ABSTRACT

Society's use of energy and technology is at heart of many of the most significant environmental problems of recent years, including problems of health, global warming and acid rain. Use of technology has been a major cause of environmental problems but new technology offers many solutions.
Energy, Society and Environment is an introduction to energy and energy use, and the interactions between technology, society and the environment. The book is clearly structured to examine:
* key environmental issues, and the harmful impacts of energy use
* new technological solutions to environmental problems
* implementation of possible solutions
* implications for society in developing a sustainable approach to energy use.
Social processes and strategic solutions to problems are located within a clear, technological context with topical case studies and informative diagrams illustrating key issues.
Energy, Society and Environment examines the potential and limits of technical solutions to environmental problems and suggests the social, economic and political changes necessary to avoid serious environmental damage in the future.

part |2 pages

Part 1 Environmental problems

chapter 1|5 pages

Technology and society

chapter |10 pages

A model of interactions

chapter |1 pages

Further reading

chapter 2|8 pages

Energy and environment

chapter |5 pages

The oil crisis

chapter |4 pages

Box 2.1 The impacts of climate change

chapter |3 pages

Box 2.2 The cost of climate change

chapter |1 pages

Technical alternatives to fossil fuels

chapter |6 pages

Box 2.3 Nuclear opposition

chapter 3|19 pages

Sustainable technology

chapter |1 pages

Summary points

part |2 pages

Part 2 Sustainable technology

chapter 4|22 pages

Greening technology

chapter 5|2 pages

The nuclear alternative

chapter |7 pages

Box 5.1 Impacts of radiation

chapter |6 pages

Box 5.3 Low-level radiation

chapter |1 pages

Summary points

chapter 6|2 pages

A nuclear renaissance?

chapter |9 pages

Box 6.1 Fast breeder reactors

chapter |11 pages

Box 6.2 Nuclear waste disposal

chapter 7|7 pages

Renewable energy

chapter |2 pages

The total renewable resource

chapter 8|4 pages

Renewables worldwide

chapter |5 pages

The Renewables Obligation

chapter |1 pages

Box 8.1 REFIT works best

chapter |2 pages

Box 8.2 Renewable energy in Europe

chapter |2 pages

US renewable energy programme

chapter |6 pages

Japan’s renewable energy programme

chapter 9|15 pages

Sustainable energy strategy

part |2 pages

Part 3 Problems of implementation

chapter 10|6 pages

Getting started: institutional obstacles

chapter |2 pages

The development of wind power

chapter |4 pages

The UK geothermal programme

chapter 11|14 pages

Keeping going: deployment problems

chapter |3 pages

The media’s response

chapter |9 pages

Possible resolutions: local involvement

chapter |1 pages

Further reading

part |2 pages

Part 4 Sustainable society

chapter 14|16 pages

Sustainable development

chapter 15|6 pages

The global perspective

chapter |2 pages

Kondratiev cycles

chapter |6 pages

The developing countries

chapter 16|11 pages

The sustainable future

chapter |9 pages

Box 16.3 Hydrogen co-op

chapter 17|8 pages

Conclusions: the way ahead?

chapter |2 pages

Box 17.1 Natural Step: system criteria

chapter |8 pages

Box 17.3 Socially useful production