Fact and fiction in global energy policy : fifteen contentious questions / Benjamin K. Sovacool, Marilyn A. Brown, and Scott V. Valentine.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sovacool, Benjamin K., author.

Brown, Marilyn A., author.

Valentine, Scott V., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Energy policy.

Energy industries.

Energy development.

Climatic changes.

Energy security.

Physical Description:

x, 370 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016.

Summary:

A balanced examination of global energy issues. -- Energy sustainability and climate change are two of the greatest challenges facing humankind. Unraveling these complex and interconnected issues demands careful and objective assessment. Fact and Fiction in Global Energy Policy aims to change the prevailing discourse by examining fifteen core energy questions from a variety of perspectives, demonstrating how, for each of them, no clear-cut answer exists. Is industry the chief energy villain? Can we sustainably feed and fuel the planet at the same time? Is nuclear energy worth the risk? Should geoengineering be outlawed? Touching on pollution, climate mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency, government intervention, and energy security, the authors explore interrelated concepts of law, philosophy, ethics, technology, economics, psychology, sociology, and public policy. This book offers a much-needed critical appraisal of the central energy technology and policy dilemmas of our time and the impact of these on multiple stakeholders.

Contents:

Introduction: Framing global energy policy

I. Energy and society. Question 1. Is industry the chief energy villain? ; Question 2. Is energy efficiency a worthwhile investment? ; Question 3. Should governments intervene in energy markets?

II. Energy resources and technology. Question 4. Do conventional energy resources have a meaningful "peak"? ; Question 5. Is shale gas a bridge to a clean energy future? ; Question 6. Can renewable electricity ever be mainstreamed? ; Question 7. Is the car of the future electric? ; Question 8. Can we sustainably feed and fuel the planet?

III. Climate change. Question 9. Is mitigation or adaptation the best way to address climate change? ; Question 10. Should geoengineering be outlawed? ; Question 11. Is clean coal an oxymoron?

IV. Energy security and energy transitions. Question 12. Is nuclear energy worth the risk? ; Question 13. Is national energy independence feasible and desirable? ; Question 14. Are we nearing a global energy crisis? ; Question 15. Can energy transitions be expedited?

Conclusion. Values and truth, fact and fiction in global energy policy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781421418971

1421418975

OCLC:

908311126