Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming

Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming | Fred Krupp, Miriam Horn | Brings Positivism and Excitement to the Global Warming Topic!

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Earth: The Sequel:...

	Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming Fred Krupp, Miriam Horn W. W. Norton, 2008 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 51 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Worth every cent!

Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming I purchased the audio version of this book and listened to it driving to and from work. For someone interested in hearing about cutting edge research into new sources of energy, this book was written for you. It was packed full of stories about amazing research projects and the brilliant and often wacky people heading up the projects. The stories were highly entertaining, and the tech talk was in-depth enough to make one feel like an insider without going over the head of anyone who enjoys reading science articles in newspapers or popular magazines. I plan to buy several more copies as gifts for friends.

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Brings Positivism and Excitement to the Global Warming Topic!

Most books on Global Warming are depressing - not "Earth: The Sequel." Krupp's summary of actual projects underway to reduce global warming brings a welcome sense of positivism and excitement to the topic.

He believes that a transformation of the world economy is on the horizon that will generate the great fortunes of the 21st century while securing the world against the dangers of global warming. The "bad news" is that the federal government devotes only $1 billion/year for R&D on renewable energy, less than ExxonMobil earns/day, and the $6 billion/year that oil and gas industries receive in government benefits. On top of this are large ethanol subsidies and mandated usage.

Krupp's positive examples begin with solar power - nanotech, printable films, and layered films that capture varying light wavelengths, combined with low-cost production in China and Mexico and rising energy prices make solar power a strong candidate for alternative energy production. Krupp also points out that solar-power costs should be compared with peak power costs, not lower average power costs, as well as added costs of removing CO2 from coal-fired plants. On the other hand, transmission lines required cost about $1 million/mile, and are further handicapped by being used only half the day. The book then goes on to cover thermal solar - its advantage is the ability to store heat for evening use.

Krupp's coverage of biofuels is particularly enlightening. Switchgrass, a cutting-edge energy crop, converts 0.3% solar energy vs. Spectrolab's 42% for PV cells. Such crops also require enormous water, plus nutrients, and labor for harvesting, processing. Production also requires considerable input power and creates pressure to level rain-forests to provide growing fields. Twenty-five gallons of corn ethanol requires the same grain as would feed a person for a year, and only produces 25% more energy than put into its creation. Another problem is it can't be transported in pipelines because it absorbs water within them.

Alternatively, sugar is converted to ethanol in Brazil at a cost of .60/gallon, getting 8 BTUs back for every BTU put in; corn is only 1.3:1. Cellulose is 36:1, though still being scaled up - not an easy task.

Another exciting experiment is growing algae with the CO2 emitted from power-plant exhaust while also removing nitrogen from waste water used as coolant. Dried algae has as many BTUs as coal on a weight basis.

Other possibilities include wave, tidal, river current, nuclear, and geothermal power. Surprisingly, electric-powered vehicles charged from coal-fired plants would also reduce pollution - about 25%.

Bottom Line: "Earth: The Sequel" is an exciting and enlightening book.

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Fascinating read that provides hope

The shear volume of emerging technologies described in this book is astounding and inspiring. It quickly becomes apparent that there are no more excuses for continuing our business-as-usual fossil fuel economy. There are so many clean energy solutions right on the brink of success. All they need are the right incentives and investments. A strong and compelling argument is made for a carbon cap-and-trade system, which would go a long way in helping to achieve a meaningful reduction in greenhouse gases and the migration to a clean (and cheaper) energy future. This needs to happen now and it should be the first priority of the new administration. I highly recommend this book.

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Good introduction to renewable energy alternatives (with one thing missing)

Earth: The Sequel The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming by Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund, and Miriam Horn, is a good place to acquaint yourself with many of the alternative energy technologies currently under development. The style is easy to read and Krupp and Horn do a good job of explaining the complexities of a given technology in simple, easy-to-understand language. The focus is on future technologies that, in many cases, are still not proven, i.e. biofuels from algae, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

The book's one notable flaw is that there is virtually no discussion of wind technology. In one sense this may be good news given Krupp's enthusiasm for new technology. Perhaps he regards wind as too simple and well established to merit detailed discussion in a book dedicated to complicated technical solutions to the problems posed by fossil fuels. Nonetheless, it's a curious omission.

The authors describe in detail a number of ongoing alternative-energy projects and the scientist-entrepreneurs who are developing them. Attention is paid to the challenges faced by these entrepreneurs in technology development, permitting and arranging the financing that they need to make their projects a reality.

At the end of the book, the authors discuss the policy changes they believe it will be necessary to implement if these projects are to succeed, chief of which is the enactment of some form of cap and trade program. They also briefly revisit some of the options already discussed, this time with a more critical eye, (I suspect the last chapters were written quite a bit later than the first ones) particularly as regards ethanol and hydrogen, both of which can now be clearly seen to have been way overhyped.

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Global Warming Solution Guide

This book reviews the various technologies available to reduce the effects of Global Warming. While dealt in an evenhanded and balanced manner the bottom line for most of these technologies is to be subsidized by government or industry.

I, for one, don't see why these technologies should not stand on their own merits without subsidies. Look at what the government has done with ethanol (covered in the book) and you'll understand why.

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