Call number:
9783030851323 (e-book)
Description / Table of Contents:
Foreword -- Part 1 – Energy -- From Aristotle to Nuclear Fusion - The Long Road to Realising What Energy Is. The Foundation of Civilisation -- The Comeback of Sustainable Energy - Why Fossil Energy Sources are Only a Footnote in Human History -- Electricity War and Smart Grids - The Key Role of Electricity Storage and Transport -- Part 2 – Climate -- A Brief History of the Climate - What Makes Current Global Warming so Special -- The Beat of the Butterfly's Wings - How Climate Research and Climate Models Work -- From Knowledge to Action - The Risk Ethics of Climate Policy -- Climate Deniers, Climate Hysterics and Nimbys - In the Self-Service Shop of Arguments -- Part 3 – Power -- The Path of Renewable Electricity - From Niche Products to the High-tech Innovations of the Future -- The Wild Cards in the Game - How Game Changers Could Change Everything -- Yes, we can! - The Marketability of Renewable Energies -- Re-parking in the Mind - The Second Half of the Road to an Ecological Society -- Part 4 – Society -- The Economy of the Future - From the Struggle for Resources to the Economy of Sharing -- The Unfortunate Primacy of Economics - Why Politics Must Set Limits to the Markets -- In the Interest of All Humankind - The Long Road from National Energy Concepts to Global Politics -- A Construction Site for Us All - The Victory of Climate Ethics.
Description / Table of Contents:
Floods, species extinction, migration, droughts, super tornadoes - climate change is no longer a threat looming on the horizon but has long since become part of our everyday lives. Limiting the emerging and worsening climate changes is one of the most important challenges of our time. All human induced climate impacts can be traced back to a single factor: Energy. This book provides a comprehensive and readable introduction to the interplay between energy and climate, which also includes the fields of technology, economics, and politics. At the same time, the issue is highly complex and can only be understood in all its details by expert scientists, meaning that the facts are often poorly presented in the political discussion about climate. To put it simply: If we want to stop and even reverse the current climate trends, we need to find answers to the following three questions: · How exactly does our existing way of consuming energy affect the climate? · What options are there for generating energy without negative climate effects, and what do these mean for our lives? · What technological advances will directly help us to achieve this in future? In a non-alarmist yet entertaining manner, the book highlights the key determinants of global energy supply. Readers will come to appreciate the crucial facts about "energy and climate", will be up to date with the latest scientific and technological knowledge, and will understand the global political and economic framework that we need to consider when designing an appropriate future energy and climate policy. At the same time, the author conveys a clear and optimistic message: We already have the technical capabilities (which will be further enhanced in the future) to reverse the devastating climate trends without significantly limiting prosperity. The obstacles lie primarily in economic and political "constraints" and particular conflicts of interest. “A very important book that explains one of the most essential questions of our time - how we can master climate change by an energy transition - with scientific precision and clear words.” Georg Kell, founder and former Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact.
Type of Medium:
12
Pages:
1 Online-Ressource (xv, 256 Seiten)
,
Diagramme
ISBN:
9783030851323
,
978-3-030-85132-3
Uniform Title:
Wege aus der Klimakatastrophe wie eine nachhaltige Energie- und Klimapolitik gelingt
URL:
Ebook (access only within the AWI network)
DOI:
10.1007/978-3-030-85132-3
Language:
English
Note:
Contents
Part I Energy
1 From Aristotle to Nuclear Fusion: The Long Road to Understanding What Energy Actually Is
1.1 In the Beginning Was the Force
1.2 The Impulse and the Ars Viva
1.3 The Great Energy Confusion
1.4 Steam Engines as a Driver for Basic Research
1.5 The Limits of Energy Conversion
1.6 Maximum Energy in the Smallest Space
1.7 Energy and Life
1.8 How We Measure Energy
1.9 Energy on a Global Scale
Annex 1: Energy in Various Guises
References
2 The Foundation of Civilisation
2.1 Energy Cycle on Our Own Behalf
2.2 Fire, Wind, and Water
2.3 The Demand for Energy Keeps Growing
2.4 No Oil from the Socket
2.5 The Biggest Lever
2.6 The Future of Energy, the Energy of the Future
2.7 Moving Away from Fossil Fuels
3 The Comeback of Sustainable Energy: Why Fossil Energy Sources Are Only a Footnote in Human History
3.1 In the Beginning There Was Fire
3.2 The Material of the First Industrialisation
3.3 Entry into the Fossil Age
3.4 Electricity for All
3.5 The Black Gold
3.6 The End of the Golden Age of Oil
3.7 Rise and Fall of Nuclear Energy
3.8 Sustainable Energy Sources Are Returning
4 Electricity Wars and Smart Grids: The Key Role of Electricity Storage and Transport
4.1 The Issue with the Current
4.2 The Saliva of Mr. Volta
4.3 The Search for the Best Combination
4.4 An Old War Technology in a New Guise
4.5 The Coal of the Future
4.6 The Electricity War Between Edison and Westinghouse
4.7 The Return of the Direct Current
4.8 Juggling in Smart Grids
References
Part II Climate
5 A Brief History of the Climate: What Makes Current Global Warming so Special
5.1 Hot Plates and Black Stones
5.2 The Earth in Balance
5.3 The Natural and the Unnatural Greenhouse Effect
5.4 The Changing Fever of the Earth
5.5 Temporary Malfunctions
5.6 A Steamroller that Picks Up Speed
6 The Beat of the butterfly’s Wings: How Climate Research and Climate Models Work
6.1 Falling Leaves in Autumn
6.2 Tamed Chaos
6.3 Caught Red-Handed
Reference
7 Risk Ethics and Integrity: Why the Competence of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Forces Us to Act
7.1 Global Issues, Global Research
7.2 Future Scenarios for the Climate and Our Society
7.3 The Influence of Politics
7.4 What We Know …
7.5 Too Careful or Not Careful Enough?
7.6 Unpredictable Risks
7.7 Integrity
References
8 Climate Deniers, Climate Hysterics, and Nimbys: In the Self-service Shop of Arguments
8.1 1st Group: The Experts—Controversies Lead to Insight
8.2 2nd Group: Conservative Believers—The Belief in Higher Powers Than Science
8.3 3rd Group: Ideologists—The Fatal Stubbornness of Populists
8.4 4th Group: Lobbyists—The Great Fear of Reorientation
8.5 5th Group: Nimbys—Let Others Lead the Figh
8.6 Argumentation Aids for the Righteous
Part III Power
9 The Path of Renewable Electricity: From Niche Products to the High-Tech Innovations of the Future
9.1 Solar Power—Treadmills for Electrons
9.2 Photovoltaics—By No Means at the End of Its Possibilities
9.3 Wind Power—Electricity from the Air
9.4 Hydropower—Old Wine in New Wineskins
9.5 Geothermal Energy—From Deep Down in the Earth
9.6 Biomass—Carved from New Wood
10 The Jokers in the Game: How Game Changers Could Change Everything
10.1 A Joker for Energy Production: The Long Hope for Nuclear Fusion
10.2 A Joker for Energy Storage: Perfect Batteries Thanks to Spider Blood and Nano Capacitors
10.3 A Joker for Energy Consumption: Decentralised Production via 3D Printing
10.4 The Meta-Joker: Artificial Intelligence as a Solution for Complex Tasks
References
11 Yes, We Can! The Marketability of Renewable Energies
11.1 Follow the Money!
11.2 Subsidies Become Investments
11.3 The Fairy Tale of the Unaffordability of Renewable Energies
11.4 Solar Energy
11.5 Wind Energy
11.6 Hydropower
11.7 Geothermal Energy
11.8 Biomass
11.9 The Cost Gap Is Widening
Reference
12 A Strange Expression, But Comprehensible: The Second Half in the Match Between a Carbon-Based and a Carbon-Free Power Supply
12.1 The Third Construction Site
12.2 An Unembellished Cost Accounting
12.3 Change Through Trade
12.4 The Last Hole in the Belt
Reference
Part IV Society
13 The Economy of the Future: From the Struggle for Resources to an Economy of Sharing
13.1 A Cynical Priest and the Club of Rome
13.2 The Old Growth Model of Capitalism
13.3 When the Balance Sheet is Overstretched
13.4 The New Consumption Model of Decentralisation
13.5 When Greed No Longer Pays
13.6 Cradle to Cradle: From Economy to Ecology
References
14 The Unfortunate Primacy of Business: Why Politics Must Set Limits to Markets
14.1 Sand in the Gears
14.2 The Soul Sellers of Doubt
14.3 The Wave Spills Over into Europe
14.4 The Taming of Black Sheep
14.5 The Wind is Turning on the Oil Market
References
15 In the Interests of All Mankind: The Long Road from National Energy Concepts to Global Policy
15.1 European Energy Policy—Between Insight and Constraints
15.2 Chinese Energy Policy—In China’s Own Interest
15.3 US Energy Policy—Long Dominated by Irrationality and Special Interests
15.4 Developing Countries—Pioneers Against Their Will
15.5 A Brief History of Global Climate Policy
Reference
16 A Construction Site for All: The Victory of Climate Ethics
16.1 Who can Help Shaping the Energy Transformation
16.2 Consumption with a Pampering Factor
16.3 Changes in our Everyday Life
Reference
What is Needed Concretely
Epilogue
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