The Energy Gap available in paperback from Amazon
Our new book, The Energy Gap, is now available for purchase on Amazon.com. The Energy Gap is a book about energy—its history, where it comes from, how much the world has left and what it all means for the future of humanity. While mankind has been distracted by wars, disasters and threatened crises like global warming, a real crisis has been advancing upon all the people's of the world—a growing energy gap that threatens to eclipse all other problems that now consume our attention. At stake is human civilization itself, because without energy our machines will stop and our cities will go dark. The only thing that keeps war, plague and famine from sweeping across the globe is something most of us take for granted: inexpensive, abundant energy. The Energy Gap is your guide to the upcoming energy crisis and the political debates that are just starting to emerge.
Energy is the biggest problem that nobody is talking about. After 500 years of technological progress, humanity seems to have stumbled. All around the world, people's expectations are being lowered and austerity is the new watchword. Here is how we framed the problem in the preface:
The future is now looked upon by many with fear and trepidation. The technology that has served us so well is now suspect, the energy that powers our factories and lights our cities is viewed by many as a curse that is destroying nature and may even lead to our own destruction. The belief that each succeeding generation would enjoy a better quality of life than their parents has been called into question.
At the heart of this wave of lowered expectations and self loathing there is a growing problem, the shortfall between energy supplies and demand—an ever widening energy gap. And this is not just an American problem, every nation on Earth is scrambling to secure the energy their citizens require. At the same time, anti-globalization protesters, ecological activists, United Nations bureaucrats and meddling politicians are all using fear of climate change and the hunt for clean energy as a way to pursue their private agendas. In The Energy Gap, we will reveal where the problem lies and how to move forward to a safe, secure, and ecologically sound energy future using proven technology we already possess.
Written for a general readership audience, TEG contains many diagrams, charts and pictures, and a wealth of information. In it, all forms of energy are examined, including fossil fuels, nuclear, and alternative energy. The book is a trade paperback (6x9) of 400 pages, with 201 illustrations and more than 180 references. Here is the table of contents listing the titles of the various chapters:
Preface
Chapter 1 The Energy Gap
Do we need an Energy Policy?
Chapter 2 Sweat, Steam, Oil and Atoms
Closing the Gap
Energy from an Ancient Sun
Chapter 3 Powered by Ancient Sunlight
Technology and Energy
Oil Supplants Coal
Dawn of the Nuclear Age
Is Progress a Thing of the Past?
Energy and Power Defined
Chapter 4 Coal
Energy Content of Fuels
Breaking Down World Energy Use
Sustainability
Use of Coal
Chapter 5 Oil
The Darker Side of Coal
World Coal Reserves
Coal Summary
Use of Petroleum
Chapter 6 Natural Gas
Pollution and the Environment
World Oil Reserves
Use of Natural Gas
Chapter 7 Wind
World Natural Gas Reserves
Oil & Gas Summary
Early Uses of Wind
Chapter 8 Solar
Modern Wind Power
Problems with Wind
Wind Power In Practice
Wind Power Summary
Historical Solar Power
Chapter 9 Other Sources of Green Energy
The Power of Sunshine
Where the Sun Does Not Shine
Solar Power Summary
Hydro-electric Power
Chapter 10 Nuclear Power
Geothermal Power
Wave & Tide Power
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Advanced Biomass Combustion
Renewable Power Summary
The First Atomic Pile
Chapter 11 New Types of Reactors
Burning Uranium
Nuclear Power Today
New Directions in Nuclear Power
Near-term Reactor Options
Chapter 12 The Nuclear Future
Generation IV: The Most Promising Systems
Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR)
Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR)
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR)
Molten Salt Reactor (MSR)
Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor (SCWR)
Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR)
And The Winner Is...
Handling Nuclear Waste
Chapter 13 The Transportation Conundrum
Open vs Closed Fuel Cycles
Disposing of Nuclear Waste
Nuclear Alternatives
Nuclear Power Summary
Ethanol & Biodiesel
Chapter 14 The New Energy Grid
Hybrids, Plug-ins and Electrics
Aviation & Alternative Fuels
Hydrogen as a Fuel
Transportation Summary
The US Power Grid
Chapter 15 Conservation & Efficiency
A New Smart Grid
Energy Grid Summary
Conserving Energy
Chapter 16 The Politics of Energy
Residential
Commercial
Manufacturing
Conservation Summary
The True Cost of Oil
Chapter 17 Closing the Energy Gap
NIMBY becomes BANANA
The Cap & Trade Scam
A Glimmer of Hope
Why Renewable Energy Falls Short
Chapter 18 A Future So Bright
A Rational Approach
The Cost
Summary
Appendix A: US Energy by Source
Appendix B: CEC Levelized Energy Costs
Appendix C: EIA 2030 Predictions
Appendix D: History of Technology
Appendix E: US Energy Policy Timeline
Alphabetical Index
References
This is not just a book about current energy policy, it is a book about the amazing discoveries and inventions people have made while building our global, high-tech world. You will find interesting facts and historical tidbits such as:
- Cooking, made possible by the mastery of fire, helped make us human.
- The Chinese used bamboo to construct gas pipelines thousands of years ago.
- The true meaning of the term SCRAM.
- The first electric hybrid car was designed by Porsche, in 1901.
- Wind power is deadlier than nuclear power, and solar is even worse.
- The United States is the world's largest producer of geothermal energy.
- Energy savings from “smart grid” technology are less than changing to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
- There are new nuclear reactors that do not run on uranium or plutonium.
- Environmentalists are blocking the use of solar and wind power.
These, and hundreds of other useful facts, are presented in the pages of The Energy Gap. Most importantly, we outline a plan that will solve future energy problems in an environmentally responsible way, while providing energy security at reasonable cost. Moreover, the Energy Gap Plan doesn't require any new breakthroughs or unproven, experimental energy sources—just proven, off the shelf technology. Just as we cut through the haze of politics and special interests in The Resilient Earth, this book strips the energy debate down to real science and practical engineering.
![[SOHO Sun Spot Image]](http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/eit_304/1024/latest.jpg)
Book sounds informative
While I haven't yet read it, I intend to do so. By the looks of the chapters, it would appear that you have taken a pragmatic approach and concluded the obvious - "renewables" don't cut it for an advanced society and economy.
I wonder if you have seen any of the articles at www.21stcenturysciencetech.com? If not, please check them out - on nuclear power, on climate (they follow much of your assessments), on economic growth and other salient topics. I think you'd find them agreeable and a possible source for collaboration.
Thanks, also, for a fine website.
Wow!
I just got my copy of Energy Gap on Friday and is it ever an eye opener! The simple minded boosterism practiced by the press is obvious after reading this book. There are so many people who sound green but are really only in it to make money. This book should be required reading for senators and congressmen.