to my new team mates.

The bible
If you are a designer or installer of Solar Hot Water and Heating-
Buy this book.I know its expensive, but it is worth it!
Nothing I have seen from the US is even close.

One small draw back is that you will have to convert from metric. ... Read more

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Transforming our energy supplies to be more sustainable is seen by many to be the biggest challenge of our times. In this comprehensive textbook, Danny Harvey sets out in unprecedented detail the path we must take to minimize the effects that the way we harness energy will have on future climate change. The book opens by highlighting the importance of moving to low carbon technologies for generation, then moves on to explain the functioning, potential and social/environmental issues around:

- solar energy
- wind energy
- biomass energy
- geothermal energy
- hydroelectric power
- ocean energy
- nuclear energy

It also covers the options for carbon capture and storage and the contexts in which low carbon energy can best be utilized (potential for community integrated systems, and the hydrogen economy). The book closes with scenarios that combine the findings from its companion volume (concerning the potential for limiting future energy demand) with the findings from this volume (concerning the cost and potential of C-free energy systems) to generate scenarios that succeed in limiting future atmospheric CO2 concentration to no more than 450 ppmv. Detailed yet accessible, meticulously researched and reviewed, this work constitutes an indispensible textbook and reference for students and practitioners in sustainable energy and engineering.

Online material includes: Excel-based computational exercises, teaching slides for each chapter, links to free software tools. ... Read more

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"This is the Bible of independent living and renewable energy. Now in its tenth edition, the Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook has been in print and regularly updated since 1982. In these pages you'll find up-to-date articles on all aspects of appropriate technology, written by experts with decades of personal experience, and a knack for sharing."--BOOK JACKET. "Whether you're a layperson or professional, novice or longtime afficionado, the Sourcebook puts the latest research and newest products at your fingertips, giving you all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality."--BOOK JACKET.Amazon.com Review
Includes products ranging from simple energy-saving deviceslike compact flourescent lights to home-scale energy-harvestingsystems that utilize the sun, wind, and water to make electricity forpeople living "off-the-grid." Chapters on IndependentLiving, Land, Shelter, Harvesting Energy, Managing Energy Systems,Heating and Cooling, Water, Energy Conservation, the Nontoxic Home,Home and Market Gardening, Mobility and Electric Vehicles, andLivelihood and Learning.Committed to selling only products thatpromote environmental responsibility at an honest value, The RealGoods Trading Company is one of the fastest-growning companies inAmerica.Many of the products listed in another of our favorites,The Millenium Whole Earth Catalog, can be purchased by mail from RealGoods.

"The Sourcebook remains the best introduction toenergy-efficient technology for common folks." --Whole EarthReview ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

'Must' read on solar and alternate life style power

After many years of planning, we built our solar efficient home from scratch (4.5 kw of PV, & batteries off-grid, and thermal radiant heat loops); er, yes, I'm an engineer.This book is a great introductory, up to fairly advanced level.If at all interested in solar photo-voltaics, this is key.site planning, batteries, outputs, setting up a energy budget, just about all you need to get started..after sucking up this book, the next level would be the tech data on Outback Energies web sites, by reading their use and design guids.

The Real Deal
This product is great for anyone interested in getting involved in keeping their enviroment healthy. The products and information contained within the pages of this book will guide the novice to the right product choice for their needs. This book is the stepping-stone for a sustainable life in harmoney with nature. At the least this liturature will be informative and enlighten the reader to one's place on earth.

One of the major areas addressed in this catalog is waste management. The average family consumes more than fifty gallons of water a day in toilet water, which must be recycled either through chemical or natural treatment before it can be used by humans again. Another problem caused by human consumption in normal life is garbage. This book addresses both of these issues rationally and offers suggestions to limit and eliminate some of the causes of this enourmouse amount of consumption.

Out of everything consumed by the human population, what we consume the most is energy; we need energy in one form or another to power our vehicles, homes, and to produce the products we use. This book focuses on products that use renewable energy sources the sun, wind, and water. It also informs people that some apliences, even when off, are still eating energy in the form of phantom loads, this can account for twenty-five percent of an energy bill. Addressing this issue can mean a significant savings. This book also offers products that cut energy consumption in half when in use.

Another catagory is enviromental quality of the home and office, ofering healthy cleansers, an alternative to the heath threatening harsh volitile organic compounds commonly found. Features of these products are recycled material and more biodegradeable components.

This catalog offers a large range of products, from construction material, to household essentials, to resource guides and how-to books. It is a great help for anyone who wants a healthy life for their family.

A fair introduction to Alternative energy sources
Be aware that this product is 25% information and 75% sales catalog. It provides a brief overview of a particular technology and then presents the reader with many pages of products addressing that technology. Whilst this is a useful introduction to (say) wind generators for home use, $... is a lot of money to charge for a catalog. This book/catalog tries to address everything from passive solar to hydro-electric power generation, but doesn't really do a great job on any of it. Not a bad introduction, but certainly not a "must have' kind of book.

Worth every cent in having understanding of alternatives!
At least for anyone looking to cheese off the oil and power companies!! I'm not a bleeding heart, but I do kind of have to live on this planet!If I can do so without mucking it up, well, that's probably a good thing.This book made it easy to clean up at least my own act!

This book has paid for itself a dozen times over in the money I have saved in electrical costs! The tech chapters were over my head, but my electrician understood them and (thank God) was willing to try something new! A fine book!!

A necessary book for all interested in effficient living
From novices to pros, this book explains Renewable energy and efficient building practices.Great reference to start design and cost estimation from each section.One of the best features of this book is the additionof the National Electric Code for RE systems.It's possible to pick abuilding material to build a house, design a solar electric system, decideon appliances, determine the use of a greywater system, and more from 562pages.No more looking up pages on the net! ... Read more

Product Description
The greatest challenge of our time is to build a world based on the sustainable use of renewable power. Our massive dependence on fossil fuels has upset the very climatic system that made human evolution possible. The global economy and its financial system are in jeopardy, running hot on overtly cheap yet increasingly costly and fast depleting oil. A 100% renewable world is seen by many as an impossible dream in anything but the very long term. But not only does a growing number of initiatives and plans dare to make the change but many have already achieved it.

This rich collection presents a series of pioneering efforts and their champions, and the paths to their successes. Ranging from individuals to companies, communities and entire countries from around the world, it defeats tired economic and technical counterarguments, demonstrating how the schemes featured not only worked but did so economically and with available technology. The book is introduced by incisive research and writing by Peter Droege, explaining the challenges and setting forth a roadmap towards a 100% renewable reality.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Visionary and practical!
By far the most visionary and practical guide for the global transition from fossil and nuclear power to the information-rich green economies of the Solar Age.Exciting examples of innovations in cities, towns, villages and rural communities from all over the world.Amply pictured and demonstrated, the authors show that we humans can meet all our needs and shift to sustainable lifestyles and higher quality of life based on 100% renewable energy.These reports and studies support the Climate Prosperity Alliance and the Climate Solutions 2 computer model we advocate:$1 trillion invested in solar, wind, geothermal, energy efficiency and sustainable agriculture - mostly in developing countries - every year until 2020 can assure this shift to the Solar Age.$10 trillion is less than the trillions used to bail out Wall Street and other banks and only represents 10% of the world's institutional and pension fund assets of $120 trillion.

Our Ethical Markets Green Transition Scoreboard(tm) found $1.248 trillion has already been privately invested or committed to these Solar Age companies since 2007.We challenge governments to back these private investors by guaranteeing the "green bonds" now proliferating.We also challenge the world's pension funds to re-deploy at least 10% of their assets away from the risky investments in hedge funds, derivatives, commodity futures and obsolete fossilized sectors, and directly invest in the sustainability sectors now emerging worldwide.

Hazel Henderson, Vice-chair, Climate Prosperity Alliance; President, Ethical Markets Media (USA and Brazil) Ethical Markets: Growing the Green Economy
... Read more

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This report systemically compares all kinds of external costs and benefits of different electricity generating technologies. Environmental effects, employment and production effects, the depletion of natural resources and different kinds of public subsidies are all considered. Electricity production based on fossil fuels and nuclear energy is compared to electricity production with wind energy and photovoltaic systems. The impact of including the substantial external effects in the electricity prices on the competitive position of different energy technologies is analyzed. It is shown that the present allocation process is seriously distorted resulting in sub-optimal investment decisions concerning competing energy technologies. For the first time this book carries through the theoretically discussed idea of external effects of energy systems not only to the quantification of different kinds of external effects but analyzes the consequences for the choice of competing electricity generating technologies. The analysis shows that renewable energy sources are at a serious competitive disadvantage as long as external costs are not taken into consideration. The introduction of wind energy systems on a broad scale may be delayed up to fifteen years. This results in considerable costs to society. The book suggests possible corrective actions. ... Read more

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This book presents an investigative account of Mathematical Principles of Heat Transfer. It is concerned with three aspects of heat transfer analysis: theoretical development of conservation equations, analytical and numerical techniques of the solution, and the physical processes involved in the three basic modes of heat transfer, namely conduction, convection, and radiation. A concept of mathematical modeling is developed through the use of differential equations. In doing so, the well-posed boundary value problems are constructed and the solutions are attempted ... Read more

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Innovation is key to achieving a sustainable electricity system. New technologies and organizational changes can bring about more sustainable, climate-friendly electricity structures. Yet the dynamics of innovation are complex, and difficult to shape. This book, written by experts in the field, sets out to explore the dynamics, the drivers and the setting of innovation processes. Case studies on micro cogeneration, carbon capture and storage, consumer feedback, network regulation and emissions trading provide insights into innovation dynamics in the electricity system and are analyzed to derive strategic implications for innovation policies. A special focus is placed on drivers and barriers of change, and their consequences for shaping the innovation process. This book is an indispensable source of information for researchers and decision makers in energy and climate change as well as for lecturers and students interested in the principles and ramifications of electricity innovation dynamics.

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World, published by American Society of Agricultural Engineers on October 1, 2008. The length of the article is 1832 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Nanobiotechnology, renewable energy, sustainability, and the future.
Author: Norman R. Scott
Publication: Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2008
Publisher: American Society of Agricultural Engineers
Volume: 15Issue: 7Page: 17(4)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from SourceMex Economic News & Analysis on Mexico, published by Latin American Data Base/Latin American Institute on March 3, 2010. The length of the article is 2480 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: MEXICO ATTEMPTS TO RECAPTURE LEADERSHIP ROLE IN LATIN AMERICA AT REGIONAL SUMMIT; ENERGY, SUSTAINABILITY ON AGENDA.
Author: Unavailable
Publication: SourceMex Economic News & Analysis on Mexico (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 3, 2010
Publisher: Latin American Data Base/Latin American Institute


Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more