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Perspectives on energy
The Science of ~e Total Environmen~ 5 (197~ 197-199 ~ E~efi~ Sc~nt~c P u ~ n g Company, Am~erdam - - Printed in Bel~um
Book Reviews
Perspectives on Energy, edited by L. C. RuediMli and M. W. Firebaugh, Oxford Universffy Press, 1975, 527 pp., price: paper, £4.00; ~oth, £6.85.
An anth~ogy of 40 a~ides most of wh~h have been punched dsewhem between 1969 and 1974 ~ e now brought ~ g ~ h ~ under the fol~w~g headings: Posing the Dilemmas, Fossil-Fur Enemy Sources, N u d e ~ Fis~on as an Enemy Source, ARern~ive Enemy Sources and Enemy P~icy Recommend~ions and Future Directions. Although t~s v~ume ~ direc~d to college students, the praise p m s e n t ~ n , use of wellqndexed, d e ~ and ~ r m ~ i v e ~ustrat~ns makes th~ vo~ m e an essential acquisition ~ r all those ~ s t e d ~ the question of enemy use and availab~ m c o u ~ . An adequ~e source of enemy ~ essenti~ ~ r the s u r v ~ of man~n& natu~l resources com~ned with ~ h e ~ , directly related to techn~ I o g ~ advances, prov~e suffident basic needs, pmv~ed we ml~qu~h u~im~ed growth of techn~ogical soc~t~s. However, w~h some notab~ e x c e ~ n s , such as s~ar and w~d sources of enemy, the production of enemy ~ accompanied by the production of waste produ~s w~ch am not benefid~ to man or the natural en~ n m e n t . Today many aspects of enemy resources are i m m ~ d in a sea of polR ~ and econom~ prob~ms. Sources of enemy such as co~ and oil prov~e bas~ ~w m~eri~s ~ r many industries which are essential. On the other han~ nuclear power p~v~es a raw souse of enemy, and w ~ n some ~mi~, ~ independem of g e o g r a p h ~ con~demtions. Any ~ m ~ e cons~erat~n indicates the need to conserve ~ssil furs ~ r the production of m~efi~s and to use n u d e ~ souses ~ r a souse of enemy. Th~ v~ume draws attention to the various hazards to heath associated wRh both types of enemy p ~ d u ~ n . In the case of nuclear poweL and the potential haza~s ari~ng from ~nising ~ n , ~ wo~d have been useful to have considered, in g m ~ d e , h , the areas of uncen~nty wh~h e~st concerning effects and the ev~uation of tot~ costs and benefits to p o p u l ~ n s and ~dividuals. Qu~e deafly, ve~ ~ng-term ~an~ng ~ required and f ~ morn attent~n, and m ~ a ~ h , w~ have to be p~d to ~rn~e souses of enemy w~ch am n ~ associated w~h heath haza~s such as s~ar and wind msou~es. Th~ v~ume d~ws attention to the need ~ r n ~ n ~ ~an~ng and inte~ n ~ n ~ c o , p e r S o n , ~ the quest ~ r the u t l ~ n of enemy msoumes on a sc~e wh~h has not been implemented in the past. In reading t~s v~ume, I g~n the imp~n that them ~ no lack of enemy msou~es, but ~ther a lack in the ~anning of thor use imposed by the mann~ in wh~h our soc~t~s have devdoped. Th~ v~ume ~ stim~ating, relativdy free f ~ m the " p ~ p h ~ s of doom" and cou~ u s e ~ y be followed by a compan~n v~ume dewing w~h, and ~entify~g what the ove~ll costs and benefits am likdy to be to s o ~ y ~ r each energy m197
sourc~ Hso to focus attention upon the sociH and'econom~ ~sues, as distinct from those of a technological nature.
Piymou~ (Englan~
E.I. H a ~ n
Chem~t~ and the Needs of Socie~, The Chem~fl Society, Buffin~on House, London W~V oBN, 1974, 249 pp., price: £3,00, U.S. $8.00.
Th~ book ~ the ~ s ~ t of a ~mpofium h~d at ImperiH C~lege, London, in 1974. Al~ough p ~ m e d from the British poi~ of v~w, the s u p e r s ~ u ~ ed have world-w~e i m f i ~ t ~ m . The o ~ a n i ~ t ~ n of the ~mpofium ~ ~ f l ~ d in the chapter tifles of the book w~ch are as fol~ws: Resources; Staying Alive;
Enjoying L(fe; Keeping ~ Clean; Meeting the Nee~ - The Ba~nce; Summa~ ; Chadman ~ Concluding Remar~ O. W. Barett). The s u ~ t m ~ r ~ ~ u s s e d generally from a s o c ~ c o n o m ~ and crude phi~soph~ poi~ of view but wRh a sound t~hni~! bac~ng. The book ~ ~commended to any ~ader who w~hes to o~fin a broad ~ u ~ of chemist~'s role in s~i~y, both p ~ s e ~ and ~ t u ~ .
Baton Rouge, La. (U.S.AO
Foymae K. West
Ecological ModeBing, p u ~ h e d by Elsevier Scientific P u ~ h ~ g Company, P.O. Box 211, Ams~rdam, The Netherlands; Subscription price fo~ Volume 1: Dfl. 114.00(postage included); pemonal subscription: Dfl. 50.00 (l~tage included).
The marriage of m ~ h e m ~ H modelling, sys~ms anHyfis, compu~r techniques and environmentH management with ec~ogy seems a most appropfi~e un~n and Ecological Modelling ~ the natural name for a joumH wh~h ~ms to consumm~e th~ union. The fi~t ~sue of wh~ ~ f a n n e d to be a quarteriy jou~ nH ~ an encouraging ~ t a s ~ of futu~ pu~ications. The philisop~cH contfibut~n by A. K. Biswas ~ an optimisti~ and yet, ~H~fic d~cusfion of the role th~ sy~ems anHy~s and model building m~ht flay in environmental management decision ma~ng. It Hso seems to set the scene as to the son of paper that m~ht be acce~a~e ~ r @ u ~ n in Ecological Modelling. The three other papem ~ d ~ e that the journH ~ not s i m f y concerned with vast ecosys~m modds wh~h purport to e x f f i n HI the process and i n ~ m ~ n s w~hin a n~uml sys~m but rather with modds wh~h adequ~dy ~present the broad featu~s of ~al word sy~em~ I found all of the pape~ of g~at i n ~ and feel that they have ~unched the pu~ication on a sound footing. Ecological Modelling B a joumfl wh~h I am sum shou~ become compulso~ reading for HI engaged ~ ecology and en~ronmental fanning.
Piymou~ (Englan~ 1~
E ~fo~
Book Reviews
Perspectives on Energy, edited by L. C. RuediMli and M. W. Firebaugh, Oxford Universffy Press, 1975, 527 pp., price: paper, £4.00; ~oth, £6.85.
An anth~ogy of 40 a~ides most of wh~h have been punched dsewhem between 1969 and 1974 ~ e now brought ~ g ~ h ~ under the fol~w~g headings: Posing the Dilemmas, Fossil-Fur Enemy Sources, N u d e ~ Fis~on as an Enemy Source, ARern~ive Enemy Sources and Enemy P~icy Recommend~ions and Future Directions. Although t~s v~ume ~ direc~d to college students, the praise p m s e n t ~ n , use of wellqndexed, d e ~ and ~ r m ~ i v e ~ustrat~ns makes th~ vo~ m e an essential acquisition ~ r all those ~ s t e d ~ the question of enemy use and availab~ m c o u ~ . An adequ~e source of enemy ~ essenti~ ~ r the s u r v ~ of man~n& natu~l resources com~ned with ~ h e ~ , directly related to techn~ I o g ~ advances, prov~e suffident basic needs, pmv~ed we ml~qu~h u~im~ed growth of techn~ogical soc~t~s. However, w~h some notab~ e x c e ~ n s , such as s~ar and w~d sources of enemy, the production of enemy ~ accompanied by the production of waste produ~s w~ch am not benefid~ to man or the natural en~ n m e n t . Today many aspects of enemy resources are i m m ~ d in a sea of polR ~ and econom~ prob~ms. Sources of enemy such as co~ and oil prov~e bas~ ~w m~eri~s ~ r many industries which are essential. On the other han~ nuclear power p~v~es a raw souse of enemy, and w ~ n some ~mi~, ~ independem of g e o g r a p h ~ con~demtions. Any ~ m ~ e cons~erat~n indicates the need to conserve ~ssil furs ~ r the production of m~efi~s and to use n u d e ~ souses ~ r a souse of enemy. Th~ v~ume draws attention to the various hazards to heath associated wRh both types of enemy p ~ d u ~ n . In the case of nuclear poweL and the potential haza~s ari~ng from ~nising ~ n , ~ wo~d have been useful to have considered, in g m ~ d e , h , the areas of uncen~nty wh~h e~st concerning effects and the ev~uation of tot~ costs and benefits to p o p u l ~ n s and ~dividuals. Qu~e deafly, ve~ ~ng-term ~an~ng ~ required and f ~ morn attent~n, and m ~ a ~ h , w~ have to be p~d to ~rn~e souses of enemy w~ch am n ~ associated w~h heath haza~s such as s~ar and wind msou~es. Th~ v~ume d~ws attention to the need ~ r n ~ n ~ ~an~ng and inte~ n ~ n ~ c o , p e r S o n , ~ the quest ~ r the u t l ~ n of enemy msoumes on a sc~e wh~h has not been implemented in the past. In reading t~s v~ume, I g~n the imp~n that them ~ no lack of enemy msou~es, but ~ther a lack in the ~anning of thor use imposed by the mann~ in wh~h our soc~t~s have devdoped. Th~ v~ume ~ stim~ating, relativdy free f ~ m the " p ~ p h ~ s of doom" and cou~ u s e ~ y be followed by a compan~n v~ume dewing w~h, and ~entify~g what the ove~ll costs and benefits am likdy to be to s o ~ y ~ r each energy m197
sourc~ Hso to focus attention upon the sociH and'econom~ ~sues, as distinct from those of a technological nature.
Piymou~ (Englan~
E.I. H a ~ n
Chem~t~ and the Needs of Socie~, The Chem~fl Society, Buffin~on House, London W~V oBN, 1974, 249 pp., price: £3,00, U.S. $8.00.
Th~ book ~ the ~ s ~ t of a ~mpofium h~d at ImperiH C~lege, London, in 1974. Al~ough p ~ m e d from the British poi~ of v~w, the s u p e r s ~ u ~ ed have world-w~e i m f i ~ t ~ m . The o ~ a n i ~ t ~ n of the ~mpofium ~ ~ f l ~ d in the chapter tifles of the book w~ch are as fol~ws: Resources; Staying Alive;
Enjoying L(fe; Keeping ~ Clean; Meeting the Nee~ - The Ba~nce; Summa~ ; Chadman ~ Concluding Remar~ O. W. Barett). The s u ~ t m ~ r ~ ~ u s s e d generally from a s o c ~ c o n o m ~ and crude phi~soph~ poi~ of view but wRh a sound t~hni~! bac~ng. The book ~ ~commended to any ~ader who w~hes to o~fin a broad ~ u ~ of chemist~'s role in s~i~y, both p ~ s e ~ and ~ t u ~ .
Baton Rouge, La. (U.S.AO
Foymae K. West
Ecological ModeBing, p u ~ h e d by Elsevier Scientific P u ~ h ~ g Company, P.O. Box 211, Ams~rdam, The Netherlands; Subscription price fo~ Volume 1: Dfl. 114.00(postage included); pemonal subscription: Dfl. 50.00 (l~tage included).
The marriage of m ~ h e m ~ H modelling, sys~ms anHyfis, compu~r techniques and environmentH management with ec~ogy seems a most appropfi~e un~n and Ecological Modelling ~ the natural name for a joumH wh~h ~ms to consumm~e th~ union. The fi~t ~sue of wh~ ~ f a n n e d to be a quarteriy jou~ nH ~ an encouraging ~ t a s ~ of futu~ pu~ications. The philisop~cH contfibut~n by A. K. Biswas ~ an optimisti~ and yet, ~H~fic d~cusfion of the role th~ sy~ems anHy~s and model building m~ht flay in environmental management decision ma~ng. It Hso seems to set the scene as to the son of paper that m~ht be acce~a~e ~ r @ u ~ n in Ecological Modelling. The three other papem ~ d ~ e that the journH ~ not s i m f y concerned with vast ecosys~m modds wh~h purport to e x f f i n HI the process and i n ~ m ~ n s w~hin a n~uml sys~m but rather with modds wh~h adequ~dy ~present the broad featu~s of ~al word sy~em~ I found all of the pape~ of g~at i n ~ and feel that they have ~unched the pu~ication on a sound footing. Ecological Modelling B a joumfl wh~h I am sum shou~ become compulso~ reading for HI engaged ~ ecology and en~ronmental fanning.
Piymou~ (Englan~ 1~
E ~fo~