Energy, resources, and the long-term future / John Scales Avery.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Avery, John, 1933-

Series:

World Scientific Series on Energy and Resource Economics

World Scientific series on energy and resource economics ; v. 4

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Energy policy.

Energy development.

Power resources--Forecasting.

Power resources.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (339 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Hackensack, N.J. : World Scientific, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The world is rapidly approaching the end of the fossil fuel era. This timely book reviews the historical background for this crisis and provides a comprehensive discussion of its important aspects. It contrasts the Utopian writings of Condorcet, Godwin and Adam Smith, with the more pessimistic views of Malthus and Ricardo. It then discusses the characteristics of mainstream industrialism, as well as the ecological counterculture. The final chapters of the book study the present position regarding both non-renewable and renewable resources, and the problem of reducing the economic trauma that w

Contents:

Contents; Preface; 1. THE IDEA OF PROGRESS; 1.1 Cultural evolution; The agricultural revolution; Early forms of writing; 1.2 Condorcet; 1.3 Godwin; 1.4 Adam Smith; Suggestions for Further Reading; 2. THE DISMAL SCIENCE; 2.1 Malthus; 2.2 Ricardo and the Iron Law of Wages; Suggestions for Further Reading; 3. DARK SATANIC MILLS; 3.1 Development of the steam engine; The discovery of atmospheric pressure; Steam engines using atmospheric pressure; 3.2 Working conditions; 3.3 The slow acceptance of birth control in England; Suggestions for further reading; 4. HOBSON'S THEORY; 4.1 The colonial era

4.2 Hobson's explanation4.3 The neocolonial era?; Suggestions for further reading; 5. MAINSTREAM INDUSTRIALISM; 5.1 Trade unions and minimum wage laws; Robert Owen and social reform; Rusting of the Iron Law; 5.2 Rising standards of living .; 5.3 Robber barons and philanthropists; "Hain't I got the power?"; Carnegie's philanthropies; 5.4 The conict between capitalism and communism; The Russian Revolution; The First Red Scare; McCarthyism; the Cold War; Capitalism triumphant; 5.5 Globalization; 5.6 Say's law; Suburbia; Keeping up appearances; Suggestions for further reading

6. VEBLEN, GANDHI AND THE GREENS6.1 Veblen; economics as anthropology; 6.2 Gandhi as an economist; 6.3 Thoreau; 6.4 The counter-culture; 6.5 The Brundtland Report; 6.6 The Earth Summit at Rio; Suggestions for further reading; 7. GROWTH AND NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES; 7.1 Biology and economics; 7.2 The Club of Rome; 7.3 Global energy resources; 7.4 Hubbert peaks for oil and gas; 7.5 Oilsands, tarsands and heavy oil; 7.6 Coal; 7.7 Climate change; 7.8 Metals; 7.9 Groundwater; 7.10 Topsoil; Suggestions for further reading; 8. RENEWABLE ENERGY; 8.1 Beyond the fossil fuel era; 8.2 Biomass

8.3 Solar energySolar thermal power plants; Solar designs in architecture; Solar systems for heating water and cooking; 8.4 Wind energy; 8.5 Hydroelectric power; 8.6 Energy from the ocean; Tidal power; Wave energy; Ocean thermal energy conversion; Methane clatherates; 8.7 Geothermal energy; 8.8 Hydrogen technologies; Hydrogen fuel cells; 8.9 Some concluding remarks; Suggestions for further reading; 9. ECONOMICS WITHOUT GROWTH; 9.1 The transition from growth to a steady state - minimizing the trauma; 9.2 Keynesian economics; 9.3 The transition to a sustainable economy

9.4 Population and goods per capitaSuggestions for further reading; 10. OPTIMUM GLOBAL POPULATION; 10.1 The Green Revolution; 10.2 Energy inputs of agriculture; 10.3 Limitations on cropland; Optimum population in the long-term future; 10.4 The demographic transition; 10.5 Urbanization; 10.6 Achieving economic equality .; 10.7 The need for new values; Suggestions for further reading; 11. THE PROBLEM OF WAR; 11.1 The passions of mankind; The explosion of human knowledge; Tribal emotions and nationalism; Formation of group identity in modern nations; 11.2 Modern weapons; Hiroshima and Nagasaki

The postwar nuclear arms race

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786611918576

9781281918574

1281918571

9789812708748

981270874X

OCLC:

851970716