Taming the Sun

Taming the Sun

Author: Varun Sivaram

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2019-02-26

Total Pages: 391

ISBN-13: 0262537079

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How solar could spark a clean-energy transition through transformative innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems. Solar energy, once a niche application for a limited market, has become the cheapest and fastest-growing power source on earth. What's more, its potential is nearly limitless—every hour the sun beams down more energy than the world uses in a year. But in Taming the Sun, energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that the world is not yet equipped to harness erratic sunshine to meet most of its energy needs. And if solar's current surge peters out, prospects for replacing fossil fuels and averting catastrophic climate change will dim. Innovation can brighten those prospects, Sivaram explains, drawing on firsthand experience and original research spanning science, business, and government. Financial innovation is already enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund solar projects around the world, from the sunniest deserts to the poorest villages. Technological innovation could replace today's solar panels with coatings as cheap as paint and employ artificial photosynthesis to store intermittent sunshine as convenient fuels. And systemic innovation could add flexibility to the world's power grids and other energy systems so they can dependably channel the sun's unreliable energy. Unleashing all this innovation will require visionary public policy: funding researchers developing next-generation solar technologies, refashioning energy systems and economic markets, and putting together a diverse clean energy portfolio. Although solar can't power the planet by itself, it can be the centerpiece of a global clean energy revolution. A Council on Foreign Relations Book


Book Synopsis Taming the Sun by : Varun Sivaram

Download or read book Taming the Sun written by Varun Sivaram and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2019-02-26 with total page 391 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How solar could spark a clean-energy transition through transformative innovation—creative financing, revolutionary technologies, and flexible energy systems. Solar energy, once a niche application for a limited market, has become the cheapest and fastest-growing power source on earth. What's more, its potential is nearly limitless—every hour the sun beams down more energy than the world uses in a year. But in Taming the Sun, energy expert Varun Sivaram warns that the world is not yet equipped to harness erratic sunshine to meet most of its energy needs. And if solar's current surge peters out, prospects for replacing fossil fuels and averting catastrophic climate change will dim. Innovation can brighten those prospects, Sivaram explains, drawing on firsthand experience and original research spanning science, business, and government. Financial innovation is already enticing deep-pocketed investors to fund solar projects around the world, from the sunniest deserts to the poorest villages. Technological innovation could replace today's solar panels with coatings as cheap as paint and employ artificial photosynthesis to store intermittent sunshine as convenient fuels. And systemic innovation could add flexibility to the world's power grids and other energy systems so they can dependably channel the sun's unreliable energy. Unleashing all this innovation will require visionary public policy: funding researchers developing next-generation solar technologies, refashioning energy systems and economic markets, and putting together a diverse clean energy portfolio. Although solar can't power the planet by itself, it can be the centerpiece of a global clean energy revolution. A Council on Foreign Relations Book

Energy and the Wealth of Nations

Energy and the Wealth of Nations

Author: Charles A.S. Hall

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-03-05

Total Pages: 511

ISBN-13: 3319662198

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In this updated edition of a groundbreaking text, concepts such as energy return on investment (EROI) provide powerful insights into the real balance sheets that drive our “petroleum economy.” Hall and Klitgaard explore the relation between energy and the wealth explosion of the 20th century, and the interaction of internal limits to growth found in the investment process and rising inequality with the biophysical limits posed by finite energy resources. The authors focus attention on the failure of markets to recognize or efficiently allocate diminishing resources, the economic consequences of peak oil, the high cost and relatively low EROI of finding and exploiting new oil fields, including the much ballyhooed shale plays and oil sands, and whether alternative energy technologies such as wind and solar power can meet the minimum EROI requirements needed to run society as we know it. For the past 150 years, economics has been treated as a social science in which economies are modeled as a circular flow of income between producers and consumers. In this “perpetual motion” of interactions between firms that produce and households that consume, little or no accounting is given of the flow of energy and materials from the environment and back again. In the standard economic model, energy and matter are completely recycled in these transactions, and economic activity is seemingly exempt from the Second Law of Thermodynamics. As we enter the second half of the age of oil, when energy supplies and the environmental impacts of energy production and consumption are likely to constrain economic growth, this exemption should be considered illusory at best. This book is an essential read for all scientists and economists who have recognized the urgent need for a more scientific, empirical, and unified approach to economics in an energy-constrained world, and serves as an ideal teaching text for the growing number of courses, such as the authors’ own, on the role of energy in society.


Book Synopsis Energy and the Wealth of Nations by : Charles A.S. Hall

Download or read book Energy and the Wealth of Nations written by Charles A.S. Hall and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-03-05 with total page 511 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this updated edition of a groundbreaking text, concepts such as energy return on investment (EROI) provide powerful insights into the real balance sheets that drive our “petroleum economy.” Hall and Klitgaard explore the relation between energy and the wealth explosion of the 20th century, and the interaction of internal limits to growth found in the investment process and rising inequality with the biophysical limits posed by finite energy resources. The authors focus attention on the failure of markets to recognize or efficiently allocate diminishing resources, the economic consequences of peak oil, the high cost and relatively low EROI of finding and exploiting new oil fields, including the much ballyhooed shale plays and oil sands, and whether alternative energy technologies such as wind and solar power can meet the minimum EROI requirements needed to run society as we know it. For the past 150 years, economics has been treated as a social science in which economies are modeled as a circular flow of income between producers and consumers. In this “perpetual motion” of interactions between firms that produce and households that consume, little or no accounting is given of the flow of energy and materials from the environment and back again. In the standard economic model, energy and matter are completely recycled in these transactions, and economic activity is seemingly exempt from the Second Law of Thermodynamics. As we enter the second half of the age of oil, when energy supplies and the environmental impacts of energy production and consumption are likely to constrain economic growth, this exemption should be considered illusory at best. This book is an essential read for all scientists and economists who have recognized the urgent need for a more scientific, empirical, and unified approach to economics in an energy-constrained world, and serves as an ideal teaching text for the growing number of courses, such as the authors’ own, on the role of energy in society.

Energy Economics

Energy Economics

Author: Thomas R. Sadler

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-01-13

Total Pages: 379

ISBN-13: 1498586597

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Energy Economics: Science, Policy, and Economic Applications explains energy systems from an economics perspective. Specifically, the author uses the tools of economics to analyze the development of modern energy systems, the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, and the components of a transition to cleaner energy resources. He also considers the science and policy underlying important energy issues, especially with respect to nuclear energy and the climate crisis, arguing that, without changes to the world’s fossil fuel consumption patterns, an increase in demand for energy will exacerbate environmental problems. This reality demonstrates the importance of the book's analysis of primary energy sources, energy supply and demand, and energy systems. Energy matters are fundamental to our way of life; yet, when it comes to energy economics, many people do not have a working vocabulary.


Book Synopsis Energy Economics by : Thomas R. Sadler

Download or read book Energy Economics written by Thomas R. Sadler and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-01-13 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy Economics: Science, Policy, and Economic Applications explains energy systems from an economics perspective. Specifically, the author uses the tools of economics to analyze the development of modern energy systems, the world’s reliance on fossil fuels, and the components of a transition to cleaner energy resources. He also considers the science and policy underlying important energy issues, especially with respect to nuclear energy and the climate crisis, arguing that, without changes to the world’s fossil fuel consumption patterns, an increase in demand for energy will exacerbate environmental problems. This reality demonstrates the importance of the book's analysis of primary energy sources, energy supply and demand, and energy systems. Energy matters are fundamental to our way of life; yet, when it comes to energy economics, many people do not have a working vocabulary.

Energy Security

Energy Security

Author: Carlos Pascual

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2010-03-01

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0815701918

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Energy security has become a top priority issue for the United States and countries around the globe, but what does the term "energy security" really mean? For many it is assuring the safe supply and transport of energy as a matter of national security. For others it is developing and moving toward sustainable and low-carbon energy sources to avoid environmental catastrophe, while still others prioritize affordability and abundance of supply. The demand for energy has ramifications in every part of the globe—from growing demand in Asia, to the pursuit of reserves in Latin America and Africa, to the increased clout of energy-producing states such as Russia and Iran. Yet the fact remains that the vast majority of global energy production still comes from fossil fuels, and it will take a thorough understanding of the interrelationships of complex challenges—finite supply, environmental concerns, political and religious conflict, and economic volatility—to develop policies that will lead to true energy security. In E nergy Security, Brookings scholars present a realistic, cross-disciplinary look at the American and global quests for energy security within the context of these geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges. For example, political analysts Pietro Nivola and Erin Carter wrap their arms around just what is means to be "energy independent" and whether that is an advisable or even feasible goal. Suzanne Maloney addresses "Energy Security in the Persian Gulf: Opportunities and Challenges," while economist Jason Bordoff and energy analyst Bryan Mignone trace the links between climate policies and energy-access policies. Carlos Pascual and his colleagues examine delicate geopolitical issues. Assuring long-term energy security remains one of the industrialized world's most pressing priorities, but steps in that direction have been controversial and often dangerous, and results thus far have been tenuous. In this insightful volume, Brookings


Book Synopsis Energy Security by : Carlos Pascual

Download or read book Energy Security written by Carlos Pascual and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy security has become a top priority issue for the United States and countries around the globe, but what does the term "energy security" really mean? For many it is assuring the safe supply and transport of energy as a matter of national security. For others it is developing and moving toward sustainable and low-carbon energy sources to avoid environmental catastrophe, while still others prioritize affordability and abundance of supply. The demand for energy has ramifications in every part of the globe—from growing demand in Asia, to the pursuit of reserves in Latin America and Africa, to the increased clout of energy-producing states such as Russia and Iran. Yet the fact remains that the vast majority of global energy production still comes from fossil fuels, and it will take a thorough understanding of the interrelationships of complex challenges—finite supply, environmental concerns, political and religious conflict, and economic volatility—to develop policies that will lead to true energy security. In E nergy Security, Brookings scholars present a realistic, cross-disciplinary look at the American and global quests for energy security within the context of these geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges. For example, political analysts Pietro Nivola and Erin Carter wrap their arms around just what is means to be "energy independent" and whether that is an advisable or even feasible goal. Suzanne Maloney addresses "Energy Security in the Persian Gulf: Opportunities and Challenges," while economist Jason Bordoff and energy analyst Bryan Mignone trace the links between climate policies and energy-access policies. Carlos Pascual and his colleagues examine delicate geopolitical issues. Assuring long-term energy security remains one of the industrialized world's most pressing priorities, but steps in that direction have been controversial and often dangerous, and results thus far have been tenuous. In this insightful volume, Brookings

Energy Economics and Policy

Energy Economics and Policy

Author: James M. Griffin

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-09-25

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 1483257738

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Energy Economics and Policy, Second Edition presents a unified analysis of energy economics and energy policy. This book deals with energy economics. It discusses the dimension of the energy problem—the role of energy in economic development, energy consumption patterns, energy supply, and oil prices. In dealing with equilibrium of energy demand and supply, the authors note that efficiency and equity considerations should be considered simultaneously using the income tax or welfare system to redress burdens imposed on the poor. The authors also analyze OPEC behavior and oil prices and notes six keys to the long-run viability of OPEC and their implications for future prices in oil. The authors present the environmental issues in energy development and the economics of pollution control. The authors cite the efficiency of low-cost emitters that receive incentives to control more compared to high-cost emitters. As regards conservation schemes, the authors note that prorationing polices seek to remedy symptoms of over drilling, excessive production, and flaring of natural gas—instead of addressing unified and efficient contracting systems. This book can prove beneficial to economists, environmentalists, and policy makers involved in oil and energy regulation and use.


Book Synopsis Energy Economics and Policy by : James M. Griffin

Download or read book Energy Economics and Policy written by James M. Griffin and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-09-25 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Energy Economics and Policy, Second Edition presents a unified analysis of energy economics and energy policy. This book deals with energy economics. It discusses the dimension of the energy problem—the role of energy in economic development, energy consumption patterns, energy supply, and oil prices. In dealing with equilibrium of energy demand and supply, the authors note that efficiency and equity considerations should be considered simultaneously using the income tax or welfare system to redress burdens imposed on the poor. The authors also analyze OPEC behavior and oil prices and notes six keys to the long-run viability of OPEC and their implications for future prices in oil. The authors present the environmental issues in energy development and the economics of pollution control. The authors cite the efficiency of low-cost emitters that receive incentives to control more compared to high-cost emitters. As regards conservation schemes, the authors note that prorationing polices seek to remedy symptoms of over drilling, excessive production, and flaring of natural gas—instead of addressing unified and efficient contracting systems. This book can prove beneficial to economists, environmentalists, and policy makers involved in oil and energy regulation and use.

Energy Economics

Energy Economics

Author: Peter M. Schwarz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-08-14

Total Pages: 497

ISBN-13: 1351626191

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With interest in topics such as climate change, energy security, and alternative energy sources being at an all-time high, the effects of today's decisions now rest on the shoulders of future generations. There are no easy answers to our energy issues, so costs and benefits must be considered when evaluating all energy alternatives; alongside that, prices must be right and need to reflect the full social costs to society of a given source of energy. Energy Economics outlines the fundamental issues and possible solutions to the challenges of energy production and use, and presents a framework for energy decisions based upon sound economic analysis. It considers market forces and policy goals, including economic prosperity, environmental protection, and other considerations that affect societal well-being. This book focuses on both energy choices and the impact of these choices on market performance, environmental conditions, and sustainability. The initial section covers the fundamental economic concepts for analyzing energy markets. Following this, a detailed analysis of established energy sources, specifically fossil fuels and nuclear energy, leads into consideration of energy alternatives such as renewable energy and next-generation alternatives. Electricity production and regulatory trends are covered in depth. The final section considers policy: environmental considerations, sustainability, and energy security. The concluding chapter is a comprehensive vision for our energy future. Drawing on current energy headlines, perspectives familiar from the popular press, and views outside economics, this text sharpens students' ability to understand, evaluate, and critique policy using appropriate economic analysis. The text builds a foundation that culminates in a view of a comprehensive energy policy that improves upon the vacillations of past decades.


Book Synopsis Energy Economics by : Peter M. Schwarz

Download or read book Energy Economics written by Peter M. Schwarz and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-08-14 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With interest in topics such as climate change, energy security, and alternative energy sources being at an all-time high, the effects of today's decisions now rest on the shoulders of future generations. There are no easy answers to our energy issues, so costs and benefits must be considered when evaluating all energy alternatives; alongside that, prices must be right and need to reflect the full social costs to society of a given source of energy. Energy Economics outlines the fundamental issues and possible solutions to the challenges of energy production and use, and presents a framework for energy decisions based upon sound economic analysis. It considers market forces and policy goals, including economic prosperity, environmental protection, and other considerations that affect societal well-being. This book focuses on both energy choices and the impact of these choices on market performance, environmental conditions, and sustainability. The initial section covers the fundamental economic concepts for analyzing energy markets. Following this, a detailed analysis of established energy sources, specifically fossil fuels and nuclear energy, leads into consideration of energy alternatives such as renewable energy and next-generation alternatives. Electricity production and regulatory trends are covered in depth. The final section considers policy: environmental considerations, sustainability, and energy security. The concluding chapter is a comprehensive vision for our energy future. Drawing on current energy headlines, perspectives familiar from the popular press, and views outside economics, this text sharpens students' ability to understand, evaluate, and critique policy using appropriate economic analysis. The text builds a foundation that culminates in a view of a comprehensive energy policy that improves upon the vacillations of past decades.

Energy Economics

Energy Economics

Author: Roy L. Nersesian

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-03-02

Total Pages: 604

ISBN-13: 1317511867

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Three quarters of our current electricity usage and transport methods are derived from fossil fuels and yet within two centuries these resources will dry up. Energy Economics covers the role of each fossil and renewable energy source in today’s world, providing the information and tools that will enable students to understand the finite nature of fossil fuels and the alternative solutions that are available. This textbook provides detailed examinations of key energy sources – both fossil fuels and renewables including oil, coal, solar, and wind power – and summarises how the current economics of energy evolved. Subsequent chapters explore issues around policy, technology and the possible future for each type of energy. In addition to this, readers are introduced to controversial topics including fracking and global warming in dedicated chapters on climate change and sustainability. Each chapter concludes with a series of tasks, providing example problems and projects in order to further explore the proposed issues. An accompanying companion website contains extensive additional material on the history of the major types of fuel as well as technical material relating to oil exploration, the development of solar power and historical environmental legislation. This textbook is an essential text for those who study energy economics, resource economics or energy policy.


Book Synopsis Energy Economics by : Roy L. Nersesian

Download or read book Energy Economics written by Roy L. Nersesian and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-02 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three quarters of our current electricity usage and transport methods are derived from fossil fuels and yet within two centuries these resources will dry up. Energy Economics covers the role of each fossil and renewable energy source in today’s world, providing the information and tools that will enable students to understand the finite nature of fossil fuels and the alternative solutions that are available. This textbook provides detailed examinations of key energy sources – both fossil fuels and renewables including oil, coal, solar, and wind power – and summarises how the current economics of energy evolved. Subsequent chapters explore issues around policy, technology and the possible future for each type of energy. In addition to this, readers are introduced to controversial topics including fracking and global warming in dedicated chapters on climate change and sustainability. Each chapter concludes with a series of tasks, providing example problems and projects in order to further explore the proposed issues. An accompanying companion website contains extensive additional material on the history of the major types of fuel as well as technical material relating to oil exploration, the development of solar power and historical environmental legislation. This textbook is an essential text for those who study energy economics, resource economics or energy policy.

Global Energy Fundamentals

Global Energy Fundamentals

Author: Simone Tagliapietra

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-08-13

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1108858252

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This book provides a rigorous, concise guide to the current status and future prospects of the global energy system. As we move away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy solutions, the complexity of the global energy system has increased. Tagliapietra cuts through this complexity with a multidisciplinary perspective of the system, which encompasses economics, geopolitics, and basic technology. He goes on to explore the main components of the global energy system - oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal energy, wind energy, solar energy, marine energy - as well as energy consumption and energy efficiency. It then provides an in-depth analysis of the pivotal issues of climate change and of energy access in Africa.


Book Synopsis Global Energy Fundamentals by : Simone Tagliapietra

Download or read book Global Energy Fundamentals written by Simone Tagliapietra and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-08-13 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a rigorous, concise guide to the current status and future prospects of the global energy system. As we move away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy solutions, the complexity of the global energy system has increased. Tagliapietra cuts through this complexity with a multidisciplinary perspective of the system, which encompasses economics, geopolitics, and basic technology. He goes on to explore the main components of the global energy system - oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, bioenergy, hydropower, geothermal energy, wind energy, solar energy, marine energy - as well as energy consumption and energy efficiency. It then provides an in-depth analysis of the pivotal issues of climate change and of energy access in Africa.

The Quest

The Quest

Author: Daniel Yergin

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2012-09-26

Total Pages: 834

ISBN-13: 0143121944

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“A sprawling story richly textured with original material, quirky details and amusing anecdotes . . .” —Wall Street Journal “It is a cause for celebration that Yergin has returned with his perspective on a very different landscape . . . [I]t is impossible to think of a better introduction to the essentials of energy in the 21st century. The Quest is . . . the definitive guide to how we got here.” —The Financial Times This long-awaited successor to Daniel Yergin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Prize provides an essential, overarching narrative of global energy, the principal engine of geopolitical and economic change A master storyteller as well as a leading energy expert, Daniel Yergin continues the riveting story begun in his Pulitzer Prize–winning book, The Prize. In The Quest, Yergin shows us how energy is an engine of global political and economic change and conflict, in a story that spans the energies on which our civilization has been built and the new energies that are competing to replace them. The Quest tells the inside stories, tackles the tough questions, and reveals surprising insights about coal, electricity, and natural gas. He explains how climate change became a great issue and leads readers through the rebirth of renewable energies, energy independence, and the return of the electric car. Epic in scope and never more timely, The Quest vividly reveals the decisions, technologies, and individuals that are shaping our future.


Book Synopsis The Quest by : Daniel Yergin

Download or read book The Quest written by Daniel Yergin and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 834 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A sprawling story richly textured with original material, quirky details and amusing anecdotes . . .” —Wall Street Journal “It is a cause for celebration that Yergin has returned with his perspective on a very different landscape . . . [I]t is impossible to think of a better introduction to the essentials of energy in the 21st century. The Quest is . . . the definitive guide to how we got here.” —The Financial Times This long-awaited successor to Daniel Yergin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Prize provides an essential, overarching narrative of global energy, the principal engine of geopolitical and economic change A master storyteller as well as a leading energy expert, Daniel Yergin continues the riveting story begun in his Pulitzer Prize–winning book, The Prize. In The Quest, Yergin shows us how energy is an engine of global political and economic change and conflict, in a story that spans the energies on which our civilization has been built and the new energies that are competing to replace them. The Quest tells the inside stories, tackles the tough questions, and reveals surprising insights about coal, electricity, and natural gas. He explains how climate change became a great issue and leads readers through the rebirth of renewable energies, energy independence, and the return of the electric car. Epic in scope and never more timely, The Quest vividly reveals the decisions, technologies, and individuals that are shaping our future.

Planetary Economics

Planetary Economics

Author: Michael Grubb

Publisher:

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 520

ISBN-13: 9780415518826

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How well do our assumptions about the global challenges of energy, environment and economic development fit the facts? Energy prices have varied hugely between countries and over time, yet the share of national income spent on energy has remained surprisingly constant. The foundational theories of economic growth account for only about half the growth observed in practice. Despite escalating warnings for more than two decades about the planetary risks of rising greenhouse gas emissions, most governments have seemed powerless to change course. Planetary Economics shows the surprising links between these seemingly unconnected facts. It argues that tackling the energy and environmental problems of the 21st Century requires three different domains of decision-making to be recognised and connected. Each domain involves different theoretical foundations, draws on different areas of evidence, and implies different policies. The book shows that the transformation of energy systems involves all three domains - and each is equally important. From them flow three pillars of policy – three quite distinct kinds of actions that need to be taken, which rest on fundamentally different principles. Any pillar on its own will fail. Only by understanding all three, and fitting them together, do we have any hope of changing course. And if we do, the oft-assumed conflict between economy and the environment dissolves – with potential for benefits to both. Planetary Economics charts how.


Book Synopsis Planetary Economics by : Michael Grubb

Download or read book Planetary Economics written by Michael Grubb and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How well do our assumptions about the global challenges of energy, environment and economic development fit the facts? Energy prices have varied hugely between countries and over time, yet the share of national income spent on energy has remained surprisingly constant. The foundational theories of economic growth account for only about half the growth observed in practice. Despite escalating warnings for more than two decades about the planetary risks of rising greenhouse gas emissions, most governments have seemed powerless to change course. Planetary Economics shows the surprising links between these seemingly unconnected facts. It argues that tackling the energy and environmental problems of the 21st Century requires three different domains of decision-making to be recognised and connected. Each domain involves different theoretical foundations, draws on different areas of evidence, and implies different policies. The book shows that the transformation of energy systems involves all three domains - and each is equally important. From them flow three pillars of policy – three quite distinct kinds of actions that need to be taken, which rest on fundamentally different principles. Any pillar on its own will fail. Only by understanding all three, and fitting them together, do we have any hope of changing course. And if we do, the oft-assumed conflict between economy and the environment dissolves – with potential for benefits to both. Planetary Economics charts how.