03 Contents

I SETTING THE STAGE: GROWTH AND LIMITATIONS

  • 1 Exponential Growth
    • 1.1 Bacteria in a Jar.
      • 1.1.1 Exponential Math
    • 1.2 Energy Extrapolation
    • 1.3 Thermodynamic Absurdity
    • 1.4 Upshot: Limits to Growth
    • 1.5 Problems
  • 2 Economic Growth Limits
    • 2.1 Historical Coupling
    • 2.2 Decoupling and Substitution.
    • 2.3 Forced Economic Limits. .
    • 2.4 No-Growth World . .
    • 2.5 Upshot: Growth Will End
    • 2.6 Problems
  • 3 Population
    • 3.1 Population History.
    • 3.2 Logistic Model .
      • 3.2.1 Overshoot
      • 3.2.2 Logistic Projection
    • 3.3 Demographic Transition
      • 3.3.1 Geographic Considerations.
      • 3.3.2 Transition Cost . . .
    • 3.4 Touchy Aspects
      • 3.4.1 It’s Personal
      • 3.4.2 Population Policy
    • 3.5 Upshot: It Depends on Us
    • 3.6 Problems
  • 4 Space Colonization
    • 4.1 Scale of Space
    • 4.2 The Wrong Narrative
    • 4.3 A Host of Difficulties
    • 4.4 Exploration’s Role
    • 4.5 Upshot: Earth First.
    • 4.6 Problems

II ENERGY AND FOSSIL FUELS

  • 5 Energy and Power Units
    • 5.1 Energy (J)
    • 5.2 Energy Forms & Conservation
    • 5.3 Power (W)
    • 5.4 Kilowatt-hour (kWh)
    • 5.5 Calories (kcal)
    • 5.6 British Thermal Unit (Btu)
    • 5.7 Therms
    • 5.8 Electrical Power
    • 5.9 Electron Volt (eV)
    • 5.10 Light Energy
    • 5.11 Upshot on Units
    • 5.12 Problems
  • 6 Putting Thermal Energy to Work
    • 6.1 Generating Heat
    • 6.2 Heat Capacity
    • 6.3 Home Heating/Cooling
    • 6.4 Heat Engines.
      • 6.4.1 Entropy and Efficiency Limits
    • 6.5 Heat Pumps
      • 6.5.1 Consumer Metrics.
    • 6.6 Upshot on Thermal Energy
    • 6.7 Problems
  • 7 The Energy Landscape
    • 7.1 The Annual Energy Review
      • 7.1.1 Energy Flow
      • 7.1.2 Source and Sector
      • 7.1.3 Detailed Mix.
      • 7.1.4 Energy Trends
    • 7.2 Global Energy
      • 7.2.1 U.S. Global Share
    • 7.3 Upshot: Go to the Source
    • 7.4 Problems
  • 8 Fossil Fuels
    • 8.1 The Most Important Plot Ever
    • 8.2 Overview: Coal, Oil, and Gas
      • 8.2.1 Coal
      • 8.2.2 Petroleum (Oil)
      • 8.2.3 Natural Gas
    • 8.3 Chemical Energy.
    • 8.4 Fossil Fuel Pros and Cons.
      • 8.4.1 Fossil Fuels are Amazing
      • 8.4.2 Fossil Fuels are Terrible
      • 8.4.3 On Balance?
    • 8.5 The Future of Fossil Fuels.
      • 8.5.1 Scenarios.
      • 8.5.2 Timescales
      • 8.5.3 Clues in the Data
      • 8.5.4 Geopolitics
    • 8.6 Upshot: Good, Bad, Limited
    • 8.7 Problems
  • 9 Climate Change
    • 9.1 The Source of CO2
      • 9.1.1 CO2 Measurements
      • 9.1.2 CO2 Expectations
      • 9.1.3 Chief Contributors
    • 9.2 Warming Mechanism
    • 9.3 Possible Trajectories
    • 9.4 Consequences
      • 9.4.1 Heating Up.
      • 9.4.2 Heating Earth’s Skin
      • 9.4.3 Sea Level Rise
    • 9.5 What Can Be Done?
    • 9.6 Upshot: A Serious Problem
    • 9.7 Problems

III ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

  • 10 Renewable Overview

    • 10.1 The Players
    • 10.2 Alternatives vs. Renewables
    • 10.3 Renewable Energy Budget
    • 10.4 Renewable Snapshot..
    • 10.5 Upshot: Our Path Forward
    • 10.6 Problems

  • 11 Hydroelectric Energy

    • 11.1 Grav. Potential Energy
    • 11.1.1 Comparison to Other Forms
    • 11.2 Hydroelectric Energy
      • 11.2.1 Theoretical Potential.
    • 11.3 Hydropower in the U.S.
    • 11.4 Global Hydropower
    • 11.5 Upshot: Pros and Cons 11.6 Problems

  • 12 Wind Energy

    • 12.1 Kinetic Energy
    • 12.2 Wind Energy
    • 12.2.1 Wind Turbines
    • 12.3 Wind Installations
    • 12.4 Upshot: Not Overblown 12.5 Problems

  • 13 Solar Energy

    • 13.1 The Energy of Light
    • 13.2 The Planck Spectrum
    • 13.3 Photovoltaics .
      • 13.3.1 Theoretical Efficiency
    • 13.4 Insolation. . .
    • 13.5 Incredible Solar Potential
    • 13.6 Residential Considerations
      • 13.6.1 Configurations. .
      • 13.6.2 Sizing and Cost
    • 13.7 Photovoltaic Installations
      • 13.7.1 Pros and Cons of PV
    • 13.8 Solar Thermal
      • 13.8.1 Passive Solar Heat
      • 13.8.2 Solar Thermal Electricity
      • 13.8.3 Pros and Cons of ST.
    • 13.9 Upshot for Solar 13.10 Problems

  • 14 Biological Energy

    • 14.1 Photosynthesis
    • 14.2 Biomass.
    • 14.3 Biofuels
    • 14.3.1 EROEI
    • 14.3.2 EROEI of Biofuels
    • 14.4 Upshot: Nature’s Burn.
    • 14.5 Problems

  • 15 Nuclear Energy

    • 15.1 The Nucleus
    • 15.2 Radioactive Decay
    • 15.3 Mass Energy
    • 15.4 Fission
      • 15.4.1 The Basic Idea.
      • 15.4.2 Chain Reaction.
      • 15.4.3 Fission Accounting
      • 15.4.4 Practical Implementations
      • 15.4.5 Nuclear Waste …
      • 15.4.6 Weapons and Proliferation
      • 15.4.7 Nuclear Safety
      • 15.4.8 Pros and Cons of Fission
    • 15.5 Fusion..
      • 15.5.1 Fuel Abundance
      • 15.5.2 Fusion Realities
      • 15.5.3 Pros and Cons of Fusion
    • 15.6 Upshot on Nuclear..
    • 15.7 Problems

  • 16 Small Players

    • 16.1 Geothermal Energy
      • 16.1.1 Sustainable Harvest
      • 16.1.2 Geothermal Depletion
      • 16.1.3 Geothermal Reality
    • 16.2 Tidal Capture. .
    • 16.3 Ocean Currents
    • 16.4 Wave Energy
    • 16.5 Hydrogen.
    • 16.6 Upshot on Small Players
    • 16.7 Problems

  • 17 Comparison of Alternatives

    • 17.1 Alternative Energy Matrix
    • 17.2 Individual Tally
    • 17.3 Student Rankings
    • 17.4 Upshot: Fossil Fuel Gap
    • 17.5 Problems

IV GOING FORWARD

  • 18 Human Factors

    • 18.1 Personality
    • 18.1.1 Consequences and Coping
    • 18.2 Policy vs. Individual Action.
    • 18.3 The Energy Trap . . .
    • 18.4 Fermi Paradox Explained?
    • 18.5 Upshot on Humanity
    • 18.6 Problems
    • 19 A Plan Might Be Welcome
    • 19.1 No Master Plan . . .
    • 19.1.1 The Growth Imperative
    • 19.2 No Prospect for a Plan.
    • 19.2.1 Who Makes the Plan?
    • 19.3 Economic Regimes..
    • 19.3.1 Steady State Economy
    • 19.4 Upshot on the Plan 19.5 Problems

  • 20 Adaptation Strategies

    • 20.1 Awareness
    • 20.2 Communication
    • 20.2.1 Predicament, not Problems
    • 20.3 Guidelines for Adaptation
    • 20.3.1 Overall Framing.
    • 20.3.2 Energy Assessment Rules.
    • 20.3.3 Quantitative Footprint
    • 20.3.4 Dietary Energy.
    • 20.3.5 Flexitarianism
    • 20.3.6 Discretionary Summary
    • 20.4 Values Shifts ..
    • 20.5 Flexibility in Uncertainty
    • 20.6 Upshot on Strategies.
    • 20.7 Problems (Predicaments?)

  • Epilogue

  • Image Attributions

  • Changes and Corrections

V APPENDICES

  • A Math and Equations
    • A.1 Relax on the Decimals.
    • A.2 Forget the Rules
    • A.3 Areas and Volumes
    • A.4 Fractions
    • A.5 Integer Powers
    • A.6 Fractional Powers
    • A.7 Scientific Notation
    • A.8 Equation Hunting
    • A.9 Equation Manipulation A.10 Units Manipulation
    • A.11 Just the Start
  • B Chemistry Primer/Refresher
    • B.1 Moles
    • B.2 Stoichiometry
    • B.3 Chemical Energy.
    • B.4 Ideal Gas Law
  • C Selected Answers
  • D Alluring Tangents
    • D.1 Edge of the Universe.
    • D.2 Cosmic Energy Conservation
      • D.2.1 Cosmological Exception
      • D.2.2 - Convoluted Conservation.
      • D.2.3 Lost to Heat
    • D.3 Electrified Transport
      • D.3.1 Airplanes.
      • D.3.2 Shipping
      • D.3.3 Long-haul trucking
      • D.3.4 Buses
      • D.3.5 Passenger Cars.
      • D.3.6 Wired Systems
      • D.3.7 Collected Efficiencies
    • D.4 Pushing Out the Moon
    • D.5 Humanity’s Long View
      • D.5.1 Success vs. Failure .
      • D.5.2 Sustainable Living.
      • D.5.3 Time to Grow Up - 393
      • D.5.4 Frameworks - 407
    • D.6 Too Smart to Succeed? .408
      • D.6.1 Evolution’s Biggest Blunder? - 411
  • Bibliography - 412
  • Notation - 420
  • Glossary - 422
  • Alphabetical Index