Energy for Sustainable Development: Demand, Supply, Conversion and Management presents a comprehensive look at recent developments and provides guidance on energy demand, supply, analysis and forecasting of modern energy technologies for sustainable energy conversion. The book analyzes energy management techniques and the economic and environmental impact of energy usage and storage. Including modern theories and the latest technologies used in the conversion of energy for traditional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, this book provides a valuable reference on recent innovations. Researchers, engineers and policymakers will find this book to be a comprehensive guide on modern theories and technologies for sustainable development.
An accessible, comprehensive primer to critical and contemporary issues in science, Introduction to Energy, Environment and Sustainability published by Kendall Hunt, was developed for an entry-level, non-science college audience, and aims to facilitate both new and old courses covering these topics. Originally created to meet Paul Gannon's (Montana State University - Chemical Engineering) new core science course, ECHM 205CS: Energy and Sustainability, the updated edition is now easily adaptable to basic science and engineering courses, in addition to those in the social and political sciences, e.g., law, public administration, business, sociology or economics. Introduction to Energy, Environment and Sustainability is organized into ten sequential chapters and is designed for a single academic term: Chapters 1-3 present an overview of human society and its impacts, as well as energy and environmental sciences and Earth System dynamics. Chapter 4 reviews the basics of combustion (fire), its utility, and its globalized impacts since the Industrial Revolution, focusing on atmospheric greenhouse gas accumulation and anthropogenic global climate destabilization. Chapter 5 discusses non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels) and related exploration, production and conversion technologies. Chapter 6 covers atomic energy basics and nuclear energy technologies. Chapters 7 and 8 overview renewable energy sources and conversion technologies, and introduce basic concepts of electricity and hydrogen. Chapter 9 considers the complexities and vulnerabilities of modern food and water systems. Chapter 10 concludes with reflections on science, sustainability and globalizing human society. The improved 2nd edition includes updated information on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), climate change and energy use, as well as links to interactive learning opportunities. To facilitate new and existing courses for instructors, the textbook is accompanied website, which includes: Example course syllabi and advertisements, Sample lecture slides from each chapter, Solutions to end-of-chapter quiz and problem sets , Suggested class-room activities/demonstrations and interactive course projects, designed to engage students and communities, Sample quizzes and exams -- P. vii.
Evaluates trade-offs and uncertainties inherent in achieving sustainable energy, analyzes the major energy technologies, and provides a framework for assessing policy options.
An Introduction to Sustainability provides students with a comprehensive overview of the key concepts and ideas which are encompassed within the growing field of sustainability. The book teases out the diverse but intersecting domains of sustainability and emphasises strategies for action. Aimed at those studying the subject for the first time, it is unique in giving students from different disciplinary backgrounds a coherent framework and set of core principles for applying broad sustainability principles within their personal and professional lives. These include: working to improve equality within and across generations, moving from consumerism to quality of life goals and respecting diversity in both nature and culture. Areas of emerging importance such as the economics of happiness and wellbeing stand alongside core topics including: Energy and society Consumption and consumerism Risk and resilience Waste, water and land. Key challenges and applications are explored through international case studies and each chapter includes a thematic essay drawing on diverse literature to provide an integrated introduction to fundamental issues. Launched with the brand-new Routledge Sustainability Hub, the book’s companion website contains a range of features to engage students with the interdisciplinary nature of Sustainability. Together these resources provide a wealth of material for learning, teaching and researching the topic of sustainability. This textbook is an essential companion to any sustainability course.
Introduction to Sustainability is the first major textbook to review major themes in the cutting-edge field of sustainability. The book is suitable for introductory interdisciplinary courses on sustainability, as well as those in the fields of geography, geology, sociology, planning, political science, and anthropology. Brinkmann’s book allows students to see the world in new ways while also encouraging them to become part of the change needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the planet. The text includes material on the development of the field of sustainability; environmental sustainability issues like water, food, and energy; social sustainability themes like environmental justice and transportation; and economic sustainability topics like green businesses and economic development. The book concludes with a chapter on sustainability issues in college and universities. Brinkmann intersperses many fascinating case studies and text boxes that encourage students to deeply explore the material. This is a book that not only organizes the complex field of sustainability, but also encourages students to take action to make the world a better place.
Despite a 2016-18 glut in fossil fuel markets and decade-low fuel prices, the global transformation to sustainable energy is happening. Our ongoing energy challenges and solutions are complex and multidimensional, involving science, technology, design, economics, finance, planning, policy, politics, and social movements. The most comprehensive book on this topic, Energy for Sustainability has been the go-to resource for courses. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to inform and guide students and practitioners who will steer this transformation. Drawing on a combined 80 years of teaching experience, John Randolph and Gilbert Masters take a holistic and interdisciplinary approach. Energy for Sustainability can help techies and policymakers alike understand the mechanisms required to enable conversion to energy that is clean, affordable, and secure. Major revisions to this edition reflect the current changes in technology and energy use and focus on new analyses, data, and methods necessary to understand and actively participate in the transition to sustainable energy. The book begins with energy literacy, including patterns and trends, before covering the fundamentals of energy related to physics, engineering, and economics. The next parts explore energy technologies and opportunities in three important energy sectors: buildings, electricity, and transportation. The final section focuses on policy and planning, presenting the critical role of public policy and consumer and investor choice in transforming energy markets to greater sustainability. Throughout the book, methods for energy and economic analysis and design give readers a quantitative appreciation for and understanding of energy systems. The book uses case studies extensively to demonstrate current experience and illustrate possibilities.
The complexity of carbon reduction and economic sustainability is significantly complicated by competing aspects of socioeconomic practices as well as legislative, regulatory, and scientific requirements and protocols. An easy to read and understand guide, Sioshansi, along with an international group of contributors, moves through the maze of carbon reduction methods and technologies, providing steps and insights to meet carbon reduction requirements and maintaining the health and welfare of the firm. The book's three part treatment is based on a clear and rigorous exposition of a wide range of options to reduce the carbon footprint Part 1 of the book, Challenge of Sustainability, examines the fundamental drivers of energy demand – economic growth, the need for basic energy services, and the interdependence of economic, political, environmental, social, equity, legacy and policy issues. Part 2 of the book, Technological Solutions, examines how energy can be used to support basic energy service needs of homes, commercial and industrial facilities and for other applications. Part 3 of the book, case studies, covers a number of innovative projects, initiatives, concepts or self-imposed targets in different parts of the world with the aim of significantly reducing energy use and carbon footprint of a company, a community, a city or an entire country. There was a widespread recognition among environmental engineers and energy economist of the importance of carbon reduction while sustaining the firm's economic growth. The only book to bring together both subjects into one easy to understand reference, Carbon Reduction and Economic Sustainability not only clearly explains which option has the lowest energy/carbon footprint but also which option would better suit the business in question. This includes carbon reduction for residential, transport, industrial and public sectors. - The only book to clearly explain the economic and environmental engineering aspects of carbon reduction. - Case studies taken from a number of international projects. - Carbon reduction options for all sectors of society. - The role of the planning system in carbon reduction.
An easy read, balancing the pros and cons, this book surveys the energy issue from a broad scientific perspective while considering environmental, economic, and social factors. It explains the basic concepts, provides a historical overview of energy resources, assesses our unsustainable energy system based on fossil fuels, and shows that the energy crisis is not only a tough challenge, but also an unprecedented opportunity to become more concerned about the world in which we live and the society we have built up. By outlining the alternatives for today and the future, it gives an extensive overview on nuclear energy, solar thermal and photovoltaics, solar fuels, wind power, ocean energies and other renewables, highlighting the increasing importance of electricity and the long-term perspectives of a hydrogen-based economy. An excellent source of updated and carefully documented information on the entangled aspects of the energy issue, this book is a guide for scientists, students and teachers looking for ways out of the energy and climate crisis, and the problems and disparities generated during the fossil fuel era.
Energy Transformation towards Sustainability explores how researchers, businesses and policymakers can explore and usefully improve energy systems and energy consumption behavior, both to reflect the reality of climate change and related environmental degradation and to adapt to the expanding periphery of renewable energy technologies. It introduces the reader to a suite of potential policy pathways to the necessary transformation in societal energy consumption, usage and behavior. Solutions discussed include energy efficiency, energy security, the role of political leadership, green public policy, and the transition to renewable energy sources. International contributions address the range and depth of current research from a position of advocacy for 'energy stewardship' as the driver of this transformation. Case studies illustrate the range of various countries to diminish energy use. Finally, policy avenues are covered in depth.
World human population is expected to reach upwards of 9 billion by 2050 and then level off over the next half-century. How can the transition to a stabilizing population also be a transition to sustainability? How can science and technology help to ensure that human needs are met while the planet's environment is nurtured and restored? Our Common Journey examines these momentous questions to draw strategic connections between scientific research, technological development, and societies' efforts to achieve environmentally sustainable improvements in human well being. The book argues that societies should approach sustainable development not as a destination but as an ongoing, adaptive learning process. Speaking to the next two generations, it proposes a strategy for using scientific and technical knowledge to better inform future action in the areas of fertility reduction, urban systems, agricultural production, energy and materials use, ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation, and suggests an approach for building a new research agenda for sustainability science. Our Common Journey documents large-scale historical currents of social and environmental change and reviews methods for "what if" analysis of possible future development pathways and their implications for sustainability. The book also identifies the greatest threats to sustainabilityâ€"in areas such as human settlements, agriculture, industry, and energyâ€"and explores the most promising opportunities for circumventing or mitigating these threats. It goes on to discuss what indicators of change, from children's birth-weights to atmosphere chemistry, will be most useful in monitoring a transition to sustainability.
