Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: Climate Change and Energy in the 21st Century

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Preface......Page 11
Units......Page 13
Conversion factors......Page 15
Abbreviations......Page 17
1 Introduction......Page 19
Part I Climate......Page 25
2 Greenhouse Earth......Page 27
3.2 The first climate models......Page 34
3.3 Climate change goes big time......Page 36
3.4 The big problem: lifecycle of greenhouse gases......Page 38
3.5 The global carbon cycle......Page 39
4.1 A short tour through 4.5 billion years......Page 45
4.2 The past 400.000 years......Page 46
4.3 The recent past......Page 48
5.1 Who does it?......Page 52
5.2 How is it done?......Page 54
5.3 Results......Page 58
5.4 Here are we?......Page 62
Part II Energy......Page 65
6.1 Introduction......Page 67
6.2 Energy now and in the future......Page 68
6.3 Emission targets......Page 73
7 How fast to move: a physicist’s look at the economists......Page 78
8.1 Setting the stage......Page 83
8.2 Sources of emissions......Page 84
8.3 Reducing emissions......Page 87
8.4 No silver bullets......Page 89
8.5 Winners and losers......Page 91
9 Fossil fuels – how much is there?......Page 93
9.1 World oil reserves......Page 94
9.2 World gas reserves......Page 97
9.4 Conclusion......Page 99
10.1 The electricity sector......Page 101
10.2 Pricing carbon emissions: carbon capture and storage......Page 106
10.3 Does what goes into storage stay there?......Page 108
10.4 Summary and conclusion......Page 110
11.1 Introduction......Page 112
11.2 Transportation......Page 116
Fuel economy yesterday, today, and tomorrow......Page 118
Weight and safety......Page 121
Plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles......Page 122
The electric power grid......Page 125
Other fuels......Page 126
11.3 Buildings......Page 128
The efficiency mystery......Page 132
What works......Page 134
Transportation......Page 136
Buildings......Page 137
12.1 Introduction......Page 140
12.2 Radiation......Page 143
12.3 Safety......Page 145
12.4 Spent fuel: love it or hate it, we have it......Page 147
12.5 Economics......Page 151
12.6 Proliferation of nuclear weapons......Page 153
12.7 Nuclear power as part of the solution......Page 157
13.1 Introduction......Page 168
13.2 Wind......Page 169
13.3 Solar energy......Page 174
13.4 Geothermal......Page 180
13.5 Hydropower......Page 185
13.7 The electric power distribution grid......Page 187
14.1 Introduction......Page 191
14.2 Phase-1: ethanol from starch and sugar......Page 193
14.3 Phase-2: cellulosic ethanol......Page 198
14.4 Phase-3: other processes......Page 199
14.5 Summary......Page 200
15 An energy summary......Page 202
Part III Policy......Page 211
16.1 Introduction......Page 213
16.2 Reducing emissions on a national scale......Page 214
Renewable portfolio standards......Page 218
Balkanization – cars and California......Page 219
Low carbon fuel standards (LCFS)......Page 220
Crossing the Valley of Death......Page 222
Demand side management......Page 223
17.1 Introduction......Page 225
17.2 Kyoto-1: the protocol of 1997......Page 226
17.3 Kyoto-2......Page 229
18 Coda......Page 235
References......Page 237
Index......Page 240