Stormy weather: 101 solutions to global climate change

Stormy weather: 101 solutions to global climate change

BOOK REVIEWS Book Reviews Hydrogen Toward Futures: “solar hydrogen”). For instance, when wind and easily solar geothermal in like Written...

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BOOK

REVIEWS

Book Reviews Hydrogen Toward

Futures:

“solar hydrogen”).

For instance,

when wind

and

easily

solar

geothermal

in

like

Written

power

Iceland)

a Sustainable

places like Iceland,

21st century. according

as the petroleum

gives ample

would

Such people gasoline

(or

process

gas stations period

liquid and

oil

as a hydrogen

the current

methanol)

for

reformation himself as, once

the inferior

“technology”

wins out in the a case is “Win-

Such an interim

their

break-through

environmentally Numerous

while friendly

researchers highly

are cited

exaggerated

that the infrastructure plete in the beginning

a truly

who

infrastructure

to begin

with

or

anyway.

The former

sug-

oil pipelines

and

and

store

author’s is created

mass. In such a scenario, needs are drastically renewable

up

the storage limited.

idealist vision is one in which solely from

being

hydrogen

tured

than

discovery

of the oil, Finally,

dangerous

just differently

to

so). And in

provides

an unstruc-

as a fuel, including

by 19th century Jules Verne,

who

wrote

science

fit-

a book

in

water was “the coal of the future”.

Reviewed

&y Craig Morris

Stormy

Weather:

Solutions

to Global

The

hydrogen

energy

(called

alternative

I 01

consist

posed solution

with

peppered

excellent

the planet

reference

in rhe 1960’s

and

ever since. Production

of the

knowledge.

Dauncey’s

information

and solutions

nations

101

recently

from that

terrorist

attacks

in mind,

be easily traced oil. While problem

we face rather

overviews

aspects

of renewable

global

that

energy

and renewable is about

policies

the important

in order

toward

more

energy resources.

global warming

challenges

engages

is needed

Stormy

to redirect sustainable

Stormy Weather

and the environmental

that we face if we cannot

wean our-

bears, human

horizon,

the author

and to provide issue

takes on a most

to pose all the energy relevant

Dauncey

a series of solutions to

specific

has the astuteness

to their essential elements

July/August

2002

related

REF

to reduce

sustainable

salmon

www.re-focusnet

This book wanting

to

how to

Guy Dauncey

four laws of ecolois no such so succinct-

and

the

tain

myriad

of other

non-

life forms on this planet don’t get to vote

it is up to us to become

his topics

are

so many

forms of energy.

As the author

about how we change

in order to make them

sources.

law states that “There

questions groups.

to cover

of the book,

ambitious

aimed at each

interest

of the

solutions

‘Y P uts it, “We can have polar bears, or we can have fossil fuels. We cannot have both.” Polar

climate

project

the book

is at stake with our continued

Barry Commoner’s

go. The fourth

on

the climatic

for all readers

thing as a free lunch”.

to fossil fuels. With the on the

energy

In the last chapter references

dependence

on fossil fuels and to learn

move toward

possibility

change

what

States fresh

states

offered

in order

all our

woes can also

in its treatment the

resource

dependence

selves from our addiction of irreversible

and

us, oil,

the recent

emphatically,

horizontal

broad

Climate

if not with

the United

Weather

decreasing

book,

And

to our addictive

Stormy

has been

Global

He shows

most of our geopolitical

matter

to

Change by Guy Dauncey, discussion

against

or cli-

specifically

for most

problems.

from

states

the worst

happening.

link

providing

cities,

fossil fuels,

subject

published

Solutions

is about

is this

so that anyone,

to corporations,

scenarios

to

carbon

act on

can take steps to prevent

understand

The

book

if the

continues

we don’t

sources of renewable Weather,

atmosphere

however,

of glob-

can happen

compromised;

is a valuable

apparent.

is a false one.

the model

what

the

or holding

to sequester

discoveries

has never been more

whether

rise, or the forests’ ability

an individual

book

rages on as to whether

understands

temperature

next thirty or so years. The need to develop other energy

accessible

are shrinking

we know

be an

as well as action.

up or not,

al warming,

will needs

for energy-relat-

I think the argument

oil

in the

book who

guide

debate

is heating

Since everyone

matic

will peak sometime

the

understanding

of the Earth

Globally peaked

and The

by anyone

are the common

new

examined and graphs.

It is an immensely

As the scientific forests

to be a two page

charts

throughout

quick

ed issues.

of

ten sec-

to the problems

solutions

appreciated

types

other

is designed

practical

listed

greatly

is generally

of

The

on fossil fuels. Each

with engaging

websites

a great

of this energy

of 101 solutions

or chapter

spread

New Society Publishers, 2001, $19.95, by Guy Dauncey with Patrick Mazza volume

that

into eleven

provides

on all the various sources.

by our dependence

unequivocally

Climate Change

the

style, it is

organized

of which

energy

their own,

its

and its pro-

French

audience.

and activism

view of all dimensions

that will inspire

and diesel (it is

early in the 19th century

author

the

misconception

more

of hydrogen

the

is not neu-

interests

gasoline

the publication

history

policies,

companies.

is somehow

it also

needs govern-

proper

vested

utility

store and handle

driven,

first

crisis and a primer tions

power

author

and the market

the huge and

The

industry the

prototype

enough

a wide

of science

is creatively

the

environmental

refuelled

fleets (such as city buses) to get the industry and transport

tral, given

A 2OkW not

sce-

as small,

hydrogen,

while the latter focus on using centrally to critical

When

Without

automobile,

best-case

either

will not need to be com-

to transport

panoramic

to residents.

will decide,

which

gest ways of using the existing gas stations

poten-

fuel from consumers.

argue that the costs of a hydrogen are either

help.

market

tion

making

withholding

of solar energy

provides

argues that the hydrogen

mulgation

period,

he fears, will only keep fuel cells from

houses.

power

passing,

he gives ofsuch

dows over Macintosh”).

supplies

The book

in

sections,

plants.

not more dangerous,

author

end (one example

The

developed

that

fears that this is exactly what will happen again,

vehicles.

power

car already

a rare combination

- all of

cars are used

to

in an easy and understandable

makes this book so appealing.

reformers

envisioned

comprehensible

and Vanuatu

Paper also clears up the common

push to use

the

decentralized

ment

be too costly at the outset.

are behind

in hybrid

knows.

for the current

- read:

- in the interim

infrastructure

is: nobody

with plenty

is one in which

for several

of the

space to those he does

not agree with who argue fuel infrastructure pipelines

nario

So when will it arrive? The answer,

to this publication,

The author

islands

Hawaii,

tial and no fossil reserves. Another

Worldwatch Paper 157, August 2001, by Seth Dunn is being touted

hydrogen

can pick up speed. Such is already them

places

one day exceed the need in the public

mains or a given micro-grid,

Energy System

Hydrogen

(or

the health

the planet’s environment

of the planet

energy choices. Reviewed by Richard prairiefish.com)

good stewards

by making

Walthers

-

and mainwise

(rwalthers@