Green illusions : the dirty secrets of clean energy and the future of environmentalism / Ozzie Zehner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Zehner, Ozzie.

Series:

Our sustainable future.

Our sustainable future

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Renewable energy sources--United States.

Renewable energy sources.

Environmentalism--United States.

Environmentalism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (462 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Lincoln : University of Nebraska Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

We don't have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what's wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem. Though we generally believe we can solve environmental problems with more energy-more solar cells, wind turbines, and biofuels-alternative technologies come with their own side effects and limitations. How, for instance, do solar cells cause harm? Why can't engineers solve wind power's biggest obstacle? Why won't contraception solve the problem of overpopulation lying at the heart of our concerns about energy, and what will? This practical, environmentally informed, and lucid book persuasively argues for a change of perspective. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus from suspect alternative energies to improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women's rights. The dozens of first steps he offers are surprisingly straightforward. For instance, he introduces a simple sticker that promises a greater impact than all of the nation's solar cells. He uncovers why carbon taxes won't solve our energy challenges (and presents two taxes that could). Finally, he explores how future environmentalists will focus on similarly fresh alternatives that are affordable, clean, and can actually improve our well-being. Watch a book trailer.

Contents:

Cover; Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; List of Illustrations; List of Figures; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Unraveling the Spectacle; Part I: Seductive Futures; 1. Solar Cells and Other Fairy Tales; 2. Wind Power's Flurry of Limitations; 3. Biofuels and the Politics of Big Corn; 4. The Nuclear-Military-Industrial Risk Complex; 5. The Hydrogen Zombie; 6. Conjuring Clean Coal; 7. Hydropower, Hybrids, and Other Hydras; Part II: From Here to There; 8. The Alternative-Energy Fetish; 9. The First Step; Part III: The Future of Environmentalism; 10. Women's Rights; 11. Improving Consumption

12. The Architecture of Community13. Efficiency Culture; 14. Asking Questions; Epilogue: A Grander Narrative?; Resources for Future Environmentalists; Notes; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613664532

9781280687594

1280687592

9780803243361

0803243367

OCLC:

792944066