Public Energy

The grid is an accident of history and of culture, in no way intrinsic to how we produce, deliver and consume electrical power. Yet this is the system the United States ended up with, a jerry-built structure now so rickety and near collapse that a strong wind or a hot day can bring it to a grinding halt. The grid is now under threat from a new source: renewable and variable energy, which puts stress on its logics as much as its components.

Lithium, a crucial input in the batteries powering electric vehicles, has the potential to save the world from climate change. But even green solutions come at a cost. Mining lithium is environmentally destructive. We therefore confront a dilemma: Is it possible to save the world by harming it in the process? Having spent over a decade researching mining and oil sectors in Latin America, Thea Riofrancos is a leading voice on resource extraction. In Extraction, she draws on groundbreaking fieldwork on the global race for lithium.

The transition to clean energy is moving far too slowly. Trapped by a century of fossil fuel investments and politicians that struggle to plan beyond the next election, the “Big Grid” that powers our modern world is outdated and in dire need of an upgrade. Freeing Energy offers a new and faster path towards a clean energy future — one that is more reliable, more equitable, and cheaper.

A “meticulously researched” (The New York Times Book Review) examination of energy transitions over time and an exploration of the current challenges presented by global warming, a surging world population, and renewable energy—from Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author...

What happens when the President of the United States governs one Tweet at a time? When the elected leader of the free world may not have a firm grasp on the names of government agencies, much less an understanding of their intricate inner-workings? In the days following the 2016 inauguration, government personnel searched for answers that didn’t exist, while White House staff scoured halls for employees who would never be appointed.

Most of the universe is missing—and this book finally makes sense of it. For decades, astronomers have known that everything we can see, touch, and measure accounts for only a tiny fraction of reality. The rest—an astonishing ninety‑five percent—is made of dark matter and dark energy, two invisible forces that shape galaxies, bend starlight, accelerate cosmic expansion, and determine the fate of the cosmos. This plain‑English guide cuts through the confusion and explains the biggest mystery in modern science with clarity, storytelling, and real scientific history. The book ...

Nuclear energy stands at the crossroads of fear and necessity, science and public imagination, catastrophe and promise. This book offers a clear, penetrating examination of one of humanity’s most consequential technologies—its origins in cosmic processes, its role in the modern energy landscape, the accidents that shaped its reputation, and the profound ethical questions that surround its use. Rather than taking sides, it illuminates the hidden mechanisms, political pressures, psychological forces, and historical legacies that form the real structure of the nuclear debate.

Billions lack safe water. AI drives energy demand. Resources and time are scarce. Climate anxiety rises; old solutions can't keep up What if the answer is a technology set aside decades ago—not for failure, but because gas was cheap and this fuel wasn't weaponized? Thorium.

Atoms and Ashes recounts the dramatic history of nuclear accidents that have dogged the industry in its military and civil incarnations since the 1950s. Through the stories of six terrifying major incidents—Bikini Atoll, Kyshtym, Windscale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima—Cold War expert Serhii Plokhy explores the risks of nuclear power, both for military and peaceful purposes, while offering a vivid account of how individuals and governments make decisions under extraordinary circumstances.

Wildcatters is the amazing story of greed, corruption, and scandal in the framing of one of the most famous oil families in Texas and the subsequent IRS raid of unprecedental proprtions. This book will confirm your suspicions of the IRS yet provides a glimmer of hope in our criminal justice system.

In ihrem neuen Hörbuch konfrontiert Claudia Kemfert uns mit den heute neu gestellten klimapolitischen Fragen und deckt auf, wo Mythen gefährliche Realitäten verschleiern. Sie zeigt, welche Technologien noch funktionieren könnten und wie der Gasausstieg Deutschland zum Technologie-Weltmarktführer macht – wenn uns die Zeit bleibt. Ein Hörbuch für alle, die sich der Illusion verweigern, dass es noch einfache Antworten gibt. Klima und Wirtschaft lassen sich nicht gegeneinander ausspielen.

Griffith paints an inspiring yet practical picture of empowered local communities acting collectively when it comes to renewable energy, and benefiting financially. He considers both equity and security – an end to dependence on foreign oil, for instance. He explores the rejuvenation of regional Australia, as well as the rise of a new populist movement driven by Australian women. And he explodes once and for all the trees v. jobs binary. This is an electrifying essay about building a better world, one community at a time.

Step into the world where robust infrastructure ignites economic prosperity with "Infrastructure Wins.” This compelling eBook delves into the pivotal role of infrastructure in booming markets, unraveling the intricate connections between strategic development and unprecedented economic growth. Start your journey with a profound introduction to the relationship between infrastructure and economic expansion. Explore fascinating historical case studies that reveal insightful lessons from past successes, providing a solid foundation for understanding today’s infrastructural dynamics. ...

The definitive account of India’s energy journey and a blueprint for an energy-efficient future. The historic oil crisis of 1973, which permanently altered significant economic policies worldwide, marked a turning point in India’s energy odyssey, putting the country on the path towards energy efficiency. A young energy researcher at the National Productivity Council at the time, Padu Padmanabhan soon found himself at a juncture that would lead him to the many watershed moments of this journey.

Two decades of negotiating African oil and gas deals have given NJ Ayuk a grasp of the continent's energy landscape that few can match. The American-educated African energy lawyer serves up generous doses of that insight in his second book, Billions at Play: The Future of Africa Energy and Doing Deals.

In BOOM, prize-winning reporter Tony Horwitz takes a spirited road trip through the wild new frontier of energy in North America. His journey begins in subarctic Alberta, where thousands of miners labor in an industrial moonscape to extract the region's oil-rich tar sands. Horwitz then follows the route of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline that may carry tar-sands oil from Canada across Montana, the Dakotas, and Nebraska en route to Gulf Coast refineries.

In this user-friendly and informative audiobook, prolific author and academic Vaclav Smil provides an introduction to this far-reaching term and gives the reader a greater understanding of energy's place in both past and present society. Starting with an explanation of the concept, he goes on to cover such exciting topics as the inner workings of the human body, and the race for more efficient and environmentally friendly fuels.

Climate of Contempt offers a voter-centric, bottom-up explanation of national climate and energy politics, one that pinpoints bitter partisanship as the key impediment to transitioning to a net zero carbon future.

Wie Hunger oder Durst ist Müdigkeit ein Mechanismus unseres Körpers, der uns am Leben hält und vor Überforderung bewahrt. Wenn der Schlaf jedoch keine Erholung mehr bringt, erfahren wir ein anderes Müdesein. Eines, das wir als krank machend empfinden und dessen Auslöser wir oft nicht identifizieren können. Dr. med. Anne Fleck hat die heimlichen Ursachen für andauernde Müdigkeit unter die Lupe genommen: Unentdeckte Infektionen, übersehene Stoffwechselstörungen, Nahrungsmittelintoleranzen, kranke Zellen oder Umwelttoxine können an unserer Leistungsfähigkeit zehren.

As president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister was known for being a straight shooter, willing to challenge his peers throughout the industry. Now, he's a man on a mission, the founder of Citizens for Affordable Energy, crisscrossing the country in a grassroots campaign to change the way we look at energy in this country.