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An astounding cultural shift took place 150 years ago. Good science, hard work, and innovation propelled humanity into a world of convenience, comfort, and health that kings of old could never have imagined. It also cast a long shadow.
Today, we stand at a cross-road. Will we continue to limit ourselves to 19th century fossil fuel inefficiencies and pollution, thereby denying future generations the affluence we enjoy? Or will we gather the courage to move into a cleaner, safer more abundant solar powered world?
Using historical anecdotes as well as modern story-telling and basic science, this book describes how humans are changing the chemistry of our air and oceans. The great life-giving cycles that maintain a livable environment are being altered, causing wide range of consequences.
Serious as the situation is, it is also an opportunity. Very real solutions, both technological and economic are addressed. There is a promising future that awaits if we, as a species, are willing to take on the challenges of growth and change.
List of contents
Preface
Part I - The Nature of Energy
Chapter 1: The Protagonist-Energy
Chapter 2: Doing the Numbers-Measuring Energy and Power
Chapter 3: The Dancer-Changing Forms of Energy
Chapter 4: Can't Be Made, Can't Be Destroyed-Still Dancing
Chapter 5: Wellspring of Energy-Surprise! It's All Nuclear
Part II - The Ways of the Natural World
Chapter 6: Homage to Sol
Chapter 7: Storms Brewing-The Water Cycle
Chapter 8: Solid Sunshine-The Carbon Cycle
Chapter 9: How is a Saturn Moon Rocket Similar to a Cow? Respiration and Combustion
Chapter 10: How is a Saturn Moon Rocket Different From a Cow? Fossil Fuels
Part III - Global Warming and Climate Change-Why Should We Care?
Chapter 11: Giver of Life-The Greenhouse Effect
Chapter 12: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Chapter 13: So What? Consequences of a Warming Planet
Chapter 14: The Other Guy Did It!
Chapter 15: The Trouble with Scientists
Part IV - How Did We Get to Here?
Chapter 16: From the Dawn of Humanity until the Industrial Revolution
Chapter 17: Four Revolutions
Part V - The Way Forward
Chapter 18: Getting More for Less-Efficiency
Chapter 19: Electricity-The Problem and the Future
Chapter 20: Turbine Free Electricity-Photovoltaics
Chapter 21: What Else?
Chapter 22: Just Keep Thinking
Chapter 23: The Third Rail Solution - Population
Chapter 24: Why Are We Slow to Act?
Part VI - The Business of Energy
Chapter 25: Disruption and Jobs
Chapter 26: "Free Market"-The Cost of Energy
Chapter 27: Looking for the Possible-Some Free Mlarket Solutions
Chapter 28: Capitalism-Yea or Nay?
Part VII - Into the Next Revolution
Chapter 29: What Lies Ahead?
Chapter 30: Ending the Gaian War
Epilogue: Lessons From the Past
Frequently Asked Questions
Appendix A: Units of Measuring Energy and Power
Appendix B: Electricity Terms
Websites Referenced
Glossary
Annotated Bibliography
About the Authors
About the author
Jeffrey Loehr is a strategy advisory and growth specialist, helping businesses understand and manage uncertainty in the future. Climate change is becoming a major issue and opportunity for business and Jeff is passionate about understanding, managing and improving the implications.
Margaret Loehr has had a career as a high school science teacher of biology, chemistry and Advanced Placement Physics. Because of her long term involvement with, and concern for youth, and understanding of the threats of the world we are leaving them, she has chosen to devote her time to education on climate realities and solutions.
Summary
Using historical anecdotes as well as modern story-telling and basic science, this book describes how humans are changing the chemistry of our air and oceans. The great life-giving cycles that maintain a livable environment are being altered, causing wide range of consequences. Very real solutions, technological and economic are also addressed.
