People's power : reclaiming the energy commons / Ashley Dawson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dawson, Ashley, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Global commons.

Energy policy--Social aspects.

Energy policy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (173 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York, NY ; London : OR Books, [2020]

Summary:

The science is conclusive: to avoid irreversible climate collapse, the burning of all fossil fuels will have to end in the next decade. In this concise and highly readable intervention, Ashley Dawson sets out what is required to make this momentous shift: simply replacing coal-fired power plants with for-profit solar energy farms will only maintain the toxic illusion that it is possible to sustain relentlessly expanding energy consumption. We can no longer think of energy as a commodity. Instead we must see it as part of the global commons, a vital element in the great stock of air, water, plants, and cultural forms like language and art that are the inheritance of humanity as a whole. People's Power provides a persuasive critique of a market-led transition to renewable energy. It surveys the early development of the electric grid in the United States, telling the story of battles for public control over power during the Great Depression. This history frames accounts of contemporary campaigns, in both the United States and Europe, that eschew market fundamentalism and sclerotic state power in favor of energy that is green, democratically managed and equitably shared.

Contents:

Front Cover

Back Cover

Half-Title Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Introduction

Chapter Two: The Fossil Capitalist Death Spiral

Twilight of the IOU

The Will to Power

The Financialization of Fossil Capital

Conclusion

Chapter Three: A Brief History of Power

Giant Power: A Prelude

Speaking Truth to Power

Abundant Life: The New Deal and Public Power

Chapter Four: The Energy Commons

The Tragedy of the Fossil Capitalist Uncommons

The Solar Commons

Decolonizing the Energy Commons

Chapter Five: Public Power

The (Radical) Political Context of the German Energy Transition

Victories and Challenges in the Energy Transition

Energy Democracy in Berlin and the Question of State Power

The Road to Victory-and What To Do Afterward

Lessons for Public Power

Conclusion: Infinite Energy?

Bibliography

Notes.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-68219-292-X

OCLC:

1314629291