
Book: Innovative Energy Strategies for CO2 Stabilization
Author: Robert G. Watts
Pages: 468
Format: pdf
Language: English
ISBN10: 0521087821
There is now little question that humans have caused a worldwide rise in carbon dioxide concentrations which, projected into the rest of this century, will result in catastrophic climate changes around the world. Are we doomed? Or are there solutions on the horizon?This book provides an excellent overview of the solutions that may be available to us. It reviews the CO2 problem itself, and covers essentially the entire range of possible technical and policy solutions. Energy efficiency, traditional renewables such as hydro power, wind, biomass; more speculative options like tidal power and salinity gradients; even fission power, according to the analyses here, can all contribute something to the problem, but individually or even together seem insufficient to handle the full problem. On the other hand, there are a few options available that could possibly solve the whole energy/environment problem in themselves: solar power, on earth or in space (in particular the Moon); fusion whenever it becomes available; and geoengineering in one form or another (carbon sequestration, stratospheric aerosols, or space-based solar shields). The main question is whether they can solve it in sufficient time and at low enough expense to avoid global economic disaster.

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