Global warming is the hottest political issue of the day, and it is likely to become even more pressing over the coming years. It is arguably the most dangerous environmental problem and the most difficult political issue to be faced by the world in the 21st century. This important and proactive new book by Mark Diesendorf critically assesses the various technologies that have been put forward as solutions and constructs feasible scenarios for their effective implementation. Mark Diesendorf argues that: ecologically sustainable energy technologies based on energy efficiency, renewable energy and natural gas are commercially available today, and that their implementation could halve Australia's greenhouse gas emissions within just a few decades. To implement these technologies, new policies must be developed and implemented by all three levels of government. The main barriers are neither technical nor economic, but rather our social institutions and the political power of the big greenhouse gas emitting industries: coal, oil, aluminium, cement and motor vehicles. Greenhouse solutions for sustainable energy is a positive, proactive book that proposes a set of policies and strategies for implementing the most promising cleaner energy technologies by all spheres of government, business and community organisations. The book argues that despite being a coal- and oil-dependent country, Australia could achieve an ecologically sustainable energy system. All we need is the political will. Table of Contents Foreword by Ian Lowe; Preface; Acknowledgments; 1 Introduction; Part A Motivation and basic concepts; 2 Why this issue is important; 3 Sustainable energy futures for Australia; 4 Energy and its greenhouse gas emissions; Part B Which technologies are sustainable?; 5 Saving energy; 6 Wind power; 7 Bioenergy; 8 Solar heat and electricity; 9 Other energy technologies; 10 Transport and urban form; 11 Coal and gas: can we bury the problem?; 12 Is nuclear energy a possible solution?; Part C Policies, strategies, politics and actions; 13 International negotiations and policies; 14 Proposed national policies; 15 Policies for specific technologies; 16 Ways forward; 17 Conclusion; Appendix A: Substituting for a coal-fired power station with a cleaner energy mix; Appendix B: Economics of electricity generation: discounted cash flow analysis; Appendix C: Comparison of carbon tax and emissions trading with a cap; Appendix D: Actions by individuals and families; Notes; Glossary; Abbreviations; Units and conversion factors; Key readings and websites; Index. Reviews "'This book constitutes a guide to our future energy options, a handbook to help us to design a sustainable future. That is our responsibility to the countless millions of other species that share this planet with us, and to the future generations for whom we hold it in trust.' (From the Foreword) - Professor Ian Lowe AO FTSE" About the Author Dr Mark Diesendorf teaches in the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales and is the director of a company that does consulting and training on various aspects of ecologically sustainable development. Diesendorf has been Professor of Environmental Science at the UTS; a principal research scientist with the CSIRO; Vice-President of the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics; Vice-President of the appropriate technology association APACE; and a committee member of the Australia and New Zealand Solar Energy Society. He is co-editor with Clive Hamilton and principal author of Human Ecology, Human Economy: Ideas for an Ecologically Sustainable Society, and co-author of the scenario study A Clean Energy Future for Australia. |
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