Power Hungry: The Myths of ""Green"" Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future

The promise of "green jobs" and a "clean energy future" has roused the masses. But as Robert Bryce makes clear in this provocative book, that vision needs a major re-vision. We cannot -- and will not -- quit using carbon-based fuels at any time in the near future for a simple reason: they provide the horsepower that we crave. The hard reality is that oil, coal, and natural gas are here to stay. Fueling our society requires more than sentiment and rhetoric; we need to make good decisions and smart investments based on facts. In Power Hungry, Bryce provides a supertanker-load of footnoted facts while shepherding readers through basic physics and math. And with the help of a panoply of vivid graphics and tables, he crushes a phalanx of energy myths, showing why renewables are not green, carbon capture and sequestration won't work, and even -- surprise! -- that the U.S. is leading the world in energy efficiency. He also charts the amazing growth of the fuels of the future: natural gas and nuclear. Power Hungry delivers a clear-eyed view of what America has "in the tank," and what's needed to transform the gargantuan global energy sector. Another contrarian assessment of America's energy situation--and the gulf between the goals of the green movement and our vast need for power--by the author of Gusher of Lies. Armed with fully footnoted facts and revealing graphics, Bryce explains why most of the hype about renewable energy and "green" technology is just that--hype. He shows why renewable sources like wind and solar are not "green" and why they cannot provide the scale of energy that the world demands. He negates the notion that the US wastes huge amounts of energy. Indeed, the facts show that over the past three decades the US has been among the world's best at reducing its energy intensity, carbon intensity, and per-capita energy use. He goes on to skewer electric cars, T. Boone Pickens, and Denmark as an "energy smart" model, and explains what will really be needed to transform the global energy sector.--From publisher description The promise of "green jobs" and a "clean energy future" has roused the masses. But as Robert Bryce makes clear in this provocative book, that vision needs a major re-vision. We cannot—and will not—quit using carbon-based fuels at any time in the near future for a simple reason: they provide the horsepower that we crave. The hard reality is that oil, coal, and natural gas are here to stay.Fueling our society requires that we make good decisions and smart investments based on facts. In __Power Hungry__, Bryce crushes a phalanx of energy myths, showing why renewables are not green, carbon capture and sequestration won't work, and even—surprise!—that the U. S. is leading the world in energy efficiency. __Power Hungry__ delivers a clear-eyed view of what's needed to transform the gargantuan global energy sector.