Sustainable Fossil Fuels: The Unusual Suspect in the Quest for Clean and Enduring Energy
Cambridge University Press, 1/19/2006
EAN 9780521679794, ISBN10: 0521679796
Paperback, 398 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
Language: English
More and more people believe we must quickly wean ourselves from fossil fuels - oil, natural gas and coal - to save the planet from environmental catastrophe, wars and economic collapse. In this 2006 book, Professor Jaccard argues that this view is misguided. We have the technological capability to use fossil fuels without emitting climate-threatening greenhouse gases or other pollutants. The transition from conventional oil and gas to their unconventional sources including coal for producing electricity, hydrogen and cleaner-burning fuels will decrease energy dependence on politically unstable regions. In addition, our vast fossil fuel resources will be the cheapest source of clean energy for the next century and perhaps longer, which is critical for the economic and social development of the world's poorer countries. By buying time for increasing energy efficiency, developing renewable energy technologies and making nuclear power more attractive, fossil fuels will play a key role in humanity's quest for a sustainable energy system.
Figures
Tables
Acknowledgements
1. What is energy sustainability
2. Is our current energy path sustainable?
3. The prospects for clean secondary energy
4. The usual suspects
efficiency, nuclear and renewables
5. The unusual suspect
how long can fossil fuels last - and does it matter?
6. Can we use fossil fuels cleanly - and what might it cost?
7. Sustainable energy trade-offs
evaluating the alternatives
8. Sustainable energy policy - how do we get there?
9. Broadening the definition
is sustainable energy sustainable?
Index.
'Jaccard's well-researched study injects a much-needed dose of reality into the discussion of a 'sustainable' energy system. It is the voice of the economist tempered by extensive practical experience in the field and an evident concern for the future of our environment.' Jake Jacoby, Professor of Management at MIT and Co-Director of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change