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Renewable Energy and Climate Change, 2nd Edition, 2nd Edition
book

Renewable Energy and Climate Change, 2nd Edition, 2nd Edition

by Volker V. Quaschning
April 2019
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
352 pages
11h 34m
English
Wiley
Content preview from Renewable Energy and Climate Change, 2nd Edition, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 1Our Hunger for Energy

Most people will have heard of the cult TV series, Star Trek. Thanks to this programme, we know that in the not-too-distant future humans will start exploring the infinite expanses of the universe. The energy issue will have been resolved long before then. The Warp drive discovered in 2063 provides unlimited energy that Captain Kirk uses to steer the starship Enterprise at speeds faster than light to new adventures. Energy is available in overabundance; peace and prosperity rule on Earth and environmental problems are a thing of the past. But even this type of energy supply is not totally without its risks. A warp core breach can cause as much damage as a core meltdown in an ancient nuclear power plant. Warp plasma itself is not a totally safe material, as the regular viewers of Star Trek very well know.

Unfortunately – or sometimes fortunately – most science fiction is far removed from the real world. From our perspective the discovery of a warp drive seems highly unlikely, even if dyed-in-the-wool Star Trek fans would like to think otherwise. We are currently not even close to mastering comparatively simple nuclear fusion. Consequently, we must rely on known technology, whatever its drawbacks, to solve our energy problems.

In reality, energy use has always had a noticeable impact on the environment. Looking back today, it is obvious that burning wood was less than ideal, and that the harmful noxious fumes created by such fires considerably reduced ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781119514862Purchase book