ABSTRACT
The amount of energy available to us and the ways in which we use that supply importantly affect our use of land. Wind power may be harnessed by mills. Temperature gradients within the seas may be utilized as an energy source. Geothermal heat may be captured as it leaves its underground chambers. Hydroelectric and almost all forms of solar energy rank low-generating little if any pollution. The story of energy in the Western World is one of increasing centralization, pollution, and fueling of vehicles. Renewability is a concern of only the past decade, and it has become a highly controversial criterion. The case for choosing to use renewable energy sources wherever possible has been made by a number of persuasive authors, among the most prominent of whom are Amory Lovins, Barry Commoner, and Lawrence Solomon. The societal consequences of an unanticipated and sudden reduction of energy availability are unpleasant to contemplate.
