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This book explains how society will face an energy crisis in the coming decades owing to increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and climate change impacts. It carefully explores this coming crisis and concisely examines all of the major technologies related to energy production (fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear) and their impacts on our society and environment. The author argues that it is wrong to pit alternatives to fossil fuels against each other and proposes that nuclear energy, although by no means free of problems, can be a viable source of reliable and carbon-free electricity. He concludes by calling for a diversified and rational mix of electricity generation in order to mitigate the effects of the energy crisis. Throughout, the book is spiced with science, history, and anecdotes in a way that ensures rewarding reading without loss of rigor.
List of contents
Not everything that shines is green.- Eternal delight .- A squandered inheritance.- The ignoble fuel.- Manna that springs from the Earth.- Holy flame .- Inside the Nautilus.- Inheritance from the Supernova.- Nuclear reactors .- Nuclear energy, no thanks?- The antinuclear litany .- Helios & Eolo.- At the crossroads.
About the author
J.J. Gomez Cadenas is Professor of Nuclear and Particle Physics at the University of Valencia. His research interests encompass experimental neutrino physics, the search for the neutrino-less double beta decay process, and the applications of nuclear instrumentation to medicine and non-proliferation. He writes regularly in diverse media about science.
Summary
This book explains how society will face an energy crisis in the coming decades owing to increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and climate change impacts. It carefully explores this coming crisis and concisely examines all of the major technologies related to energy production (fossil fuels, renewables, and nuclear) and their impacts on our society and environment. The author argues that it is wrong to pit alternatives to fossil fuels against each other and proposes that nuclear energy, although by no means free of problems, can be a viable source of reliable and carbon-free electricity. He concludes by calling for a diversified and rational mix of electricity generation in order to mitigate the effects of the energy crisis. Throughout, the book is spiced with science, history, and anecdotes in a way that ensures rewarding reading without loss of rigor.
Additional text
From the reviews:
“I really enjoyed the book and its factual approach to this delicate and controversial topic. … I like the book; I like the author’s open and honest approach, his competence and his rigorous summaries of a global problem that concern us all. I would recommend reading it before voting for any topic related to the energy problem on our planet.” (Antonella Del Rosso, CERN Courier, March, 2013)
Report
From the reviews:
"I really enjoyed the book and its factual approach to this delicate and controversial topic. ... I like the book; I like the author's open and honest approach, his competence and his rigorous summaries of a global problem that concern us all. I would recommend reading it before voting for any topic related to the energy problem on our planet." (Antonella Del Rosso, CERN Courier, March, 2013)
