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Powering the Future: A Scientist's Guide to Energy Independence

Page 37

by Daniel B. Botkin


  Chandran, M. R., 190

  Charles, Prince of Wales, 225

  Chase, Heman, 174

  Chernobyl, 106-108

  China

  Three Gorges Dam, 80-81

  underground fires in coal bed, 62

  Chinese Academy of Forestry, 194

  Cinergy Corporation, 4

  The City in History (Mumford), 236

  Claude, Georges, 170

  “clean” coal technologies, 52-53, 69-70

  climate and energy use, 232-233

  The Climate Near the Ground (Geiger), 232

  Clooney, George, 212

  Clostridium phytofermentans, 188

  CO2 (carbon dioxide), 22

  burying, 69

  carbon offsets, xix

  coal

  air pollution resulting from burning coal as fuel, 62-65

  coal-bed methane, 45-46

  corporate and government support for, 67-68

  financial costs of environmental damage, 65

  formation of, 53-54

  future of coal power, 66-67, 258-259

  key facts, 52

  strip mining, 57-60

  technologies to make coal cleaner, 52-53, 69-70

  U.S. energy use 2007, 15

  underground mining, 60-62

  worldwide consumption of, 56

  coal-bed methane, 45-46

  Commoner, Barry, 161

  competition for energy, 32

  Con Edison, 157

  conservation of endangered species, 34-36

  conserving energy

  energy-efficient buildings

  active methods, 231

  climate/ecology and energy use, 232-233

  costs of, 234-235

  explained, 228-230

  geothermal energy, 239-243

  green buildings, 237-239

  modern-age buildings, 235-236

  passive methods, 231

  radiant heating, 233-234

  key facts, 228

  Consolidated Edison, 87

  consumer electronics, energy consumption of, 256

  conventional energy sources

  coal

  air pollution resulting from burning coal as fuel, 62-65

  coal-bed methane, 45-46

  corporate and government support for, 67-68

  financial costs of environmental damage, 65

  formation of, 53-54

  future of coal power, 66-67, 258-259

  key facts, 52

  strip mining, 57-60

  technologies to make coal cleaner, 52-53, 69-70

  underground mining, 60-62

  worldwide consumption of, 56

  disadvantages of, 276-277

  economically recoverable fuel, 18, 57

  energetically recoverable fuel, 18, 57

  natural gas

  coal-bed methane, 45-46

  fueling autos with, 38-39

  future of, 262, 272

  gas hydrates, 45

  key facts, 38

  shale-bed methane, 46-49

  U.S. consumption and reserves, 40-43

  worldwide consumption and reserves, 43-45

  nuclear power

  case study: Brookhaven National Laboratory irradiated forest, 108-111

  case study: Indian Point Power Plant, 87-88

  case study: Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS), 104-105

  costs of, 95

  estimated uranium ore deposits, 90-92

  future of, 260-261, 272-273

  geographic distribution of uranium ore deposits, 94

  key facts, 86

  lifespan of nuclear power plants, 98

  nuclear disasters, 105-108

  popularity of, 89-90

  production of, 111-113

  radioactive waste, 97-103

  safety of, 96-97

  U.S. energy use, 90

  worldwide use of, 93-94

  Yucca Mountain waste storage facility, 100

  oil

  energy provided by, 23

  environmental effects of, 33-34

  geographic distribution of petroleum, 27-29

  impact on culture, 20-21

  international competition for, 32

  key facts, 20

  oil from oil shales and tar sands, 30-32

  origin of, 21-23

  petroleum exploration versus conservation of endangered species, 34-36

  search for additional oil reserves, 29-30

  shrinking petroleum reserves, 24-27

  use in manufacture of petrochemicals and plastics, 33

  U.S. energy consumption

  output of typical large electrical power plant, 17-18

  table of U.S. energy use 2007, 15

  water power

  case study: breaching of Edwards Dam, 74-76

  case study: Three Gorges Dam, 80-81

  energy provided by dams, 77-78

  environment and social effects of dams, 79

  future of dams, 81-82

  hydrokinetic devices, 82

  key facts, 74

  potential energy production, 83-84

  U.S. hydroelectric power capacity, 76-77

  conventional nuclear reactors, 112

  Cosmos Ignite, 155

  crops, biofuel, 179-180

  Cullinan, Tim, 138

  Cumberland Mountains, coal mining in, 58

  currents, utilizing power from, 168-169

  D

  Damon, Matt, 212

  dams. See water power

  Denmark, wind power in, 132

  Department of Transportation (DOT), 214

  Design with Nature (McHarg), 238

  Detroit Edison, 7

  Diaz, Cameron, 212

  Diesel, Rudolf, 189

  dismantling nuclear power plants, 98

  Domingo, Placido, 212

  Dow Chemical, 33

  E

  ecology and energy use, 232-233

  economic incentives for reducing per-capita energy use, 266-269

  economically recoverable fuel, 18, 57

  Edison, Thomas, 152

  Edwards Dam, 74-76

  Electric Power Research Institute, 83, 165, 171

  electrical grid systems

  case study: blackout of 2003, 1-8

  explained, 205-206

  independence from grid, 209-210

  microgrids, 225

  problems with, 7

  smart grid, 207-209

  electrical power plants, typical output of, 17-18

  endangered species, conservation of, 34-36

  energetically recoverable fuel, 18, 57

  energy conservation

  energy-efficient buildings

  active methods, 231

  climate/ecology and energy use, 232-233

  costs of, 234-235

  explained, 228-230

  geothermal energy, 239-243

  green buildings, 237-239

  modern-age buildings, 235-236

  passive methods, 231

  radiant heating, 233-234

  key facts, 228

  energy efficiency

  of biofuels, 182-186

  energy-efficient buildings

  active methods, 231

  climate/ecology and energy use, 232-233

  costs of, 234-235

  explained, 228-230

  geothermal energy, 239-243

  green buildings, 237-239

  modern-age buildings, 235-236

  passive methods, 231

  radiant heating, 233-234

  of transportation, 214-216

  Energy Exchange in the Biosphere (Gates), 233

  energy independence, need for, xvii-xix

  Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, 215, 265

  Energy Policy Act of 2005, 68

  energy solutions

  future energy scenarios, 246-247

  projected energy consumption if per-capita use drops 50%, solar/wind provides two-thirds, 255-257

  projected ene
rgy consumption if U.S. energy use remains unchanged, 247-250

  per-capita energy use, reducing, 263

  by improving transportation energy efficiency, 264-266

  with passive solar energy, 266

  with social/economic incentives, 266-269

  proposed energy program for federal and local governments, 269-271

  questionable strategies, 273

  requirements for, 246, 275-276

  restricting energy use, 245

  successful strategies, 274-275

  unsuccessful strategies, 272-273

  energy transportation systems

  electrical grid systems. See electrical grid systems

  key facts, 200

  pipelines, 200-205

  energy use in U.S., 15-16

  energy, definition of, 10

  Engelder, Terry, 48

  Entergy, 87

  environmental effects

  biofuels, 189-190

  coal, 62-65

  dams, 79

  petroleum, 33-34

  solar energy, 161

  wind power, 136-139

  Eskimos, 20

  ethanol. See biofuels

  exajoules, 11

  Exxon Valdez oil spill, 33-34, 200

  F

  F-76 Naval Distillate fuel, 269

  Farris, Glenn, 178

  fast reactors, 92

  Federal Emergency Relief Act, 267

  federal government, proposed energy program for, 269-271

  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 218

  Ferrera, America, 212

  Ferroequus Railway Company Limited, 216

  firewood for home heating, 174-177

  Fischer, Franz, 70

  Fisher, Joely, 212

  fission reaction, 113

  Florida Power & Light

  Mountaineer Wind Energy Center, 123

  Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS), 149

  Turkey Point nuclear power plant, 96

  fossil fuels, 18

  coal

  air pollution resulting from burning coal as fuel, 62-65

  coal-bed methane, 45-46

  corporate and government support for, 67-68

  financial costs of environmental damage, 65

  formation of, 53-54

  future of, 66-67, 258-259

  key facts, 52

  strip mining, 57-60

  technologies to make coal cleaner, 52-53, 69-70

  underground mining, 60-62

  worldwide consumption of, 56

  disadvantages of, 276-277

  economically recoverable fuel, 18, 57

  energetically recoverable fuel, 18, 57

  natural gas

  coal-bed methane, 45-46

  fueling autos with, 38-39

  future of, 262, 272

  gas hydrates, 45

  key facts, 38

  shale-bed methane, 46-49

  U.S. consumption and reserves, 40-43

  worldwide consumption and reserves, 43-45

  oil

  energy provided by, 23

  environmental effects of, 33-34

  geographic distribution of petroleum, 27-29

  impact on culture, 20-21

  international competition for, 32

  key facts, 20

  oil from oil shales and tar sands, 30-32

  origin of, 21-23

  petroleum exploration versus conservation of endangered species, 34-36

  search for additional oil reserves, 29-30

  shrinking petroleum reserves, 24-27

  use in manufacture of petrochemicals and plastics, 33

  U.S. energy consumption, 15

  Foster, Robert, 155

  FPL. See Florida Power & Light

  France, nuclear waste disposal in, 102-103

  free-market approach to energy solutions, 267

  Friends of the Earth, 190

  fusion reactors, 112

  future energy scenarios, 246-247

  projected energy consumption if per-capita use drops 50%, solar/wind provides two-thirds, 255-257

 

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